## Rashi on II Kings Chapter 18

###### Rashi on II Kings 18:1:1
[Rashi on II Kings 18:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:1:1)

**בִּשְׁנַת שָׁלשׁ.** לְמִרְדּוֹ שֶל הוֹשֵׁעַ.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**In the third year.** Of Hoshei'a's rebellion.¹ ²

footnotes:
¹ See above, 17:1, and Rashi there.
² I.e., in the third year of Hoshei'a's rebellion against Ashur and declaring his independence, Chizkiyoh became king.—Metzudas Dovid


###### Rashi on II Kings 18:4:1
[Rashi on II Kings 18:4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:4:1)

**וַיִּקְרָא לוֹ נְחֻשְׁתָּן.** לְשׁוֹן בִּזָּיוֹן, כְּלוֹמַר מַה צֹּרֶךְ בָּזֶה, אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא נְחַשׁ נְחשֶׁת.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**And he called it Nechushton.** A derogatory expression,³ as though to say, “Why is this necessary?⁴ It is nothing but a copper serpent.”⁵

footnotes:
³ The additional “nun” to the word נחשת serves to belittle and mock the subject. See II Shmuel 13:20.
⁴ The copper serpent was not destroyed before now because it was incorrectly believed that one may not destroy any object that was made as a result of a Divine command. The serpent was originally made to encourage the Bnei Yisroel to pray to God after they were bitten by poisonous snakes. See Bamidbar 21:4-10 and Tosfos in Maseches Chulin 7a. It is also possible that they kept the copper serpent as a remembrance of the great miracle that occurred, just as they kept the jar of manna, in Shemos 16:33-35.
⁵ Alternatively, the Bnei Yisroel who were worshiping it called it the Nechushton.—Targum


###### Rashi on II Kings 18:7:1
[Rashi on II Kings 18:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:7:1)

**יַשְׂכִּיל.** יַצְלִיחַ.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**He succeeded.** He succeeded.⁶ ⁷

footnotes:
⁶ ישכיל stems from שכל [=intelligence]. Adonoy successful person is conceived by others as one who acts with intelligence.—Metzudas Dovid
⁷ As in, “Dovid was successful [=משכיל] in all his ways,” in I Shmuel 18:14.


###### Rashi on II Kings 18:16:1
[Rashi on II Kings 18:16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:16:1)

**קִצַּץ.** אֶת הַדְּלָתוֹת שֶׁהָיָה שֶל זָהָב.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Removed.** The doors, which were gold [plated].


###### Rashi on II Kings 18:16:2
[Rashi on II Kings 18:16:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:16:2)

**וְאֶת הָאֹמְנוֹת.** תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן: וְיַת סְקוֹפַיָּא, אִיסְקוּפוֹת.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**And the thresholds.** [Targum] Yonoson rendered the סקופיא, [i.e.,] the thresholds.⁸

footnotes:
⁸ Alternately, אמנות are pillars, or it is a term used to include both the threshold and the lintel.—Ralbag


###### Rashi on II Kings 18:17:1
[Rashi on II Kings 18:17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:17:1)

**אֶת תַּרְתָּן וְאֶת רַב סָרִיס.** לָמַדְנוּ בְּסֵדֶר עוֹלָם, שֶׁלֹּא בָאוּ שְׁלָשְׁתָּם יַחַד, אֶלָּא רַבְשָׁקֵה לְבַדּוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב בְּסֵפֶר יְשַׁעְיָהוּ וְתַרְתָּן וְרַב סָרִיס בָּאוּ בִּשְׁלִיחוּת שְׁנִיָּה, כְּשֶׁבָּאָה לוֹ שְׁמוּעָה עַל תִּרְהָקָה מֶלֶךְ כּוּשׁ, וַיִּשְׁמַע וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים אֶל חִזְקִיָּהוּ וְגוֹ'.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Tarton [and] Rav Soris.** We learned in Seder Olam that the three of them did not come together,⁹ rather but Ravshokei [came] alone, as it is written in the Book of Yeshayohu,¹⁰ and Tarton and Rav Soris came on a second mission, when he received word concerning Tirhokoh king of Cush, ”and he heard and sent emissaries to Chizkiyohu … ”¹¹

footnotes:
⁹ The king of Ashur dealt falsely with Chizkiyoh because he sent his officers to attack Yerusholayim even though Chizkiyoh paid the tribute that was imposed upon him.—Metzudas Dovid Or, Sancheiriv took the tribute and left. However, in the ensuing years Chizkiyohu failed to meet his demands and he therefore attacked again.—Radak
¹⁰ 36:2.
¹¹ Yeshayohu 37:9.


###### Rashi on II Kings 18:17:2
[Rashi on II Kings 18:17:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:17:2)

**בִּתְעָלַת.** פוסקיר"ה בְּלַעַ"ז, בְּרֵכָה שֶׁעוֹשִׂין לְבֵיבְרֵי דָגִים.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Near the channel.** *Fosed*, in O.F., [i.e.,] a moat made for schools of fish.


###### Rashi on II Kings 18:17:3
[Rashi on II Kings 18:17:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:17:3)

**שְׂדֵה כוֹבֵס.** שָׂדֶה שֶׁהַכּוֹבְסִין שׁוֹטְחִין בּוֹ בְּגָדִים, וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן: חֲקָל מַשְׁטַח קַצְרַיָּא.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**The washer's field.** A field in which the launderers spread out garments, And so did [Targum] Yonoson render, ”a field where the launderers spread out.”¹²

footnotes:
¹² I.e., where the launderers spread out the clothing.


###### Rashi on II Kings 18:18:1
[Rashi on II Kings 18:18:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:18:1)

**הַמַּזְכִּיר.** אֵיזֶה מִשְׁפָּט בָּא לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ רִאשׁוֹן, שֶׁיִּפְסְקֶנּוּ רִאשׁוֹן.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**The recorder.** [Who determines] which judgment came first before the king, that it be adjudicated first.¹³

footnotes:
¹³ Rashi in Yeshayohu 36:3 defines מזכיר, as “the writer of the records in the annals.”


###### Rashi on II Kings 18:20:1
[Rashi on II Kings 18:20:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:20:1)

**אָמַרְתָּ אַךְ דְּבַר שְׂפָתַיִם וְגוֹ'.** אָמַרְתָּ עַד הֵנָּה לֹא אֶעֱבֹד לְמֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר, אַךְ דְּבַר שְׂפָתַיִם הָיָה, כָּל זְמַן שֶׁלֹּא יֵצֵא מִמְּקוֹמוֹ לָבֹא עָלֶיךָ, לֹא הֻצְרַכְתָּ לְעֵצָה וּגְבוּרָה, אֲבָל עַכְשָׁיו שֶׁיָּצָא וּבָא, עֵצָה וּגְבוּרָה אַתָּה צָרִיךְ לַמִּלְחָמָה הַזֹּאת, עַתָּה אֱמֹר עַל מִי בָטַחְתָּ.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**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 II Kings 18:21:1
[Rashi on II Kings 18:21:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:21:1)

**וּבָא בְּכַפּוֹ.** כְּשֶׁאָדָם נִסְמָךְ עַל מִשְׁעֶנֶת קָנֶה רָצוּץ שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּר בְּיָדוֹ, בָּאִין רָאשֵׁי הַקְּרוּמִיּוֹת וְנוֹקְבִין אֶת כַּפּוֹ.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**It will go into his palm.** When a person supports himself on a support of a splintered reed, which has broken in his hand, the splintered edges come and puncture his palm.¹⁴

footnotes:
¹⁴ Similarly, his reliance on Paroh for support will turn out to be bad for him.


###### Rashi on II Kings 18:22:1
[Rashi on II Kings 18:22:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:22:1)

**הֲלוֹא הוּא אֲשֶׁר הֵסִיר חִזְקִיָּהוּ וְגוֹ'.** יֵשׁ לִלְמֹד מִכָּאן, דְּרַבְשָׁקֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל מוּמָר הָיָה, שֶׁהָיָה מוֹדֶה שֶׁהַקָּבָּ"ה אֱלוֹהַּ, אֶלָּא שֶׁרְצוֹנוֹ לַעֲבֹד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Is He not the one Whose high places and altars Chizkiyohu has removed, etc.** It can be deduced from here that Ravshokei was an apostate Jew, for he admitted that the Holy One, Blessed Is He, is God, but his desire is to worship idols.¹⁵

footnotes:
¹⁵ See Maseches Sanhedrin 60a.


###### Rashi on II Kings 18:23:1
[Rashi on II Kings 18:23:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:23:1)

**הִתְעָרֶב נָא.** הִתְפָּאֵר עָלָיו, בּוֹא בְּעֵרָבוֹן, עַל מְנָת אִם תּוּכַל לִתֵּן לְךָ רוֹכְבִים עַל אַלְפַּיִם סוּסִים.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Provide a security.** Glorify yourself over him; enter a wager on the condition that if you are able to supply riders for two thousand horses.¹⁶

footnotes:
¹⁶ Ravshokei implied that Chizkiyohu did not even have enough riders for the two thousand horses, so surely he is unable to mount a rebellion.—Ralbag


###### Rashi on II Kings 18:23:2
[Rashi on II Kings 18:23:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:23:2)

**הִתְעָרֶב.** גיי"ר בְּלַעַ"ז.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Wager.** *Gajer*, in O.F.


###### Rashi on II Kings 18:24:1
[Rashi on II Kings 18:24:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:24:1)

**וְאֵיךְ תָּשִׁיב אֵת פְּנֵי פַחַת אַחַד עַבְדֵי אֲדֹנִי.** שֶׁהֲרֵי כָּל הַקָּטָן שֶׁבָּהֶם, שַׂר עַל אַלְפַּיִם אִישׁ, וְאַתָּה אֵינְךָ מַשִּׂיג לְאַלְפַּיִם אִישׁ, לָמַדְנוּ מִכָּאן עַל רָאשֵׁי גְּיָסוֹת מֵאָה וּשְׁמוֹנִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה אֶלֶף שֶׁנָּפְלוּ עִם סַנְחֵרִיב, הַקָּטָן שֶׁבָּהֶם, שַׂר עַל אַלְפַּיִם אִישׁ שֶׁעִמּוֹ.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**How can you turn away one captain of my master's servants.** For the smallest of them is captain over two thousand men, and you cannot obtain two thousand men. We deduce from here concerning the heads of the armies, who totaled one hundred and eighty-five thousand and fell with Sancheiriv, that the smallest of them was captain over two thousand men who were with him.


###### Rashi on II Kings 18:25:1
[Rashi on II Kings 18:25:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:25:1)

**הֲמִבַּלְעֲדֵי ה'.** וְכִי שֶׁלֹּא בִּרְשׁוּת בָּאתִי, כְּבָר נִתְנַבֵּא יְשַׁעְיָה: בִּימֵי אָחָז אָבִיךָ יָבִיא ה' עָלֶיךָ וְעַל עַמְּךָ וְגוֹ' אֶת מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Is it with other than Adonoy.** Did I come without permission? Yeshayohu already prophesied in the days of Achaz your father, ”Adonoy shall bring upon you and upon your people, etc., the king of Ashur.”¹⁷

footnotes:
¹⁷ Yeshayohu 7:17. Radak cites another verse from Yeshayohu's prophecy, “and therefore the LRD is bringing upon them the mighty and abundant waters of the river, the king of Ashur, etc.,” in Yeshayohu 8:7. Sancheiriv therefore believed that he was acting with Divine approval.


###### Rashi on II Kings 18:25:2
[Rashi on II Kings 18:25:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:25:2)

**וְהַשְׁחִיתָהּ.** אֶת זוֹ הוֹסִיף מִשֶּׁלּוֹ.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**And to destroy it.** This he added of his own accord.


###### Rashi on II Kings 18:26:1
[Rashi on II Kings 18:26:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:26:1)

**כִּי שֹׁמְעִים אֲנָחְנוּ.** אָנוּ בְּנֵי פַּלָּטִין, וּמַכִּירִין בְּלָשׁוֹן אֲרַמִּית וּבִשְׁאָר לְשׁוֹנוֹת, וְאַל תְּדַבֵּר אֵלֵינוּ יְהוּדִית, שֶׁכָּל הָעָם מַכִּירִין בּוֹ, וְאֵין אָנוּ רוֹצִים שֶׁיִּשְׁמְעוּ.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**For we understand it.** We are residents of the palace, and understand Aramaic and other languages. But do not speak Hebrew to us, which all the people understand,¹⁸ and we do not want them to hear.¹⁹

footnotes:
¹⁸ They were concerned about the morale of the people and therefore wanted to keep the conversation private.
¹⁹ It is not proper to reveal matters of war to the general public.—Metzudas Dovid


###### Rashi on II Kings 18:27:1
[Rashi on II Kings 18:27:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:27:1)

**לֶאֱכֹל אֶת צוֹאָתָם.** בְּרָעָב הַמָּצוֹר.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**To eat their own excrement.** In the hunger [caused] by the siege.²⁰

footnotes:
²⁰ If they continue guarding the wall to prevent Ashur's army from entering, they will lay a prolonged siege to the city that will be so severe that the people will starve during the siege, causing them to “eat their own, etc.”—Ralbag


###### Rashi on II Kings 18:27:2
[Rashi on II Kings 18:27:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:27:2)

**חוֹרֵיהֶם.** רְעִי הַיּוֹצֵא דֶּרֶךְ חוֹר פִּי הַטַּבַּעַת. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ פֵּרְשׁוּ: לְכַנּוֹתָם לָשׁוֹן נָאָה צוֹאָתָם.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Their dung.** Dung that is excreted through the orifice of the anus. Our Rabbis explained to euphemize and read, “צואתם” [instead of חריהם].²¹

footnotes:
²¹ See Maseches Megillah 25b.


###### Rashi on II Kings 18:27:3
[Rashi on II Kings 18:27:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:27:3)

**מֵימֵי שִׁינֵיהֵם.** צוֹאָה לֶחָה, שִׁנֵּי דְּכַרְכְּשָׁא דְּקַיְמָא אַתְּלַת שִנֵּי. אוֹ לְשׁוֹן גָּלָל, שֶׁבָּא עַל יְדֵי לְעִיסַת הַשִּׁנַּיִם.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Their own urine.** Loose excrement, the glands of the rectum, which is held by three glands. Alternatively, an expression of excrement which comes about through the chewing of the teeth [=שניהם].


###### Rashi on II Kings 18:31:1
[Rashi on II Kings 18:31:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:31:1)

**עֲשׂוּ אִתִּי בְרָכָה.** שְׁאִילַת שָׁלוֹם, כְּמוֹ: וַיְבָרֶךְ יַעֲקֹב אֶת פַּרְעֹה.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**”Make peace with me.”** A greeting, as in, “And Yaakov greeted [=ויברך] Paroh.”²² ²³

footnotes:
²² Bereishis 47:7.
²³ See Rashi in Bereishis 33:10 and above, in II Melochim 5:15.


###### Rashi on II Kings 18:32:1
[Rashi on II Kings 18:32:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:32:1)

**אֶל אֶרֶץ כְּאַרְצְכֶם.** כֵּן דַּרְכִּי, לְהַעֲבִיר אֶת הָאֻמּוֹת מִמְּדִינָה לִמְדִינָה, הָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר אֶל אֶרֶץ טוֹבָה מִשֶּׁלָּכֶם, שֶׁהֲרֵי לְפַתּוֹתָם בָּא, אֶלָּא שֶׁיָּדַע שֶׁיַּכִּירוּ שֶׁדְּבָרָיו שֶׁקֶר.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**To a land like you land.** This is my custom to move the nations from province to province. He should have said, “to a land better than yours,” because he came to persuade them, but he knew that they would recognize that his statement was false.²⁴ ²⁵

footnotes:
²⁴ This custom was practiced in order to prevent any future attempts to regain independence. He realized that as long as a conquered nation remained in its own land, the people would ultimately rise up and rebel against their conquerors.
²⁵ See Rashi, in Yeshayohu 36:17. The Gemara in Maseches Sanhedrin 94a, states that Sancheiriv did not say “to a land better than yours,” because he did not want to denigrate Eretz Yisroel. As a result he was rewarded with the title “the great and noble Osenapar [=Sancheiriv],” in Ezra 4:10.


###### Rashi on II Kings 18:32:2
[Rashi on II Kings 18:32:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:32:2)

**אֶרֶץ דָּגָן וְתִירוֹשׁ.** זוֹ אַפְרִיקִי.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**A land of grain and wine.** This is Africa.


###### Rashi on II Kings 18:34:1
[Rashi on II Kings 18:34:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:34:1)

**הֵנַע וְעִוָּה.** אוֹתָם מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר, הֶחֱרִיבָם וְהִגְלָם.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**He exiled them and twisted them.** The King of Ashur, destroyed them and exiled them.²⁶

footnotes:
²⁶ Alternatively, “Heina and Iva” were provinces or deities.—Radak


###### Rashi on II Kings 18:34:2
[Rashi on II Kings 18:34:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:34:2)

**כִּי הִצִּילוּ אֶת שֹׁמְרוֹן.** וְהַשּׁוֹמְרוֹנִים הָיוּ עוֹבְדִים אֶת אֱלֹהֵי אֲרָם שֶׁהָיוּ שְׁכֵנֵיהֶם.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Did they save Shomron.** And the inhabitants of Shomron worshiped the gods of the Aromeans, who were their neighbors.


###### Rashi on II Kings 18:37:1
[Rashi on II Kings 18:37:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20II%20Kings/r/18:37:1)

**קְרוּעֵי בְגָדִים.** עַל שֶׁשָּׁמְעוּ גִּדּוּפֵי הַשֵּׁם.

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**With torn garments.** Because they heard blasphemies of the Name [of God].²⁷

footnotes:
²⁷ See Maseches Sanhedrin 60a. One who hears another Jew blaspheme God must rend his clothing. Ravshokei's blasphemy was in comparing God to the pagan deities.—Radak Alternatively, they rend their clothing on account of the terrible news and threats that they just heard, an event similar to II Shmuel 13:31 and II Melochim 5:7.