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Commentary on Isaiah 36 verses 1–10
We shall here only observe some practical lessons. 1. A people may be in the way of their duty and yet meet with trouble and distress. Hezekiah was reforming, and his people were in some measure reformed; and yet their country is at that time invaded and a great part of it laid waste. Perhaps they began to grow remiss and cool in the work of reformation, were doing it by halves, and ready to sit down short of a thorough reformation; and then God visited them with this judgment, to put life into them and that good cause. We must not wonder if, when we are doing well, God sends afflictions to quicken us to do better, to do our best, and to press forward towards perfection. 2. That we must never be secure of the continuance of our peace in this world, nor think our mountain stands so strong that it cannot be moved. Hezekiah was not only a pious king, but prudent, both in his administration at home and in his treaties abroad. His affairs were in a good posture, and he seemed particularly to be upon good terms with the king of Assyria, for he had lately made his peace with him by a rich present (Kg2 18:14), and yet that perfidious prince pours an army into his country all of a sudden and lays it waste. It is good for us therefore always to keep up an expectation of trouble, that, when it comes, it may be no surprise to us, and then it will be the less a terror. 3. God sometimes permits the enemies of his people, even those that are most impious and treacherous, to prevail far against them. The king of Assyria took all, or most, of the defenced cities of Judah, and then the country would of course be an easy prey to him. Wickedness may prosper awhile, but cannot prosper always. 4. Proud men love to talk big, to boast of what they are, and have, and have done, nay and of what they will do, to insult over others, and set all mankind at defiance, though thereby they render themselves ridiculous to all wise men and obnoxious to the wrath of that God who resists the proud. But thus they think to make themselves feared, though they make themselves hated, and to carry their point by great swelling words of vanity, Jde 1:16. 5. The enemies of God's people endeavour to conquer them by frightening them, especially by frightening them from their confidence in God. Thus Rabshakeh here, with noise and banter, runs down Hezekiah as utterly unable to cope with his master, or in the least to make head against him. It concerns us therefore, that we may keep our ground against the enemies of our souls, to keep up our spirits by keeping up our hope in God. 6. It is acknowledged, on all hands, that those who forsake God's service forfeit his protection. If that had been true which Rabshakeh alleged, that Hezekiah had thrown down God's altars, he might justly infer that he could not with any assurance trust in him for succour and relief, Isa 36:7, We may say thus to presuming sinners, who say that they trust in the Lord and in his mercy. Is not this he whose commandments they have lived in the contempt of, whose name they have dishonoured, and whose ordinances they have slighted? How then can they expect to find favour with him? 7. It is an easy thing, and very common, for those that persecute the church and people of God to pretend a commission from him for so doing. Rabshakeh could say, Have I now come up without the Lord? when really he had come up against the Lord, Isa 37:28. Those that kill the servants of the Lord think they do him service and say, Let the Lord be glorified. But, sooner or later, they will be made to know their error to their cost, to their confusion.
(Chapter 36—Verse 1 and following) And it came to pass in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem to King Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway to the washer's field. And Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came out to him. And Rabshakeh said to them, "Say to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours?' By what plan and courage do you prepare to rebel? On whom do you have confidence, because you have turned away from me? Look, you trust in this broken reed staff, in Egypt: if a man leans on it, it will enter into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to all who trust in him. But if you say to me, 'We trust in the LORD our God,' is it not he whose heights and altars Hezekiah has taken away, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, 'You shall worship before this altar'? And now make a deal with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, and you will not be able to provide riders for them. And how will you withstand the face of one judge from my lord's servants? And if you rely on Egypt: and on chariots, and on horsemen: and now, did I ascend to this land without the Lord, to destroy it? The Lord said to me: Go up on this land and destroy it. The history is clear and does not require interpretation: and this same thing is reported more fully in the volumes of Kings and Chronicles. In the third year of Hosea the son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. And afterwards: In the Lord God of Israel he trusted, and there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who came before him. He clung to the Lord and did not turn away from his commandments. He did the commandments that the Lord had given to Moses. Therefore, the Lord was with him, and he acted wisely in all that he did (2 Kings 18:2,7). But he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. In the sixth year of his reign, Shalmaneser, the king of Assyria, captured Samaria and took away the ten tribes of Israel that were called Israel. He deported them to Assyria and settled them in Halah and Habor, along the rivers of the Gozan, in the cities of the Medes (2 Kings 17 and 18). After seven years, that is, in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, the king of Assyria, Sennacherib, entered Judah and besieged its fortified cities, intending to capture them. And when he besieged Lachish, Hezekiah sent messengers to him, saying: 'I have sinned, withdraw from me and whatever you impose on me, I will bear.' And when he had paid three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold to the king's command, the king of Assyria broke down the doors of the temple of the Lord and took away its panels, which he himself had put up, and he sent the Tartan and the Rab-saris and the Rabshakeh with a great army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And when they had come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the highway to the washer's field, and they called for the king. But Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, went out to them, along with the court secretary, Shebna, and the court historian, Joah, the son of Asaph. Rabshekah addressed them as follows: “Tell Hezekiah: This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says... and so on, as recorded in the history. In this, we can see the arrogance of Rabshekah, who, in a manner contrary to true strength, imitates the custom of the prophets. While they usually begin their pronouncements with 'This is what the Lord says,' he now says, 'This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says.' But Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, went out to him, along with the royal secretary Shebna and the court official Joah son of Asaph. Eliakim is the same person mentioned in the Vision of the Valley of Zion (see Isaiah 22:20-21): I will call my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and I will clothe him in your robe and fasten your sash around him. I will hand your authority over to him, and he will be like a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the people of Judah, and so on. But these things are said to Shebna, who was the governor of the Temple before him, of whom it is written in the same vision: Go and enter to him who dwells in the tabernacle, to Shebna the governor of the Temple, whom the Hebrews say handed over his hands to the Assyrians, terrified by Rabsaris' threats, and betrayed the lower part of Jerusalem to the enemy, and except for the fortress of Zion and the Temple, nothing else remained that the Assyrian did not hold. Where are those who think that Sobna, who is now going out with Eliacim and Joahe to meet Rabsacen, is the same person as before. There, Sobna, the head of the Temple, is said to be captured by the Assyrians; but here Sobna is a scribe, that is, a γραμματεὶς, who is called Sopher in Hebrew, and is the same as the previous one. Rabsacen, on the other hand, is believed to be the son of Isaiah the Jewish prophet, who also was a traitor; and the other son of Isaiah, who is called Jasub, is said to be left behind, which means 'left' in our language. Others, on the other hand, think that he was a Samaritan, and therefore knew the Hebrew language, and boldly and impiously blasphemed the Lord. Let us consider the words of Rabshakeh; and first what he says: You trust in this broken reed, in Egypt, is false: for no history tells that Hezekiah sent to the Egyptians and asked for the help of Pharaoh. And what he infers: If you answer me, we trust in the Lord our God, is true. But again, he joins a lie to the truth, that Ezechias took away its high places and altars. For he did this not against God, but for God, so that idolatry and ancient error being destroyed, he commanded God to be worshipped in Jerusalem, where his Temple was: although we read that by a very bad custom, the people offered sacrifices to God on altars already built on mountains and hills. And he, wanting to show the scarcity of the besieged, promises two thousand horses, of which Ezechias cannot provide the riders, not because of the weakness of the people of Judah, who lacked knowledge of riding: but by observing the commandments of God, who had commanded Israel through Moses concerning the king: He shall not multiply horses for himself, nor have many wives. And he said to me, 'By yourself, you cannot withstand the servant of Sennacherib, who am the least of his servants, how then will you withstand the great power of the king? And to what he had said, if you answer me, we trust in the Lord our God, he cunningly and wisely responded that he had come not by his own will, but by the command of the Lord. The Lord said to me, Go upon this land and destroy it. And this is the proof: certainly, without the will of the Lord, I could not have come here.' But when I come and capture many cities, and part of Jerusalem remains untouched, it is evident that I have come by its will. I read in a certain Commentary that the same person is Sennacherib who also captured Samaria, which is completely false. For the Sacred History recounts that first Phul, the king of the Assyrians, devastated the ten tribes under Manahen, the king of Israel. Secondly, Theglathphalasar came against Samaria under Phacee, the son of Romelia of Israel. Salmanasar III, under the reign of King Hoshea of Israel, supposedly captured the entire city of Samaria (2 Kings 15:17). Sargon II is said to be the fourth king who captured Ashdod (Isaiah 20). Asarhaddon, the fifth king, supposedly relocated Israel and sent the Samaritans as guardians to the land of Judah (2 Kings 17). Sennacherib, the sixth king, besieged Jerusalem after capturing Lachish and other cities of Judah during the reign of King Hezekiah (2 Kings 18). However, some believe that these names could refer to one and the same king with multiple names.
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SUMMARY
Isaiah 36:10 encapsulates a critical moment during the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem, where the Rabshakeh, King Sennacherib's chief spokesman, employs psychological warfare and outright blasphemy to demoralize the inhabitants of Judah. This verse features a rhetorical question followed by an audacious and false assertion that Yahweh, the God of Israel, has personally commanded the Assyrian invasion and destruction of the land. It sets the stage for a profound spiritual and military confrontation, challenging Judah's unwavering faith and trust in their covenant God amidst an overwhelming and seemingly divinely sanctioned threat.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs several potent literary devices that amplify its impact and convey the Rabshakeh's manipulative intent. The primary device is a Rhetorical Question, "And am I now come up without the LORD against this land to destroy it?" This question is not posed to seek information but to make a forceful, self-validating assertion, immediately followed by the Rabshakeh's fabricated answer. This structure creates a dramatic and confrontational tone, designed to disarm and intimidate. There is profound Irony in the Rabshakeh's claim. While God indeed utilized Assyria as an instrument of judgment against rebellious nations (though not with this specific, direct command to the Rabshakeh), the Assyrian commander's assertion is a lie born of arrogance, hubris, and a desire to manipulate, rather than a genuine divine revelation. The entire speech, of which this verse is a part, functions as an elaborate act of Psychological Warfare, meticulously designed to demoralize the besieged population by undermining their faith and trust in God. The Rabshakeh's use of Direct Quotation ("the LORD said unto me, Go up...") lends a deceptive air of authority, authenticity, and undeniable divine decree to his utterly false claim, making it sound like an irrefutable mandate from Yahweh Himself.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 36:10 stands as a stark and enduring reminder of the profound spiritual dimension inherent in all physical conflicts and the insidious, pervasive nature of deception. The Rabshakeh's claim, though a blatant lie, inadvertently highlights a profound theological truth: God is utterly sovereign over all nations and events, capable of using even pagan empires as instruments to accomplish His overarching purposes, though never endorsing their evil intentions or blasphemous claims. This passage forces Judah, and by extension, all believers across generations, to confront the ultimate source of their trust—whether it resides in human power, logical reasoning, or in the unchanging character, unfailing promises, and demonstrated faithfulness of Yahweh. It underscores the constant and critical need for spiritual discernment, as spiritual adversaries frequently masquerade as agents of truth or divine messengers, seeking to undermine genuine faith by twisting divine revelation and sowing seeds of doubt. Ultimately, the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem that follows this intense confrontation serves as God's definitive and resounding answer to the Rabshakeh's blasphemy, powerfully reaffirming His unique sovereignty, His covenant faithfulness, and His unwavering commitment to His people.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The Rabshakeh's manipulative and blasphemous words in Isaiah 36:10 serve as a timeless and potent warning for believers today. We navigate a world saturated with voices claiming authority, even divine authority, that often seek to sow doubt, fear, and deep despair. This passage urgently calls us to cultivate a profound and active spiritual discernment, enabling us to differentiate with precision between divine truth and deceptive claims, especially when confronted with narratives that appear to contradict God's revealed character or His unchanging Word. It serves as a powerful reminder that spiritual warfare is not a mere metaphor but a tangible reality, frequently waged not with physical weapons but with words that specifically target the very core of our faith and our trust in God. In moments of profound crisis, when facing seemingly overwhelming odds, or when assailed by discouraging narratives, our anchor must be the unwavering truth of God's promises and His demonstrated faithfulness throughout history, not the intimidating rhetoric or cunning deceptions of adversaries. Just as God ultimately silenced the Rabshakeh and miraculously delivered Jerusalem, He remains eternally sovereign over all circumstances, capable of turning the tables, confounding the proud, and demonstrating His power in unexpected and glorious ways, proving that His eternal plans will always prevail over human presumption, deception, and the schemes of the enemy.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Was the Rabshakeh truly sent by the LORD to destroy Jerusalem?
Answer: No, the Rabshakeh was unequivocally not truly sent by the LORD in the sense of a divine commission or approval for his blasphemous and destructive intentions. His audacious claim, "the LORD said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it," was a calculated lie and a deliberate act of psychological warfare. While God is indeed sovereign and can use nations, even pagan ones like Assyria, as instruments of His judgment (as seen in Isaiah 10:5), He never endorsed the Rabshakeh's arrogant, manipulative, or blasphemous assertion. The subsequent miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem, powerfully recounted in Isaiah 37:36, serves as God's definitive and irrefutable refutation of the Rabshakeh's false claim, demonstrating beyond doubt that His will, not human presumption or deception, ultimately prevails.
What was the Rabshakeh's purpose in making such a blasphemous claim?
Answer: The Rabshakeh's primary and overarching purpose in making such a blasphemous claim was to utterly demoralize the people of Jerusalem and compel them to surrender without a costly and lengthy siege. By asserting that Yahweh, the very God of Israel, had Himself commanded the Assyrians to destroy Judah, he aimed to profoundly undermine their faith, sever their trust in King Hezekiah's leadership, and convince them that any form of resistance was utterly futile because even their own God was supposedly aligned with their formidable enemies. This was a sophisticated and insidious tactic of psychological warfare, meticulously designed to break their spiritual, emotional, and physical resolve, thereby inducing an internal collapse within the city and avoiding a direct military confrontation.
How did King Hezekiah and the people of Judah respond to this audacious claim?
Answer: King Hezekiah's initial response to the Rabshakeh's audacious claim was one of profound distress and humble submission to God. He immediately tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and entered the house of the LORD (Isaiah 37:1). Demonstrating wise leadership and spiritual discernment, he then dispatched high-ranking officials to the prophet Isaiah, seeking divine guidance and intercessory prayer. Crucially, the people of Jerusalem, under Hezekiah's direct command, were instructed not to answer the Rabshakeh, maintaining a dignified and silent defiance in the face of his taunts (Isaiah 36:21). This period of silence, fervent prayer, and seeking God's prophetic word through Isaiah ultimately culminated in God's miraculous intervention and the glorious deliverance of Jerusalem, powerfully demonstrating their unwavering trust in God despite the overwhelming and intimidating words of the enemy.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The audacious and false claim of the Rabshakeh in Isaiah 36:10, asserting a divine commission for destruction, finds its ultimate contrast, refutation, and glorious fulfillment in the person and mission of Jesus Christ. While the Assyrian commander falsely claimed to be sent by God to bring ruin, Jesus truly was sent by the Father, not to condemn or destroy the world, but to save it and give abundant life (John 3:17). The Rabshakeh's words were a calculated lie designed to sow fear and despair, echoing the very tactics of the "father of lies," the devil himself (John 8:44). In profound contrast, Jesus is the very embodiment of Truth, the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6), who came to expose the deceptions of the enemy and bring the illuminating light of God's reality to those dwelling in spiritual darkness. Where the Rabshakeh sought to undermine faith in Yahweh, Jesus, as Yahweh incarnate, came precisely to establish, strengthen, and perfect true faith, offering ultimate and eternal deliverance from the spiritual enemies of sin, death, and the powers of darkness (Colossians 2:15). His authority is not a fabricated claim but a divine and eternal reality, for He Himself declared, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" (Matthew 28:18). Thus, the false, destructive commission of the Rabshakeh powerfully foreshadows the true, saving, and life-giving commission of Christ, who truly came from God to conquer all forces of destruction and establish an everlasting kingdom founded upon peace, truth, and righteousness.