Biblical Hebrew Forum

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Dear Walter,

My impression is that not everybody in Judah was in agreement with
Hezekiah's efforts to centralize the worship of YHWH. It seems that
Rabshakeh brought this up because this was quite a hot item. Maybe he
wanted to destabilize Hezekiah's position by bringing up this painful
issue. The question whether YHWH was in agreement or not was a secondary
issue, to my opinion.

Best wishes,

Reinier de Blois

> -----Original Message-----
> From: b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
> [mailto:b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of
> Walter R. Mattfeld
> Sent: zaterdag 28 augustus 2004 14:42
> To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: [b-hebrew] Rabshakeh vs. Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:19-22)
> 
> 
> 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 ?
> 
> 2 Kings 18:19-22 RSV
> 
> "And the Rabshakeh said to them, "Say to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the 
> great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this confidence 
> of yours ? Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war

> ? On whom do you now rely, that you have rebelled against me ? Behold,

> you are relying now on Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will 
> pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of
> Egypt to all who rely on him. But if you say to me "We rely 
> on the LORD our God," is it not he whose high places and 
> altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to 
> Jerusalem, "You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem ?"
> 
> Regards, Walter
> 
> Walter Reinhold Warttig Mattfeld y de la Torre, M.A. Ed.
> 
> mattfeld12 AT charter.net
> 
www.bibleorigins.net


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