2 Kings 18:20

2Ki 18:20 Thou sayest, (but [they are but] vain words,) [I have] counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

Ver. 20. Thou sayest (but they are but vain words).] Heb., Words of the lips, i.e., frothy and fruitless, forasmuch as thou hast neither counsel nor strength for the war, but dost only word it, as Philip afterwards said the Athenians did. Some read the text not in a parenthesis, and thus paraphrase it: What can Hezekiah say to embolden him? What? I say, saith Hezekiah, I have words of my lips, that is, Prayer, prayer! Saith Rabshakeh: These are empty words, an airy nothing: for counsel and strength are for the war; but of these Hezekiah makes no reckoning, as thinking to do all by prayer, which I hold no better than prittle prattle.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Hebrew, talk of the lips.

Thou thinkest that words will serve to persuade thy people, or to move my master.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(20) Thou sayest (but they are but vain Words).—Literally, thou hast said—a mere lip-word it was—i.e., insincere language, an utterance which thou knewest to be false. (Comp. our expression, “lip-service.”)

I have counsel . . .—The margin is wrong.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

20. Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words)] Some have taken the words in the parenthesis as the object of the verb, so that the sense would be ‘Thou speakest only vain words (when thou talkest about) counsel and strength’. But it is better to leave them as a parenthesis, because of the succeeding question Thou speakest of counsel and strength, whence are they to come? The literal meaning of the expression rendered ‘vain words’, i.e. a word of the lips, which is nothing but so much breath, is very forcible and is preserved on the margin both of A.V. and R.V. Instead of the italics ‘I have’ R.V. inserts There is.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Hezekiah no doubt believed that in the “counsel” of Eliakim and Isaiah, and in the “strength” promised him by Egypt, he had resources which justified him in provoking a war.

Vain words - literally, as in margin, i. e., a mere word, to which the facts do not correspond.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Counsel. Hebrew, "Thou sayest (but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for the war." (Protestants) (Haydock) --- You have vainly boasted. (Calmet) --- Isaias xxvi. 5. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Thou sayest; either to thy people, to encourage them; or rather, within thyself.

But they are but vain words, or, surely, or, only words of the lips, i.e. vain, unprofitable, idle talk, without any effect; or they come not from thy heart; thou speakest this against thy own knowledge.

Counsel and strength for the war; counsel to contrive, strength or courage to execute; which two things are of greatest necessity and use for war. But the words are and may be rendered otherwise; either this, thou speakest surely words of the lips, i.e. thou encouragest thyself and thy people with talk and words; but counsel and strength are for war, are necessary for thy defence; neither of which thou hast within thyself, but must seek them from others; and where wilt thou find them?

on whom (as it follows)

dost thou trust? Or thus, Thou sayest, I have the word of my lips, (either,

1. Words wherewith to pray to God for help; or,

2. Eloquence to encourage my soldiers and people,) counsel and strength for war; i.e. I am furnished with all things necessary for my defence. On whom dost thou trust? seeing it is apparent thou hast not strength of thy own, from whom dost thou expect succours?

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

20. But they are but vain words — Rather, only a word of the lips; that is, an idle, inconsiderate saying. Compare Job_2:2; Pro_14:23.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thou sayest (but they are but vain words); literally, words of lips; i.e. words which the lips speak, without the heart having any conviction of their truth. We must suppose that Sennacherib has either heard from his spies that Hezekiah is speaking to the people as he represents him to be speaking, or conjectures what he is likely to say. According to the writer of Chronicles, (2Ch_32:7, 2Ch_32:8) what he did say was very different. He neither boasted of "counsel" nor of material "strength;" but simply said, "There be more with us than with him: with him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles." I have counsel and strength for the war. Sennacherib imagines that Hezekiah"s real trust is in the "fleshly arm" of Egypt, and in the counselors who have advised and brought about the alliance. And perhaps he is not far wrong. Hezekiah, it would seem, "halted between two opinions." He hoped for aid from Egypt; but, if it failed, then he hoped for the Divine help promised by Isaiah. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

Vers. 20, 21. Bruised reeds.

It is astonishing what trust is still placed, by generation after generation of mankind, in "bruised reeds." Whatever may be the case with individuals, mankind, the human race, learns nothing from experience. Men still trust implicitly in such "bruised reeds" as these

I BIG BATTALIONS. They think they are safe if they have sufficient "strength for the war." They go on increasing their military establishments, adding regiment to regiment, and battery to battery, and corps d armee to corps darmee. They count the armies of their neighbors; they reckon up man against man, and gun against gun, and ship against ship; and calculate, and plan, and act, as if the "multitude of a host the number of troops capable of being brought at once into the field was everything. They forget that "it is nothing to the Lord to help, whether with many or with them that have no power". (2Ch_14:11) They forget, or misread, history, and fail to note how often "the race has not been to the swift, nor the battle to the strong". (Ecc_9:11)

II POWERFUL ALLIES. Weak powers have always some "Egypt" to which they look for succor. Strong Powers count on "triple" or "quadruple" alliances to augment their strength, and render them irresistible. They forget how easily alliances are broken up, how sure they are to arouse discontents and jealousies, how little dependence can be placed on the promises of statesmen, or the persistence of a particular mood in a nation, or the view which a state may take of its interests. They forget that the friend of today may be the enemy of to-morrow, and may fail them at the moment of greatest need.

III SAGACIOUS STATESMEN AND GENERALS. It is forgotten, or at any rate not borne steadily in mind, how intellect decays, how mental power lessens, as men grow old; how often under a prolonged strain the strongest intellect suddenly snaps and is no longer of any account. Nor is it generally felt and recognized how limited and imperfect even the greatest intellect always is how incompetent to forecast all possibilities, or to deal with all emergencies. "The weakness of God is stronger than man, and the foolishness of God is wiser than man". (1Co_1:25) Man"s wisdom is at best a poor purblind wisdom, apt to err, apt to fail when most needed a very "bruised reed" to trust in.

IV GOOD LUCK OR A FORTUNATE STAR. The trust of the first Napoleon in his "star" is well known. It is not so well known, but it is sufficiently attested, that the third Napoleon had nearly as implicit a trust. Thousands of persons deem themselves "lucky," and trust in their "good luck," as if it were an actual tangible possession. Otherwise there would be far less gambling than there is. The poor peasants of Italy and Germany would Waste less money in lotteries, and the simpletons of England less in bets upon horses. Persons "luck" is, on the whole, probably about equal, and if a man has been "lucky" hitherto, he should expect to be "unlucky" in the future.

V SOMETHING TURNING UP. The phrase is a vulgar one, but it would need a long periphrasis to express the idea otherwise, and even then we might not make our meaning clear. Men who do not think themselves particularly lucky are still constantly waiting for "something to turn up," looking for it, trusting in it. The trust is made an excuse for idleness, for inaction, for waste of the best years of life, even for dissipated courses for gambling, drinking, frequenting evil company. This "bruised reed" is more rotten even than most of the others. For the idler, the waster of his time, the haunter of smoking saloons, billiard-rooms, and race-courses, nothing ever does "turn up." He offers no temptation to steady businesslike men to employ him. He does not seek work, and work is not very likely to seek him. He is an idler, and will remain an idler to the end of the chapter. There is no help for him, unless he gives up his silly trust, and betakes himself to a better one.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

You have said but words of the lips, etc. Until now you have said, ”I will (not) pay tribute to the king of Ashur.” It was but words of the lips, as long as he did not leave his place to march upon you, you did not require counsel and might. But now, that he has left [his place] and marched [upon you], you require counsel and might for this war. Now, tell [me] upon whom you have depended?

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.