Useful Bible Studies > 2 Kings Commentary > chapter 18
The commander from Assyria urged the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Their king, Hezekiah, was too proud to accept the rule of Assyria’s king over him, the commander argued. For that reason, Assyria’s king would come soon to destroy the city.
However, there was now an opportunity for Jerusalem’s inhabitants to save their lives. The battle for Jerusalem had not yet begun; the gates at the entrances to the city were still open. So, the commander urged Jerusalem’s people to leave the city at once. Hezekiah would not agree to peace with the king of Assyria – but the people could themselves choose to accept the king of Assyria’s rule over them.
The commander promised that the king of Assyria would deal well with everyone who left Jerusalem to support him. He would cause the people who remained in the city to starve (18:27). However, he promised to find good homes in Judah for the people who left the city. The people still in Jerusalem would suffer with hunger; the people who left would eat fresh fruit from trees in their own gardens. The people in Jerusalem would be unable to find water to drink; the people who left would have a constant supply of pure water.
Those new homes in Judah would only be temporary. The king of Assyria moved the people in each place to a distant part of his vast country. Some parts of that country were difficult places in which to live. However, the commander promised to arrange for the people who left Jerusalem to go to a good place. There, they would enjoy good food and a pleasant life.
Next part: The king who claimed to be greater than any god (2 Kings 18:33-35)
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