2 Kings 18:25 - Exposition

Am I now come up without the Lord against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it. The Assyrian monarchs constantly state that Asshur, their "great god," directs them to make war against this or that nation, but not that the god of the country to be attacked does so. It is difficult to account for Sennacherib's very exceptional boast, "Jehovah said to me. Go up against this laud." Perhaps he identifies "Jehovah" with "Asshur." Perhaps he has heard of prophecies, uttered in the name of Jehovah, by Jewish prophets, which threatened the land with desolation at the hand of the Assyrians ( e . g . Isaiah 7:17-24 ; Isaiah 10:5-12 ; Joel 2:1-11 , etc.). Or he may have made the statement in mere bravado, as one that might frighten some, and at any rate could not be contradicted.