2 kings 18:17 - The king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great army to Jerusalem. They went up and came to Jerusalem. When they had come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field.
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What does "2 kings 18:17" mean?
This verse from 2 Kings 18:17 is a key part of the narrative describing the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem. Let's break it down:
"The king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great army to Jerusalem.": This tells us that the Assyrian king, Sennacherib, dispatched three high-ranking officials - the Tartan (likely a commander-in-chief), the Rabsaris (chief eunuch), and the Rabshakeh (chief cupbearer) - from the recently conquered city of Lachish to Jerusalem. They were accompanied by a large army, intended to intimidate and pressure King Hezekiah into surrender. Note that Lachish was a strategically important fortified city that fell to the Assyrians, demonstrating their power.
"They went up and came to Jerusalem.": A straightforward statement of their journey to the city.
"When they had come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field.": This specifies the location where the Assyrian delegation positioned themselves.
"conduit of the upper pool": This was a water source and its related system just outside Jerusalem's walls. The upper pool was a reservoir.
"highway of the fuller's field": The "fuller's field" was an area where cloth was processed. The "highway" was a well-known road leading to it.
The choice of this location was strategic. It was a public and accessible area, allowing the Assyrians to communicate their demands to the people of Jerusalem, as well as King Hezekiah's representatives. Positioning themselves by a crucial water source could also have been a form of psychological pressure, highlighting the vulnerability of the city's water supply during a siege.
In summary, the verse describes the arrival of a high-ranking Assyrian delegation with a large army outside Jerusalem, strategically positioned by a key water source and a well-known road. This was intended to intimidate King Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem, and to initiate negotiations (or rather, demands) for their surrender.
The verse is significant because it sets the stage for the following chapters, which detail the Rabshakeh's bold and blasphemous speech aimed at undermining the morale of the people and their faith in God. It highlights the Assyrian's military strength and psychological warfare tactics. The location of the Assyrian delegation is a key point, as it allowed them to address both the king and the people of Jerusalem.
2 kings 18:17 - The king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great army to Jerusalem. They went up and came to Jerusalem. When they had come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field.
What does "2 kings 18:17" mean?
This verse from 2 Kings 18:17 is a key part of the narrative describing the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem. Let's break it down:
"The king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great army to Jerusalem.": This tells us that the Assyrian king, Sennacherib, dispatched three high-ranking officials - the Tartan (likely a commander-in-chief), the Rabsaris (chief eunuch), and the Rabshakeh (chief cupbearer) - from the recently conquered city of Lachish to Jerusalem. They were accompanied by a large army, intended to intimidate and pressure King Hezekiah into surrender. Note that Lachish was a strategically important fortified city that fell to the Assyrians, demonstrating their power.
"They went up and came to Jerusalem.": A straightforward statement of their journey to the city.
"When they had come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field.": This specifies the location where the Assyrian delegation positioned themselves.
"conduit of the upper pool": This was a water source and its related system just outside Jerusalem's walls. The upper pool was a reservoir.
"highway of the fuller's field": The "fuller's field" was an area where cloth was processed. The "highway" was a well-known road leading to it.
The choice of this location was strategic. It was a public and accessible area, allowing the Assyrians to communicate their demands to the people of Jerusalem, as well as King Hezekiah's representatives. Positioning themselves by a crucial water source could also have been a form of psychological pressure, highlighting the vulnerability of the city's water supply during a siege.
In summary, the verse describes the arrival of a high-ranking Assyrian delegation with a large army outside Jerusalem, strategically positioned by a key water source and a well-known road. This was intended to intimidate King Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem, and to initiate negotiations (or rather, demands) for their surrender.
The verse is significant because it sets the stage for the following chapters, which detail the Rabshakeh's bold and blasphemous speech aimed at undermining the morale of the people and their faith in God. It highlights the Assyrian's military strength and psychological warfare tactics. The location of the Assyrian delegation is a key point, as it allowed them to address both the king and the people of Jerusalem.