מלכים ב, פרק י״ח, פסוק ל״ג

The spokesman for the Assyrian king delivers a defiant challenge, framing his argument as a rhetorical question. This tactic is designed to highlight the complete helplessness of all the nations that had previously faced the might of the Assyrian empire [מדוד ועד לחורבן, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Instead of referring to mortal men or human warriors, the challenge focuses on the various deities worshipped by those conquered nations. The spokesman asks if any single god ever actually managed to rescue its own land from the grip of Assyria. The obvious and intended answer to this question is an absolute no [מצודת דוד].