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简体中文
英語原文
The prophet Isaiah is, in this and the three following chapters, an historian; for the scripture history, as well as the scripture prophecy, is given by inspiration of God, and was dictated to holy men. Many of the prophecies of the foregoing chapters had their accomplishment in Sennacherib's invading Judah and besieging Jerusalem, and the miraculous defeat he met with there; and therefore the story of this is here inserted, both for the explication and for the confirmation of the prophecy. The key of prophecy is to be found in history; and here, that we might have the readier entrance, it is, as it were, hung at the door. The exact fulfilling of this prophecy might serve to confirm the faith of God's people in the other prophecies, the accomplishment of which was at a greater distance. Whether this story was taken from the book of the Kings and added here, or whether it was first written by Isaiah here and hence taken into the book of Kings, is not material. But the story is the same almost verbatim; and it was so memorable an event that it was well worthy to be twice recorded, 2Ki 18:1-19:37, and here, and an abridgment of it likewise, 2Ch 32:1-33 We shall be but short in our observations upon this story here, having largely explained it there. In this chapter we have, I. The descent which the king of Assyria made upon Judah, and his success against all the defenced cities, Isa 36:1. II. The conference he desired to have with Hezekiah, and the managers on both sides, Isa 36:2,3. III. Rabshakeh's railing blasphemous speech, with which he designed to frighten Hezekiah into a submission, and persuade him to surrender at discretion, Isa 36:4-10. IV. His appeal to the people, and his attempt to persuade them to desert Hezekiah, and so force him to surrender, Isa 36:11-20. V. The report of this made to Hezekiah by his agents, Isa 36:21,22.
1-10
Sennacherib's Insolent Message (710 BC)
简体中文
西拿基立狂妄的传话（主前710年）
¹ 希西家王十四年，亚述王西拿基立上来攻击犹大的一切坚固城，将城攻取。 ² 亚述王从拉吉差遣拉伯沙基，率领大军往耶路撒冷，到希西家王那里去。他就站在上池的水沟旁，在漂布地的大路上。 ³ 于是希勒家的儿子家宰以利亚敬，并书记舍伯那和亚萨的儿子史官约亚，都出来见他。 ⁴ 拉伯沙基对他们说：你们去告诉希西家说，亚述大王如此说：你所倚靠的是什么信心呢？ ⁵ 你说（不过是嘴上的言语）：我有打仗的计谋和能力。你到底倚靠谁才背叛我呢？ ⁶ 看哪，你所倚靠的埃及，是那压伤的苇杖；人若靠这杖，就刺透他的手。埃及王法老给一切倚靠他的人也是这样。 ⁷ 你若对我说：我们倚靠耶和华—我们的神。希西家岂不是曾将神的邱坛和祭坛废去，且对犹大和耶路撒冷的人说：你们当在这坛前敬拜吗？ ⁸ 现在你把当头给我主亚述王，我就给你二千匹马，看你这一面能骑马的人有多少。 ⁹ 若不然，怎能拒绝我主臣仆中最小的一个军长呢？却倚靠埃及的战车马兵吗？ ¹⁰ 现在我上来攻击毁灭这地，岂没有耶和华的意思吗？耶和华吩咐我说：你上去攻击毁灭这地吧！
我们在此只观察一些实际的教训。1. 一国百姓可能行在自己当尽的本分中，却仍遭遇患难和困苦。希西家正在改革，他的百姓也有几分改革了；然而那时他们的国土被入侵，其中大部分被蹂躏。也许他们开始变得松懈冷淡，改革工作做了一半，便想停下来，没有彻底改革；于是神用这刑罚临到他们，要使他们和那善工重新得着活力。我们若正在行善，神却打发患难来激励我们行得更好、尽我们所能，并向着完全竭力前进，我们不可诧异。2. 我们绝不可妄以为自己今生的平安必会持续不变，也不可认为自己的山立得稳固，永不动摇。希西家不仅敬虔，而且在国内的治理和国外的条约上都很精明。他的事务处于良好状态，似乎特别与亚述王关系良好，因为他最近才以丰厚的礼物向他求和（王下 18:14），然而那背信弃义的君王忽然派大军涌入他的国土，加以蹂躏。所以我们总是当存着遭遇患难的指望，好叫患难临到时不至于惊奇，那时也就少有惊吓。3. 神有时许可他百姓的仇敌——即使是最不敬虔、最诡诈的仇敌——大大胜过他们。亚述王攻取了犹大一切的、或大部分的坚固城，于是全国自然成了他容易到手的掠物。恶事可以一时兴旺，却不能永远兴旺。4. 骄傲的人喜爱说大话，夸耀自己是谁、拥有什么、做了什么，甚至夸耀自己将要做什么，欺压别人，公然与全人类为敌，虽然如此行在一切智者眼中使自己成为可笑，又落在那阻挡骄傲之神的烈怒之下。他们却以为如此行可以使人惧怕自己，虽然结果只是被人憎恨；他们以为可以用「虚妄的大话」（犹 16）来达到目的。5. 神百姓的仇敌设法用恐吓来征服他们，尤其是恐吓他们，使他们失去对神的信心。所以拉伯沙基在此用喧嚷和讥诮贬抑希西家，说他完全无力对抗他的主人，连稍稍抵挡也不能。所以我们若要抵挡灵魂的仇敌、守住阵地，就必须以持守对神的盼望来鼓舞自己的心。6. 大家都承认，离弃神事奉的人就丧失了他的保护。拉伯沙基所声称的若是真的——希西家拆毁了神的祭坛——他就可以公义地推断，希西家不能凭任何把握倚靠神来求救助和解脱（赛 36:7）。我们可以对那些妄自恃大的罪人这样说——他们说自己倚靠耶和华和他的怜悯。这人岂不是他们一生所轻蔑其诫命、所羞辱其名、所藐视其条例的那位吗？那他们怎能指望在他面前蒙恩呢？7. 那些逼迫教会和神百姓的人，很容易也很普遍地假装奉神的名而行。拉伯沙基能说：「我上来岂没有耶和华的意思吗？」其实他是上来「攻击」耶和华（赛 37:28）。杀主仆人的人以为是在事奉他，说：「愿耶和华得荣耀。」但迟早他们必在自己所付出的代价上，在自己的羞辱上，认识自己的错误。
英語原文
Sennacherib's Insolent Message (710 BC)
¹ Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the defenced cities of Judah, and took them.
² And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field.
³ Then came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah's son, which was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph's son, the recorder.
⁴ And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?
⁵ I say, sayest thou, (but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?
⁶ Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him.
⁷ But if thou say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?
⁸ Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.
⁹ How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
¹⁰ And am I now come up without the LORD against this land to destroy it? the LORD said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
We shall here only observe some practical lessons. 1. A people may be in the way of their duty and yet meet with trouble and distress. Hezekiah was reforming, and his people were in some measure reformed; and yet their country is at that time invaded and a great part of it laid waste. Perhaps they began to grow remiss and cool in the work of reformation, were doing it by halves, and ready to sit down short of a thorough reformation; and then God visited them with this judgment, to put life into them and that good cause. We must not wonder if, when we are doing well, God sends afflictions to quicken us to do better, to do our best, and to press forward towards perfection. 2. That we must never be secure of the continuance of our peace in this world, nor think our mountain stands so strong that it cannot be moved. Hezekiah was not only a pious king, but prudent, both in his administration at home and in his treaties abroad. His affairs were in a good posture, and he seemed particularly to be upon good terms with the king of Assyria, for he had lately made his peace with him by a rich present (2Ki 18:14), and yet that perfidious prince pours an army into his country all of a sudden and lays it waste. It is good for us therefore always to keep up an expectation of trouble, that, when it comes, it may be no surprise to us, and then it will be the less a terror. 3. God sometimes permits the enemies of his people, even those that are most impious and treacherous, to prevail far against them. The king of Assyria took all, or most, of the defenced cities of Judah, and then the country would of course be an easy prey to him. Wickedness may prosper awhile, but cannot prosper always. 4. Proud men love to talk big, to boast of what they are, and have, and have done, nay and of what they will do, to insult over others, and set all mankind at defiance, though thereby they render themselves ridiculous to all wise men and obnoxious to the wrath of that God who resists the proud. But thus they think to make themselves feared, though they make themselves hated, and to carry their point by great swelling words of vanity, Jude 1:16. 5. The enemies of God's people endeavour to conquer them by frightening them, especially by frightening them from their confidence in God. Thus Rabshakeh here, with noise and banter, runs down Hezekiah as utterly unable to cope with his master, or in the least to make head against him. It concerns us therefore, that we may keep our ground against the enemies of our souls, to keep up our spirits by keeping up our hope in God. 6. It is acknowledged, on all hands, that those who forsake God's service forfeit his protection. If that had been true which Rabshakeh alleged, that Hezekiah had thrown down God's altars, he might justly infer that he could not with any assurance trust in him for succour and relief, Isa 36:7, We may say thus to presuming sinners, who say that they trust in the Lord and in his mercy. Is not this he whose commandments they have lived in the contempt of, whose name they have dishonoured, and whose ordinances they have slighted? How then can they expect to find favour with him? 7. It is an easy thing, and very common, for those that persecute the church and people of God to pretend a commission from him for so doing. Rabshakeh could say, Have I now come up without the Lord? when really he had come up against the Lord, Isa 37:28. Those that kill the servants of the Lord think they do him service and say, Let the Lord be glorified. But, sooner or later, they will be made to know their error to their cost, to their confusion.
11-22
Sennacherib's Insolent Message (710 BC)
简体中文
西拿基立狂妄的口信（公元前710年）
¹¹ 以利亚敬、舍伯那、约亚对拉伯沙基说：「求你用亚兰言语与仆人说话，因为我们懂；不要用犹大言语对我们说，免得听见的百姓在城墙上。」
¹² 拉伯沙基说：「我主差我来见你主和你，岂是为说这些话吗？岂不是为那些坐在城上、好与你们一同吃自己粪、喝自己尿的人吗？」
¹³ 于是拉伯沙基站着，用犹大言语大声喊着说：「你们当听亚述大王的话。
¹⁴ 王如此说：『你们不要被希西家欺骗了，因他不能拯救你们。
¹⁵ 也不要让希西家使你们倚靠耶和华，说：耶和华必拯救我们；这城必不交在亚述王的手中。』
¹⁶ 不要听希西家的话。因为亚述王如此说：『你们要与我讲和，出来投降我，各人就可以吃自己葡萄树和无花果树的果子，各人也可以喝自己井里的水；
¹⁷ 等我来领你们到你们本地一样的地，就是有五谷新酒之地、有饼和葡萄园之地。
¹⁸ 你们要谨防被希西家说服，说：耶和华必拯救我们。列国的神有哪一个曾救自己的地脱离亚述王的手呢？
¹⁹ 哈马、亚珥拔的神在哪里呢？西法瓦音的神在哪里呢？他们曾救撒玛利亚脱离我的手吗？
²⁰ 这些地的诸神中，有谁曾救自己的地脱离我的手呢？耶和华岂能救耶路撒冷脱离我的手吗？』」
²¹ 百姓却静默不言，并不回答一句，因为王的吩咐说：「不要回答他。」
²² 当下，希勒家的儿子以利亚敬——就是管家——和书记舍伯那，并亚萨的儿子史官约亚，都撕裂衣服来到希西家那里，把拉伯沙基的话告诉了他。
由此我们可以学到这些教训：——1. 当君王和谋臣正在商议国事之时，向百姓诉诸舆论是不公平的。希西家的全权代表所提出的请求——这次会谈用百姓不懂的语言进行（赛36:11——译注）——原是合情合理的，因为国家大事本是机密，理当保密，因一般百姓并不具备判断这些事的资格。因此，借卑劣的暗示煽动臣民反对他们的掌权者，既是不公的做法，也不是己所不欲勿施于人之道。2. 骄傲狂妄的讥诮者，人越是客气地待他，他说话越是粗鲁。希西家的使臣对拉伯沙基所说的话，再没有比那更温和、更恭敬的了。他们所求的事本是正当的，他们还自称是他的「仆人」，又恳求：「求你」用亚兰话；但这反而使他越发嚣张跋扈、恶语相加。以恶言回报善言的人，是以怨报德的一种方式；那些「柔和的舌头能折断骨头」之常法也无法挽回的人，实在罪大恶极，恐怕无可救药了。3. 当撒但要诱惑人不再信靠神、不再紧紧跟随他时，常用的手段就是暗示：若顺从撒但，他们的境况反而会更好；但这乃是虚假的提议，极其荒谬，因此当以最大的厌恶予以拒绝。当世界和肉体对我们说：「『与我们讲和』，『出来投降我们』，顺服我们的统治、归入我们的利益，你们就『可以各人吃自己葡萄树的果子』」——他们不过是欺骗我们，应许自由，却要领我们进入最卑贱的俘掳和奴役。相信拉伯沙基对善待和优待的承诺，还不如相信他们的——所以，「他们说话动听之时，不要信他们」。任凭他们怎么说，再没有一块地能比得上应许之地、那圣地。4. 再没有比把真神与外邦的神相提并论更荒谬、更得罪又真又活之神的了；仿佛他在保护敬拜者的事上，并不比他们所敬拜的假神更能保护他们的敬拜者，又仿佛以色列的神能像哈马、亚珥拔的神那样轻易被制伏——其实他们尽属虚空谎言。他们算不得什么；他是伟大的「自有永有者」：他们是人想象出来的受造之物、人手所作的工；他是创造万有的主宰。5. 胆大妄为的罪人总以为自己既已胜过同辈的受造之人，便足以与造他们的主匹敌了。他们既已征服了这个国、那个国，便以为主自己也不能救耶路撒冷脱离他们的手。但「瓦器虽可与地上的瓦器争竞，却不可与窑匠相争」。6. 有时「照愚昧人的愚妄回答他」并不智慧——不必照着回答。希西家的吩咐是：「不要回答他」；回答只会更惹他谩骂亵渎；把这事留给神去堵他的口吧，因为你们不能。他们虽满有理由，但向这样蛮不讲理的对手陈明，很难不夹杂血气；若他们也像他那样破口大骂，拉伯沙基在这一兵器上要远胜过他们。7. 神的儿女虽以为不宜用言语回应恶人的亵渎，却当把恶人亵渎神所加于神的羞辱放在心上。他们「并不回答一句」，却「撕裂衣服」——怀着对神荣耀之名的圣洁热忱，怀着对他受藐视的圣洁义愤。他们听见亵渎的话便撕裂衣裳，因为当神的尊荣受亏损之时，他们对自己身上的装饰也不再以之为乐。
英語原文
Sennacherib's Insolent Message (710 BC)
¹¹ Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not to us in the Jews' language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.
¹² But Rabshakeh said, Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men that sit upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?
¹³ Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and said, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.
¹⁴ Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you.
¹⁵ Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.
¹⁶ Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me: and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern;
¹⁷ Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards.
¹⁸ Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The LORD will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
¹⁹ Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
²⁰ Who are they among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?
²¹ But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.
²² Then came Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, that was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.
We may hence learn these lessons:—1. That, while princes and counsellors have public matters under debate, it is not fair to appeal to the people. It was a reasonable motion which Hezekiah's plenipotentiaries made, that this parley should be held in a language which the people did not understand (Isa 36:36), because reasons of state are secret things and ought to be kept secret, the vulgar being incompetent judges of them. It is therefore an unfair practice, and not doing as men would be done by, to incense subjects against their rulers by base insinuations. 2. Proud and haughty scorners, the fairer they are spoken to, commonly speak the fouler. Nothing could be said more mildly and respectfully than that which Hezekiah's agents said to Rabshakeh. Besides that the thing itself was just which they desired, they called themselves his servants, they petitioned for it: Speak, we pray thee; but this made him the more spiteful and imperious. To give rough answers to those who give us soft answers is one way of rendering evil for good; and those are wicked indeed, and it is to be feared incurable, with whom that which usually turns away wrath does but make bad worse. 3. When Satan would tempt men from trusting in God, and cleaving to him, he does so by insinuating that in yielding to him they may better their condition; but it is a false suggestion, and grossly absurd, and therefore to be rejected with the utmost abhorrence. When the world and the flesh say to us, "Make an agreement with us and come out to us, submit to our dominion and come into our interests, and you shall eat every one of his own vine," they do but deceive us, promising liberty when they would lead us into the basest captivity and slavery. One might as well take Rabshakeh's word as theirs for kind usage and fair quarter; therefore, when they speak fair, believe them not. Let them say what they will, there is no land like the land of promise, the holy land. 4. Nothing can be more absurd in itself, nor a greater affront to the true and living God, than to compare him with the gods of the heathen; as if he could do no more for the protection of his worshippers than they can for the protection of theirs, and as if the God of Israel could as easily be mastered as the gods of Hamath and Arphad, whereas they are vanity and a lie. They are nothing; he is the great I AM: they are the creatures of men's fancy and the works of men's hands; he is the Creator of all things. 5. Presumptuous sinners are ready to think that, because they have been too hard for their fellow-creatures, they are therefore a match for their Creator. This and the other nation they have subdued, and therefore the Lord himself shall not deliver Jerusalem out of their hand. But, though the potsherds may strive with the potsherds of the earth, let them not strive with the potter. 6. It is sometimes prudent not to answer a fool according to his folly. Hezekiah's command was, "Answer him not; it will but provoke him to rail and blaspheme yet more and more; leave it to God to stop his mouth, for you cannot." They had reason enough on their side, but it would be hard to speak it to such an unreasonable adversary without a mixture of passion; and, if they should fall a railing like him, Rabshakeh would be much too hard for them at that weapon. 7. It becomes the people of God to lay to heart the dishonour done to God by the blasphemies of wicked men, though they do not think it prudent to reply to those blasphemies. Though they answered him not a word, yet they rent their clothes, in a holy zeal for the glory of God's name and a holy indignation at the contempt put upon it. They tore their garments when they heard blasphemy, as taking no pleasure in their own ornaments when God's honour suffered.
先知以赛亚在这一章和接下来的三章里，成了一位史家；因为圣经的历史，与圣经的预言一样，都是出于神的默示，并口授于圣徒。前面几章中许多预言，都在西拿基立入侵犹大、围攻耶路撒冷，以及他在那里所遭受的神迹般的失败中得着了应验；因此这里插入这段历史，既为解释预言，也为印证预言。预言的钥匙可在历史中寻见；而此处，为叫我们更易进入，这钥匙仿佛就挂在门上。这预言的精确应验，能以坚固神百姓对其余预言的信心——那些预言的应验还在更遥远的将来。这段历史究竟是从《列王纪》中摘录而添于此处，还是先由以赛亚在此写就、而后被收入《列王纪》，并不要紧。但两处所记几乎一字不差；并且这一事件如此值得记念，理当两次记录——王下18:1-19:37 与此处——并且在代下32:1-33 也有其摘要。我们在此对这段历史的观察将从简，因为我们在那里已作了详尽的解释。本章内容如下：一、亚述王对犹大的进犯，以及他攻取一切坚固城的进展（赛36:1）。二、他想要与希西家进行的谈判，以及双方的谈判代表（赛36:2,3）。三、拉伯沙基那番傲慢亵渎的言论，他意图以此吓唬希西家使他屈服，劝他无条件投降（赛36:4-10）。四、他向百姓发出的呼吁，并试图劝服他们离弃希西家，以此迫使希西家投降（赛36:11-20）。五、希西家的臣仆将此事向他禀报（赛36:21,22）。