Beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, “The LORD will deliver us”: This fourth warning of the Assyrian king concerning Hezekiah differs slightly from the previous three with their negative imperative forms. It is literally “Lest Hezekiah entice you saying….” Revised Standard Version adds Beware in order to complete the meaning. It is obvious that the copyist who took this verse from 2 Kgs 18.32-33 has omitted something. The Kings text is longer and contains the imperative verb “do not listen,” as in verse 16. We suggest inserting what is found in 2 Kgs 18.32 and beginning this verse with “Do not listen lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying….” We may say “Do not listen to Hezekiah in case he entices you by saying….” The LORD will deliver us repeats Hezekiah’s claim in verse 15, but without the emphatic structure. Good News Translation uses indirect speech for his quote, rendering the first half of this verse as “Don’t let Hezekiah fool you into thinking that the LORD will rescue you.”

Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?: The Assyrian king, through his ambassador, warns the people of Jerusalem not to take notice of Hezekiah’s claim, because no other gods have been able to save their nations from Assyrian aggression. This is a rhetorical question that makes a strong statement. For languages that prefer a statement here, see the third example below. Nations renders the Hebrew term that refers usually to ethnic groups other than the Israelites (see 1.4). Here the word land includes the territory as well as the people of a particular nation. For the image of hand, see the comments on verse 15. Since the Assyrian king is speaking here, some languages may prefer to render the hand of the king of Assyria as “my hand” (similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

Some translation examples for this verse are:

• Don’t listen to Hezekiah; otherwise he will mislead you, saying, “Yahweh will save us!” [You must ask yourself,] has any other nation’s god been able to save his land from falling into my hands?

• Do not take any notice of Hezekiah or he will try to mislead you by claiming, “Yahweh will rescue us!” Has the god of any other nation saved his land from falling into Assyrian hands? No!

• Do not listen to Hezekiah’s claim that Yahweh will save you! No other nation’s god has rescued his people from the power of the king of Assyria.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .