Who among all the gods of those nations which my fathers utterly destroyed was able to deliver his people from my hand…?: This final rhetorical question emphasizes that since local gods were unable to save their various countries from Assyria, it would be foolish to think that the God of the people of Judah would be able to save them. With this question Sennacherib belittles God and shows how hopeless their situation is. All the gods of those nations refers back to the gods of the previous verse. For my fathers, see the comments on the previous verse.

Utterly destroyed translates a technical Hebrew term meaning “to put to the ban” (see the comments on 1 Chr 4.41, where it is rendered “exterminated”). This holy-war practice, which was followed both by the Israelites and their neighbors, consisted of devoting everyone and everything to the god or gods that the people worshiped. This devotion to the deity required the total destruction of everything captured in war. A translation such as “put under the ban” (New American Bible, An American Translation) attempts to preserve this specific meaning, but the words “the ban” will not be understood by most readers. Compare “devoted to destruction” (New Jerusalem Bible).

The idiom from my hand occurs twice in this verse and means “from my power” (see verses 11 and 13). In this context it means specifically “from the power of my Assyrian army.” God’s Word translates “from my control,” and New Century Version says simply “from me” the first time.

That your God should be able to deliver you from my hand: The Hebrew particle rendered that introduces a result clause here. Sennacherib regards the God of Judah just like any other god, powerless in the face of Assyria’s great military power. The Hebrew pronouns for your and you are plural.

This verse should probably be broken down into two questions if the rhetorical-question format is retained (so Good News Translation). In order to show the relationship between the two parts, the following model may be helpful:

• Among all the gods of those nations whom my ancestors destroyed completely, were any of them able to rescue their people from my power? Since none of them has been able to rescue his people, why do you think that your God can rescue you from me?

Revised English Bible does not use a rhetorical question by saying:

• Not one of the gods of these nations, which my predecessors exterminated, was able to save his people from me. Much less will your God save you!

Another possible model that uses statements is:

• Not one of the gods of those nations that my ancestors destroyed completely was able to save his people from the power of Assyria. So your God will be equally helpless to save you from my power.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .