2 Kings 19:23

²¹ This is the word that the LORD hath spoken concerning him; The virgin the daughter of Zion hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.

²² Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.

By thy messengers thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots I am come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and will cut down the tall cedar trees thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the lodgings of his borders, and into the forest of his Carmel.

²⁴ I have digged and drunk strange waters, and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of besieged places.

²⁵ Hast thou not heard long ago how I have done it, and of ancient times that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste fenced cities into ruinous heaps.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Through your servants you have taunted the Lord, and you have said: “With my many chariots I have ascended to the heights of the mountains, to the remote peaks of Lebanon. I have cut down its tallest cedars, the finest of its cypresses. I have reached its farthest outposts, the densest of its forests.
KJV: By thy messengers thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots I am come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and will cut down the tall cedar trees thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the lodgings of his borders, and into the forest of his Carmel.
WEB: By your messengers, you have defied the Lord, and have said, “With the multitude of my chariots, I have come up to the height of the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon, and I will cut down its tall cedars and its choice cypress trees; and I will enter into his farthest lodging place, the forest of his fruitful field.
ASV: By thy messengers thou hast defied the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir-trees thereof; and I will enter into his farthest lodging-place, the forest of his fruitful field.
DARBY: By thy messengers thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots have I come up To the height of the mountain, to the recesses of Lebanon, And I will cut down its tall cedars, the choice of its cypresses; And I will enter into its furthest lodging-place, [into] the forest of its fruitful field.
BLB: By your messengers you have reproached the Lord, and you have said: “By the multitude of my chariots I have come up to the height of the mountains, to the limits of Lebanon. And I will cut down the height of its cedars, the choice of its cypresses, and I will enter the ends of its borders, the forest of its orchard.

ÅB: Ved dine sendebud har du hånet Herren og sagt: Med mine tall-løse vogner dro jeg opp på fjellenes tinder, til Libanons øverste topper, og jeg hugger ned dets høyeste sedrer, dets herlige cypresser, og jeg trenger fram til dets øverste hvilested, dets frodige skog;
OTB: Gjennom dine budbringere har du hånet Herren, og du har sagt,
"Med mine mange vogner kom jeg opp til fjellenes høyder,
Til de fjerneste delene av Libanon;
Og jeg hogg ned dens høye sedertrær og dens utvalgte einer.
Og jeg kom inn i dens fjerneste hvilested, dens tetteste skog.
B1930: Ved dine sendebud har du hånet Herren og sagt: Med mine tall-løse vogner drog jeg op på fjellenes tinder, til Libanons øverste topper, og jeg hugger ned dets høieste sedrer, dets herlige cypresser, og jeg trenger frem til dets øverste hvilested, dets frodige skog;

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

2 Kings 18:17
And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rab-shakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field.
Read in context
Psalms 20:7
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
Read in context
Isaiah 10:18
And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth.
Read in context
2 Chronicles 32:17
He wrote also letters to rail on the LORD God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand.
Read in context
Isaiah 10:14
And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.
Read in context
Ezekiel 31:3–18
Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs.
Read in context
2 Kings 18:23
Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.
Read in context
Isaiah 37:24–25
By thy servants hast thou reproached the Lord, and hast said, By the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the height of his border, and the forest of his Carmel.
Read in context