Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
Parallel translations
- KJV Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
- BSB Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?
- NKJV Has any of the gods of the nations at all delivered its land from the hand of the king of Assyria?
- NASB Has any of the gods of the nations actually saved his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?
- NLT Have the gods of any other nations ever saved their people from the king of Assyria?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Rabshakeh argues that no nation's god has ever delivered its land from Assyria. He reduces Yahweh to the level of powerless idols.
Overview
The Assyrian's boast assumes Yahweh is merely one tribal deity among many that Assyria has overcome. This is his fatal error, for the gods of the nations were idols, but Yahweh is the living God. By equating the Creator with carved images, he commits the blasphemy God will judge. The narrative sets up the LORD's vindication of his unique sovereignty.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Isa 10:10–11As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, whose engraved images exceeded those of Jerusalem and of Samaria;
- 2 Kgs 19:12–13Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the children of Eden who were in Telassar?
- Isa 36:18–20Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, “Yahweh will deliver us.” Have any of the gods of the nations delivered their lands from the hand of the king of Assyria?
- 2 Chr 32:14–17Who was there among all the gods of those nations which my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of my hand?
- 2 Chr 32:19They spoke of the God of Jerusalem as of the gods of the peoples of the earth, which are the work of men’s hands.
- 2 Kgs 19:17–18Truly, Yahweh, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Amid the long decline toward exile, the promise to David's house refuses to die; the flickering lamp kept burning anticipates the coming King who will not fail or be cut off.
How 2 Kings 18:33 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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