[reaction to One Year Bible’s June 30-July 2 readings]
Israel falls to the Assyrian king and its people are thrown into exile. This gives birth to the Samaritans. In 2 Kings 17, you learn that they do indeed worship YHWH. However, they do so in a “corrupt” way. Same diety, worshipped differently results in intense distrust. Sound familiar?
The we have a nice exchange of trash talk between Assyria and Israel. Note, we are introduced to Prophetic hero Isaiah in the last years of the Israeli hold out, Judah. Suggestion that Assyria will have to liberate the crap out of Judah. Judah’s suggestion that Assyria go fly a kite.
Under translational curiosities, ask yourself why it matters that the girl mocking Assyria and tossing her hair as they flee has not yet had sexual intercorse. I wonder if “virgin” is the right word. Who knows?