2 Kings 18:31
in 2 Kings 18Do not listen to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and his own fig tree, and drink water from his own cistern,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make your peace with me, 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;
KJV
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 then eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his cistern:
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This verse in 2 Kings 18
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Make an agreement ... - Rather, “Make peace with me.” The word, which primarily means “blessing,” and secondarily “a gift,” has also the meaning, though more rarely, of “peace.” Probably it acquired this meaning from the fact that a peace was commonly purchased by presents. eat ... drink - A picture of a time of quiet and prosperity, a time when each man might enjoy the fruits of his land, without any fear of the spoiler’s violence. The words are in contrast with the latter part of 2Ki 18:27. Cistern - Rather, “well” Deu 6:
This site's exposition
called out loudly in Hebrew
on 2 Kings 18:28-32
The Rabshakeh "called out loudly in Hebrew". Verse 32 admits the plan is deportation, "a land like your own", the Assyrian resettlement carried out on Israel in verse 11. "Do not let Hezekiah deceive you" and "Do not listen to Hezekiah" make the appeal a contest for the people's loyalty.
This site's exposition
Make peace with me
The Hebrew word behind peace is berakah, a blessing, and Barnes notes it can mean a gift and more rarely peace. Each man under his own vine and fig tree is the picture of Solomon's reign at 1 Kings 4:25. Rabshakeh offers that peace under Assyria.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
As I have already said, Sennacherib is a type of the devil, and this hypothesis is perfectly confirmed by the words that in this passage the Rabshakeh boastfully speaks against God when he makes false promises to the people, trying to take away from [God] …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
His great piety, which was the more wonderful because his father was very wicked and vile, one of the worst of the kings, yet he was one of the best, which may intimate to us that what good there is in any is not of nature, but of grace, free grace, sovereign grace, which, contrary to nature, grafts into the good olive that which was wild by nature ( Rom. xi.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
(2.) That their captivity would be much more to their advantage: I will take you away to a land like your own land; and what the better would they be for that, when they must have nothing in it to call their own? That which he aims at especially is to convince them that it is to no purpose for them to stand it out: What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?
The words behind it
23 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אַֽל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תִּשְׁמְע֖וּ | tishmeu | you listen | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| חִזְקִיָּ֑הוּ | chizkiyahu | Hezekiah | H2396 → | 127 times |
| כִּי֩ | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| כֹ֨ה | khoh | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֜ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| מֶ֣לֶךְ | melekh | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אַשּׁ֗וּר | ʾashur | Assyria | H804 → | 151 times |
| עֲשֽׂוּ־ | ʾasu- | make | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אִתִּ֤י | ʾiti | with me | H854 → | 929 times |
| בְרָכָה֙ | verakhah | a blessing | H1293 → | |
| וּצְא֣וּ | utzeu | and come out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| אֵלַ֔י | ʾelai | to me | H413 → | 5510 times |
| וְאִכְל֤וּ | veikhlu | and eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| אִישׁ־ | ʾish- | everyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| גַּפְנוֹ֙ | gafno | own vine his | H1612 → | |
| וְאִ֣ישׁ | veish | and everyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| תְּאֵֽנָת֔וֹ | teenato | own fig tree his | H8384 → | |
| וּשְׁת֖וּ | ushetu | and drink | H8354 → | 217 times |
| אִ֥ישׁ | ʾish | everyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| מֵֽי־ | mei- | [the] water of | H4325 → | 581 times |
| בוֹרֽוֹ׃ | voro | own cistern his | H953 → |
אַֽל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תִּשְׁמְע֖וּyou listen
tishmeuH8085 →1159 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
חִזְקִיָּ֑הוּHezekiah
chizkiyahuH2396 →127 times
כִּי֩for
kiH3588 →4482 times
כֹ֨הthus
khohH3541 →577 times
אָמַ֜רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
מֶ֣לֶךְ[the] king of
melekhH4428 →2525 times
אַשּׁ֗וּרAssyria
ʾashurH804 →151 times
עֲשֽׂוּ־make
ʾasu-H6213 →2628 times
אִתִּ֤יwith me
ʾitiH854 →929 times
בְרָכָה֙a blessing
verakhahH1293 →
וּצְא֣וּand come out
utzeuH3318 →1067 times
אֵלַ֔יto me
ʾelaiH413 →5510 times
וְאִכְל֤וּand eat
veikhluH398 →810 times
אִישׁ־everyone
ʾish-H376 →1663 times
גַּפְנוֹ֙own vine his
gafnoH1612 →
וְאִ֣ישׁand everyone
veishH376 →1663 times
תְּאֵֽנָת֔וֹown fig tree his
teenatoH8384 →
וּשְׁת֖וּand drink
ushetuH8354 →217 times
אִ֥ישׁeveryone
ʾishH376 →1663 times
מֵֽי־[the] water of
mei-H4325 →581 times
בוֹרֽוֹ׃own cistern his
voroH953 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Zechariah 3:10On that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, you will each invite your neighbor to sit under your own vine and fig tree.’”
it leads to
- Micah 4:4
And each man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, with no one to frighten him. For the mouth of the LORD of Hosts has spoken.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Kings 4:25
Throughout the days of Solomon, Judah and Israel dwelt securely from Dan to Beersheba, each man under his own vine and his own fig tree.
- Micah 4:4
Through
Proverbs 18:16A man’s gift opens doors for him, and brings him before great men.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 25:27
Now let this gift your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow you.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 19:6
Many seek the favor of the prince, and everyone is a friend of the gift giver.
- Genesis 33:10
But Jacob insisted, “No, please! If I have found favor in your sight, then receive this gift from my hand. For indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing the face…
- Genesis 43:11
Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift…
- Proverbs 17:8
A bribe is a charm to its giver; wherever he turns, he succeeds.
- 1 Samuel 25:27
Through
1 Kings 4:25Throughout the days of Solomon, Judah and Israel dwelt securely from Dan to Beersheba, each man under his own vine and his own fig tree.
it leads to
- Zechariah 3:10
On that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, you will each invite your neighbor to sit under your own vine and fig tree.’”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Zechariah 3:10
Where this verse is studied
About 2 Kings

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonDivided kingdomHezekiahThe reforming king of Judah who trusted Jehovah against Sennacherib, spread the Assyrian letter before the LORD, was granted fifte…
- PlaceUpper MesopotamiaAssyriaMesopotamian empire whose capital Nineveh repented at Jonah's preaching and fell to Nahum's burden in 612 BC; the rod of God's ang…
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 18:19; Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
