One reason that the author judges Hezekiah so positively is that Hezekiah insisted on centralizing the worship of God in one place in agreement with God’s law in Deut 12. The Assyrian official apparently thought the high places and altars that Hezekiah removed were legitimate places of worship (see verse 4).

This verse contains two quotations within a quotation that may prove difficult to render in other languages. Good News Translation provides a model for making the embedded quotations indirect. But it should be made clear that this is a continuation of the discourse of the Assyrian officer.

But if you say to me: In Hebrew this verse begins with two conjunctions. The first conjunction (the common Hebrew conjunction) marks contrast (But), and the second one begins a hypothetical statement (if). In certain languages the whole verse may be introduced by a hypothetical statement without any transition word; for example, New Jerusalem Bible begins with “You may say to me.”

We rely on the LORD our God: This is the climax of the theme of the passage. The official objects in advance to the statement that he knows that Hezekiah’s messengers would make, namely, that without any doubt their confidence was in Yahweh, the God of the people of Judah.

Is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed…?: New Living Translation may provide a helpful model here: “But isn’t he the one who was insulted by King Hezekiah? Didn’t Hezekiah tear down his shrines and altars and make everyone in Judah worship only at the altar here in Jerusalem?” This question is rhetorical, so Good News Translation renders it as a statement. Compare New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh: “He is the very one whose shrines and altars Hezekiah did away with, telling Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship only at this altar in Jerusalem.’ ”

Note that New Living Translation does not explicitly include and to Jerusalem in its rendering of this question. Since Jerusalem was the capital of Judah, to Judah and to Jerusalem may be translated “to the people of Jerusalem and to the rest of Judah” or “to all the people of Judah, including Jerusalem.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .