2 Kings 19:26-28

19:26 Their residents are powerless, ¹ 

they are terrified and ashamed.

They are as short-lived as plants in the field,

or green vegetation. ² 

They are as short-lived as grass on the rooftops ³ 

when it is scorched by the east wind. ⁴ 

19:27 I know where you live,

and everything you do. ⁵ 

19:28 Because you rage against me,

and the uproar you create has reached my ears; ⁶ 

I will put my hook in your nose, ⁷ 

and my bridle between your lips,

and I will lead you back the way

you came.”

[19:26]  ¹ tn Heb “short of hand.”

[19:26]  ² tn Heb “they are plants in the field and green vegetation.” The metaphor emphasizes how short-lived these seemingly powerful cities really were. See Ps 90:5-6; Isa 40:6-8, 24.

[19:26]  ³ tn Heb “[they are] grass on the rooftops.” See the preceding note.

[19:26]  ⁴ tc The Hebrew text has “scorched before the standing grain” (perhaps meaning “before it reaches maturity”), but it is preferable to emend קָמָה (qamah), “standing grain,” to קָדִים (qadim), “east wind” (with the support of 1Q Isa^a in Isa 37:27).

[19:27]  ⁵ tc Heb “your going out and your coming in.” The MT also has here, “and how you have raged against me.” However, this line is probably dittographic (note the beginning of the next line).

[19:28]  ⁹ tc Heb “and your complacency comes up into my ears.” The parallelism is improved if שַׁאֲנַנְךְ (sha’anankh), “your complacency,” is emended to שַׁאֲוַנְךְ (sha’avankh), “your uproar.” See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 237-38.

[19:28]  ¹⁰ sn The word picture has a parallel in Assyrian sculpture. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 238.