Commentary for II Kings 18:27
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם רַב־שָׁקֵ֗ה הַעַ֨ל אֲדֹנֶ֤יךָ וְאֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ שְׁלָחַ֣נִי אֲדֹנִ֔י לְדַבֵּ֖ר אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה הֲלֹ֣א עַל־הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים הַיֹּֽשְׁבִים֙ עַל־הַ֣חֹמָ֔ה לֶאֱכֹ֣ל אֶת חריהם [צוֹאָתָ֗ם] וְלִשְׁתּ֛וֹת אֶת־שיניהם [מימֵ֥י] [רַגְלֵיהֶ֖ם] עִמָּכֶֽם׃
But Rab-shakeh said unto them: ‘Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men that sit on the wall, to eat their own dung, and to drink their own water with you?’
Rashi on II Kings
To eat their own excrement. In the hunger [caused] by the siege.20If they continue guarding the wall to prevent Ashur's army from entering, they will lay a prolonged siege to the city that will be so severe that the people will starve during the siege, causing them to “eat their own, etc.”—Ralbag
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Rashi on II Kings
Their dung. Dung that is excreted through the orifice of the anus. Our Rabbis explained to euphemize and read, “צואתם” [instead of חריהם].21See Maseches Megillah 25b.
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Rashi on II Kings
Their own urine. Loose excrement, the glands of the rectum, which is held by three glands. Alternatively, an expression of excrement which comes about through the chewing of the teeth [=שניהם].
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