Isaiah 36:16

“Hearken not to Hezekiah, &c.] To his exhortations and persuasions to trust in the Lord; nor would he have them obey him in things civil, any more than hearken to him in things sacred, though their liege lord and sovereign; for his view and endeavour were to stir them up to mutiny and rebellion; and so the Targum, “do not obey Hezekiah:” or receive any orders from him, or pay any regard to them: for thus saith the king of Assyria, make an agreement with me by a present; or, “make a blessing with me”f688; either send a large and liberal gift to secure his favour, and their happiness; a most insolent and unrighteous demand this, when he had already received three hundred talents of silver, and…”

“agreement . . . by . . . present--rather, "make peace with me"; literally, "blessing" so called from the mutual congratulations attending the ratification of peace. So Chaldee. Or else, "Do homage to me" [HORSLEY]. come out--surrender to me; then you may remain in quiet possession of your lands till my return from Egypt, when I will lead you away to a land fruitful as your own. Rab-shakeh tries to soften, in the eyes of the Jews, the well-known Assyrian policy of weakening the vanquished by deporting them to other lands (Gen 47:21; Kg2 17:6).”

“Hearken not to Hezekiah - Do not listen to his entreaties to confide in him, and in Yahweh; do not unite with him in endeavoring to make any resistance or opposition to us. Make an agreement with me by a present - The Septuagint read this, Ει ̓ βούλεσθε εὐλογηθῆναι Ei boulesthe eulogēthēnai - ‘If you wish to be blessed, or happy, come out to me.’ The Hebrew is literally, ‘Make with me a blessing’ (ברכה berâkâh). The idea of its being done ‘by a present,’ is not in the Hebrew text. The word ‘blessing’ here probably means the same as peace. ‘Make peace with me,’ perhaps because peace was regarded as a blessing; and perhaps the word is used with a reference to one of the significations…”

“36:16-17 The Assyrian was tempting the people of Jerusalem with provisions that the Lord had promised to provide his obedient people (see 1:19; 37:30-35; Deut 8:7-9). It was a tempting offer, but a counterfeit. And it covered up the reality of exile that would have followed (Isa 36:17).”

“Make an agreement with me by a present: or, Seek my favour by a present, Heb. Make with me a blessing, Gen 32:20, Gen 33:11; Sa1 25:27; Sa2 8:6; Kg2 5:15, Kg2 18:31; Co2 9:5 \*marg. come out: Sa1 11:3; Kg2 24:12-16 eat ye: Kg1 4:20, Kg1 4:25; Mic 4:4; Zac 3:10 Isaiah 36:17”