מלכים ב, פרק י״ח, פסוק ל׳

Standing before the walls of Jerusalem, the Assyrian spokesman engages in a calculated effort to break the spirit of the people trapped inside [מדוד ועד לחורבן]. His strategy relies on a direct psychological attack designed to strip away their final sources of hope.

He warns the residents not to be tempted by the encouraging words of their king, Hezekiah. Specifically, he demands that they abandon any belief that they can trust God to step in and save them. By attacking their faith, the spokesman attempts to convince the people that God will not intervene to prevent the city from falling into the hands of the Assyrian king [ביאור שטיינזלץ].