Isaiah 36:14

36:14 Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you: This public accusation against Hezekiah was intended to undermine the people’s confidence in him.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Thus saith the king,.... The king of Assyria, whom he personated, whose general and ambassador he was; so he spake to command the greater awe of the people, and the more to terrify them:

let not Hezekiah deceive you; with fair words, promising protection and safety, making preparations for the defence of the city, and to oblige the besiegers to break up the siege of it:

for he shall not be able to deliver you; but if he was not, his God, whom he served, and in whom he trusted, was able to deliver them, and did deliver them; though he endeavoured to dissuade them from trusting in him, or hearkening to Hezekiah's persuasions thereunto, as in the following verse.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Let not Hezekiah deceive you - By inducing you to put your trust in Yahweh or in himself; or with promises that you will be delivered.

Not be able to deliver you - In 2Ki 18:29, it is added, ‘out of his hand;’ but the sense is substantially the same.

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

14-18. Special pleading begins here against Hezekiah’s influence; also, so far forth, against the people’s fealty to Jehovah. Striking down one makes both to fall.

Make an agreement — He calls upon them to come to pleasant terms with him, to make a blessing, probably a mutual blessing; (so the original;) that is, to leave Hezekiah, ignore his assurances of divine aid and deliverance from the great king’s power, choose sustenance from figs and oil and wine and wholesome water, outside the walls, rather than the revolting extremities of a siege and famine inside. Prepare also to go to a similar land of plenty beyond the great river Euphrates. Until I come, means his return from conquering Egypt. He is now at Lachish, subduing that outpost and others lying in the way of his advance upon Egypt. His confidence that he can break Egypt to pieces, like the reeds of her river banks, seems now as strong as his purpose to do so. This accomplished, his purpose is to overthrow the government at Jerusalem and to transport the people, as Israel had been, to Assyria. This device of Rabshakeh is apparently to reconcile the Jews toward this probable result.

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

Thus saith the king. It is scarcely probable that Sennacherib had expressly empowered Rabshakeh to make a speech to the Jewish people, much less that he had dictated its words. But the envoy regards himself as having plenary powers to declare the king"s mind. Let not Hezekiah deceive you. By vain hopes of resisting the Assyrian arms successfully (comp. vers. 5-7).

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

“Thus saith the king: let not Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you.” The repeated mention of the king reminds them, that he is not speaking in his own name, but in that of a great monarch. The parallel passage (2Ki 18:29) adds, ‘out of his hand’.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Prophecies of Isaiah (1846–1847; New York: Scribner, 1870–1878) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

deceive (יַשִּׁיא) mislead.

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.