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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 36:8 captures a pivotal moment of psychological warfare during Sennacherib's siege of Jerusalem, as the Assyrian Rabshakeh issues a taunting challenge to King Hezekiah's officials. He sarcastically offers two thousand horses if Judah can provide riders, a deliberate provocation designed to expose Judah's profound military weakness, particularly its lack of cavalry, and to demoralize the Judean populace into surrender. This verse dramatically underscores the vast disparity in military might between the formidable Assyrian Empire and the vulnerable kingdom of Judah, setting the stage for a confrontation where human power is pitted against the sovereign intervention of God.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Isaiah 36:8 is a masterful display of Psychological Warfare and Taunt/Mockery. Rabshakeh's entire speech, and this verse in particular, is meticulously crafted to break the enemy's morale through verbal assault rather than direct combat. The offer of "two thousand horses" is a vivid example of Irony and Sarcasm, as it is an offer made with the full, cynical knowledge that Judah is utterly incapable of meeting the implied condition. It presents a deceptive pretense of generosity that thinly veils profound contempt and derision. The specific number "two thousand" itself functions as Hyperbole, exaggerating the Assyrian's perceived magnanimity while simultaneously underscoring Judah's utter lack and helplessness. The challenge directly attacks Judah's sense of military competence, national pride, and self-sufficiency, using words as potent weapons to induce fear, hopelessness, and ultimately, to coerce surrender without the need for further bloodshed.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 36:8 stands as a stark and enduring reminder of humanity's persistent tendency to rely on visible, tangible strengths—such as military might, economic power, or political alliances—rather than placing unwavering trust in the unseen power and unfailing faithfulness of God. Rabshakeh's taunt, precisely targeting Judah's lack of "horses and riders," is meticulously designed to expose their vulnerability and push them into a state of despair. Theologically, this sets the stage for God to unequivocally demonstrate that true security and ultimate deliverance do not originate from human resources, strategic advantage, or numerical superiority, but solely from His sovereign power and His unwavering commitment to His covenant people. It serves as a powerful illustration of the profound biblical principle that God often allows His people to be brought to the very brink of human impossibility so that His divine intervention can be unmistakably clear and undeniable, ensuring that all glory and praise belong to Him alone. This narrative arc powerfully counters the worldly wisdom that equates strength with numbers or weaponry, compelling faith to be directed towards the Almighty.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
In our contemporary lives, we frequently encounter "Rabshakehs"—voices of doubt, fear, and intimidation that relentlessly highlight our perceived weaknesses and exaggerate the overwhelming strength of our adversaries, whether these be personal struggles, pervasive societal pressures, or insidious spiritual attacks. Isaiah 36:8 serves as a potent reminder that these challenges are often strategically designed to undermine our faith and compel us towards a reliance on our own limited resources or on the fleeting solutions offered by the world. The "two thousand horses" in this context represent the alluring but ultimately deceptive promise of human strength, wealth, influence, or self-sufficiency, tempting us to believe that our security and deliverance lie in what we can muster rather than in God's boundless provision. The profound application for believers is this: when confronted with seemingly insurmountable odds or with taunts about our inadequacy, our response should not be despair, nor a frantic scramble for human solutions. Instead, like King Hezekiah who ultimately turned to the Lord in humble, desperate prayer (Isaiah 37:1-4), we are called to place our unwavering, radical trust in God. We must recognize that His omnipotent power is made perfect precisely in our weakness, and that our true strength is found not in our own "horses and riders," but in the infinite power and unshakeable faithfulness of our God, who is eternally able to deliver us from any foe, regardless of their apparent might.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who was Rabshakeh, and why was his role significant in this narrative?
Answer: Rabshakeh was not a personal name but an Assyrian military and diplomatic title, likely meaning "chief cupbearer" or "chief officer." He was a high-ranking official and the primary spokesman for King Sennacherib of Assyria. His significance in this narrative lies in his crucial role as the embodiment of Assyrian intimidation and psychological warfare. He was deliberately chosen to deliver Sennacherib's message in Hebrew, directly to the people of Jerusalem, bypassing the request of Hezekiah's officials to speak Aramaic (Isaiah 36:11). This was a calculated and insidious tactic to sow fear, doubt, and division among the populace, aiming to break their morale and prompt surrender without the need for a full-scale assault. His taunts, including the sarcastic offer of horses, were meticulously designed to highlight Judah's military inferiority and to undermine their trust in both God and their king.
What was the significance of the "two thousand horses" offer?
Answer: The offer of "two thousand horses" was a highly sarcastic, mocking, and deeply humiliating taunt, not a genuine proposal for military aid. In ancient warfare, cavalry was an exceptionally crucial and powerful component of any formidable army, and the Assyrians were renowned for their formidable horse-drawn chariots and mounted archers. Judah, in stark contrast, possessed very little cavalry, and their overall military strength was vastly inferior to Assyria's. By offering such an immense number of horses, Rabshakeh was not only boasting about Assyria's vast and seemingly limitless resources but also, more pointedly, highlighting Judah's profound military deficiency and strategic inadequacy. The true sting of the taunt lay in the second part of the verse: "if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them." This implied that even if Judah were miraculously given a formidable cavalry force, they utterly lacked the skilled personnel—the "riders"—to effectively utilize them. Thus, it emphasized their complete helplessness and the perceived futility of resistance against the mighty Assyrian army, serving as a devastating psychological blow designed to demoralize Jerusalem's defenders.
Why is it important that Hezekiah and Judah ultimately trusted God rather than human military strength?
Answer: The narrative of Sennacherib's invasion and God's miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem (Isaiah 37:36) serves as a profound and enduring theological lesson about the nature of true security and the ultimate source of power. Throughout the Old Testament, there is a recurring and emphatic theme that God's people should never rely on human strength, military might, or ephemeral foreign alliances, but solely on the sovereign Lord. Prophets like Isaiah consistently warned against trusting in "horses and chariots" (Isaiah 31:1) and passionately urged complete faith in God's deliverance. While Hezekiah's initial response to Sennacherib's demands involved paying tribute (2 Kings 18:14), when faced with Rabshakeh's blasphemous taunts and overwhelming threats, he turned to God in desperate, humble prayer (Isaiah 37:1-4). His act of humble reliance on God, despite overwhelming odds, led to a miraculous divine intervention, powerfully demonstrating that God alone is the true deliverer and that His power infinitely surpasses any human or military might. This narrative powerfully reinforces the timeless call to radical faith and unwavering trust in God's absolute sovereignty.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The taunt of Rabshakeh in Isaiah 36:8, highlighting Judah's military inadequacy and the overwhelming power of the Assyrian enemy, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the stark contrast between worldly might and the humble, yet all-conquering, power of Christ. Just as Judah was seemingly helpless against the "two thousand horses" of Assyria, humanity is utterly powerless against the far more formidable forces of sin, death, and the devil. The world consistently values and boasts in strength, wealth, and influence, much like Assyria boasted of its formidable cavalry. However, the New Testament profoundly reveals that God's ultimate and decisive victory over these spiritual enemies was achieved not through military might, human prowess, or worldly wisdom, but through the seemingly weak and foolish act of the cross (1 Corinthians 1:25). Christ, the true and eternal King, did not come riding on a warhorse to conquer nations by force, but humbly on a donkey, entering Jerusalem as a servant-king (Zechariah 9:9, beautifully fulfilled in Matthew 21:5). His "power" was supremely displayed in self-sacrificial love, disarming the principalities and powers through His death and glorious resurrection (Colossians 2:15). Therefore, Rabshakeh's challenge to "set riders upon them" becomes a profound metaphor for our inherent inability to overcome spiritual enemies by our own strength or resources. Our deliverance, like Judah's, comes not from our own "horses and riders" but from the divine, miraculous intervention of God through Christ, who has already triumphed over every foe, offering true, eternal, and all-sufficient security to all who place their trust in Him (Romans 8:37-39).