Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Rabshakeh vs. Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:19-22)

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>
  • To: "Walter R. Mattfeld" <mattfeld12 AT charter.net>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Rabshakeh vs. Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:19-22)
  • Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2004 17:03:57 +0100

On 28/08/2004 14:41, Walter R. Mattfeld wrote:

I get the notion that the Rabshakeh "appears" to be telling Hezekiah that
because Hezekiah has AFFRONTED Yahweh-Elohim by tearing down Yahweh's altars
and high places that Yahweh has sent the Assyrians to punish him, and that
God will NOT aide him against Assyria. Any other interpretations out there ?


Sounds about right to me. I don't think it is the first recorded case of outsiders misunderstanding the true worship of YHWH and mocking a caricature or straw man version of it. It certainly isn't the last. But then the chief butler's misunderstanding is not surprising since his culture presumably had no concept of a god who should be worshipped only at one single sanctuary. But this is what YHWH had asked for, at least according to the Torah, and was the attested practice from the time of the Exodus at least until Solomon's day, although the location of the central sanctuary varied from time to time.

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page