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Isaiah 36

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Sennacherib Invades Judah 1–3

1
Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah, and took them. ​
2
And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field. ​
3
Then came forth unto him Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder. ​

Rabshakeh Taunts Hezekiah 4–10

4
And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest? ​
5
I say, thy counsel and strength for the war are but vain words: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou hast rebelled against me?
6
Behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust on him. ​
7
But if thou say unto me, We trust in Jehovah our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar? ​
8
Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.
9
How then canst thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
10
And am I now come up without Jehovah against this land to destroy it? Jehovah said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it. ​

Rabshakeh Addresses the People Directly 11–20

11
Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not to us in the Jews’ language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall. ​
12
But Rabshakeh said, 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 upon the wall, to eat their own dung, and to drink their own water with you? ​
13
Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, and said, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.
14
Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you; for he will not be able to deliver you:
15
neither let Hezekiah make you trust in Jehovah, saying, Jehovah will surely deliver us; this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. ​
16
Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make your peace with me, and come out to me; and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig-tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern; ​
17
until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards. ​
18
Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, Jehovah will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? ​
19
Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? ​
20
Who are they among all the gods of these countries, that have delivered their country out of my hand, that Jehovah should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?

Hezekiah's Officials Report Back 21–22

21
But they held their peace, and answered him not a word; for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not. ​
22
Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, that was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Isaiah 36

Verse 1

fourteenth year of king Hezekiah — The same events stand in 2 Kgs 18:13–19:37, where the verse reads 'fenced cities'. 'Defenced' (batsar) is made inaccessible by wall or height; Sennacherib 'took' them all. Isaiah had said the king of Assyria would 'pass through Judah… even to the neck' (Isa 8:7–8).

Verse 2

Rabshakeh — This is a title, 'chief butler' or cupbearer (rab and shaqeh). He is sent 'from Lachish' with a great army and stands 'in the highway of the fuller's field', the place named in Isa 7:3, where the LORD sent Isaiah to meet Ahaz 'at the end of the conduit of the upper pool'.

Verse 3

Eliakim… over the house — Isa 22:20–22 names 'my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah', given 'the key of the house of David'; Shebna is there the treasurer 'over the house' (22:15). Here Eliakim holds that charge and Shebna is 'the scribe'. Joah is 'the recorder' (zakar, to bring to remembrance).

Verse 4

What confidence is this wherein thou trustest? — Bittachon, confidence, and batach, to trust, are the chapter's keyword; the verb recurs in vv.4–7, 9 and 15. The narrative gives that trust to Hezekiah: 'He trusted in the LORD God of Israel' (2 Kgs 18:5). 'The great king' is Rabshakeh's own title for Sennacherib; the LORD is 'a great King above all gods' (Ps 95:3).

Verse 6

the staff of this broken reed — Ratsats, to crush, is the 'broken'; the reed would 'pierce' (naqab) the hand of whoever leans on it. The LORD uses the same figure through Ezekiel: Egypt 'a staff of reed to the house of Israel' (Ezek 29:6). Isaiah had pronounced woe on those 'that go down to Egypt for help' (Isa 31:1).

Verse 7

whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away — Rabshakeh reads the removal as an offence against the LORD. Scripture records it of a king who 'trusted in the LORD God of Israel' (2 Kgs 18:4–5), and 'this altar' answers the law of the one place the LORD chose 'to put his name there' (Deut 12:5).

Verse 10

without the LORD — Rabshakeh claims a commission from the LORD, and he uses a half-truth. Isaiah had called Assyria 'the rod of mine anger' (Isa 10:5), but said of the king, 'he meaneth not so… it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few' (10:7), and that the LORD would punish 'the stout heart of the king of Assyria' (10:12).

Verse 11

in the Syrian language — Aramith, Aramaic, was used in official letters and at court: 'the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue' (Ezra 4:7); the Chaldeans spoke to the king 'in Syriack' (Dan 2:4). The 'Jews' language' (Yehudith) was Judah's own speech, understood by 'the people that are on the wall'.

Verse 12

sit upon the wall — The threat is the end of a siege: the men on the wall would 'eat their own dung, and drink their own piss'. Siege and 'straitness' are named among the covenant curses (Deut 28:53), and a famine under siege had been seen in Samaria (2 Kgs 6:25). Rabshakeh answers the request of v.11 by turning to all who listen.

Verse 15

The LORD will surely deliver us — Natsal, to deliver, is Rabshakeh's argument word: it runs through vv.14, 15 and 18–20. The taunt has the shape of Ps 22:8, 'He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him', words later cast at Christ on the cross (Matt 27:43).

Verse 16

every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree — The picture of peace is Israel's own: 'every man under his vine and under his fig tree' in Solomon's days (1 Kgs 4:25) and in the LORD's promise (Mic 4:4). 'A present' is berakah, blessing, here a gift for surrender. The peace is offered only until the removal of v.17.

Verse 17

a land of corn and wine — The words are those of the land the LORD gave: 'a land of corn and wine' (Deut 33:28), where Israel would 'eat bread without scarceness' (Deut 8:9). 'Take you away' is laqach; the offer is exile, as Israel had been carried 'unto Assyria' (2 Kgs 18:11).

Verse 18

Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered — Rabshakeh ranks the LORD among the gods of the nations. Hezekiah's prayer grants the facts and denies the conclusion: the kings of Assyria 'have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands' (Isa 37:19). 'Persuade' is suth, to incite or entice.

Verse 19

Hamath and Arphad… Sepharvaim… Samaria — Isaiah had recorded the same boast: 'Is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?' and 'as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem' (Isa 10:9–11). Samaria was taken in Hezekiah's sixth year (2 Kgs 18:10), 'because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD' (2 Kgs 18:12).

Verse 21

Answer him not — 'Held their peace' is charash, to be silent. The order is the king's; Prov 26:4 gives the rule, 'Answer not a fool according to his folly'. Hezekiah's own reply is to take Sennacherib's letter into 'the house of the LORD' and spread it 'before the LORD' (Isa 37:14).

Verse 22

with their clothes rent — Qara, to tear, is the sign of grief and horror at what was heard. The king does the same: 'he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD' (Isa 37:1), and he calls the day 'a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy' (37:3).