Note: Words are shown in their original Hebrew order, which differs from English translations. This reflects the emphasis and structure of Scripture as originally written. Click any word to see its full lexicon entry.
1In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked and captured all the fortified cities of Judah.
2And the king of Assyria sent the Rabshakeh, with a great army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And he stopped by the aqueduct of the upper pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field.
4The Rabshakeh said to them, “Tell Hezekiah that this is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: What is the basis of this confidence of yours?
6Look now, you are trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff that will pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.
7But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the LORD our God,’ is He not the One whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before this altar’?
10So now, was it apart from the LORD that I have come up against this land to destroy it? The LORD Himself said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.’”
11Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Do not speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”
12But the Rabshakeh replied, “Has my master sent me to speak these words only to you and your master, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are destined with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?”
15Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the LORD when he says, ‘The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’
16Do not listen to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and his own fig tree, and drink water from his own cistern,
18Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The LORD will deliver us.’ Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?
22Then Hilkiah’s son Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and Asaph’s son Joah the recorder came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and they relayed to him the words of the Rabshakeh.
Isaiah 36 recounts the siege of Jerusalem by the Assyrian king Sennacherib in 701 BC, during the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah's reign. The Assyrian commander Rabshakeh is sent to demand Jerusalem's surrender, employing both military intimidation and theological mockery to undermine the faith of the city's leaders and people. This chapter sets the stage for one of Scripture's most powerful demonstrations of God's faithfulness, showing how human pride and military might stand powerless against the Lord's protection of His people.
Sennacherib's invasion represents a genuine military crisis; he has already conquered the fortified cities of Judah and now turns his attention to Jerusalem itself. The Rabshakeh (a title meaning "chief cupbearer" or high official) is positioned strategically at the conduit of the upper pool, a location where he can be heard by defenders on the wall. His opening challenge cuts to the heart of the matter: What confidence is this wherein thou trustest? (verse 4). He demands to know the basis of Hezekiah's trust and mocks the notion that mere words about courage and strength can stand against Assyrian military superiority. The Rabshakeh's tactic is psychological warfare—he seeks to exploit doubt and fear.
The Rabshakeh now attacks Judah's two potential sources of security: Egypt and the Lord. He describes Egypt as a broken reed (verse 6)—a staff that will not support but instead splinter and wound the hand that grasps it. This is a vivid image of unreliable allies. More daring still, he attempts to turn Hezekiah's religious reforms against him, suggesting that by removing the high places and altars, Hezekiah has actually angered the Lord (verse 7). Finally, in verse 10, he makes a blasphemous claim: that the Lord Himself has commissioned this invasion. This represents the enemy's ultimate strategy—to sow confusion about God's character and sovereignty. The offer of horses (verse 8) is deliberately insulting, implying that Judah is so weakened it cannot even field riders for the mounts provided.
Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah prudently request that negotiations continue in Aramaic (the diplomatic language), rather than Hebrew, so that the people on the walls cannot hear and lose heart. This shows wisdom and concern for morale. However, the Rabshakeh refuses, deliberately choosing to address the common people directly. His crude language in verse 12—threatening starvation so severe they will consume their own filth—underscores his intent to terrify the population into surrender.
Speaking in Hebrew for all to hear, the Rabshakeh repeats his threats and challenges the very foundation of Judah's faith. He ridicules the idea that the Lord will deliver them (verse 15), and ironically claims that no god of any nation has ever withstood Assyrian might (verses 18-19). His argument appears logically sound from a human perspective. Yet verse 21 records a powerful response: they held their peace, and answered him not a word. This silence is not weakness but obedience—King Hezekiah had commanded his officials not to engage in debate.
The three officials return to Hezekiah with torn garments—the traditional sign of deep distress. Yet they bring his words faithfully, setting the stage for the king's response, which will demonstrate trust in God's promise.
Application for Today
This chapter reminds us that faith is often tested by intimidating voices that seem powerful and logical. Like Hezekiah's generation, we may face circumstances that mock our trust in God. The Rabshakeh's arguments—that our circumstances are hopeless, that God has abandoned us, that other "gods" (worldly solutions) are more reliable—still echo today. Our response, like that of Hezekiah's officials, should be to silence the voice of fear and bring our burden to the Lord in prayer, trusting that His wisdom surpasses all earthly reasoning.
Study Notes — Isaiah 36
6 sectionsIsaiah 36 recounts the siege of Jerusalem by the Assyrian king Sennacherib in 701 BC, during the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah's reign. The Assyrian commander Rabshakeh is sent to demand Jerusalem's surrender, employing both military intimidation and theological mockery to undermine the faith of the city's leaders and people. This chapter sets the stage for one of Scripture's most powerful demonstrations of God's faithfulness, showing how human pride and military might stand powerless against the Lord's protection of His people.
Sennacherib's invasion represents a genuine military crisis; he has already conquered the fortified cities of Judah and now turns his attention to Jerusalem itself. The Rabshakeh (a title meaning "chief cupbearer" or high official) is positioned strategically at the conduit of the upper pool, a location where he can be heard by defenders on the wall. His opening challenge cuts to the heart of the matter: What confidence is this wherein thou trustest? (verse 4). He demands to know the basis of Hezekiah's trust and mocks the notion that mere words about courage and strength can stand against Assyrian military superiority. The Rabshakeh's tactic is psychological warfare—he seeks to exploit doubt and fear.
The Rabshakeh now attacks Judah's two potential sources of security: Egypt and the Lord. He describes Egypt as a broken reed (verse 6)—a staff that will not support but instead splinter and wound the hand that grasps it. This is a vivid image of unreliable allies. More daring still, he attempts to turn Hezekiah's religious reforms against him, suggesting that by removing the high places and altars, Hezekiah has actually angered the Lord (verse 7). Finally, in verse 10, he makes a blasphemous claim: that the Lord Himself has commissioned this invasion. This represents the enemy's ultimate strategy—to sow confusion about God's character and sovereignty. The offer of horses (verse 8) is deliberately insulting, implying that Judah is so weakened it cannot even field riders for the mounts provided.
Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah prudently request that negotiations continue in Aramaic (the diplomatic language), rather than Hebrew, so that the people on the walls cannot hear and lose heart. This shows wisdom and concern for morale. However, the Rabshakeh refuses, deliberately choosing to address the common people directly. His crude language in verse 12—threatening starvation so severe they will consume their own filth—underscores his intent to terrify the population into surrender.
Speaking in Hebrew for all to hear, the Rabshakeh repeats his threats and challenges the very foundation of Judah's faith. He ridicules the idea that the Lord will deliver them (verse 15), and ironically claims that no god of any nation has ever withstood Assyrian might (verses 18-19). His argument appears logically sound from a human perspective. Yet verse 21 records a powerful response: they held their peace, and answered him not a word. This silence is not weakness but obedience—King Hezekiah had commanded his officials not to engage in debate.
The three officials return to Hezekiah with torn garments—the traditional sign of deep distress. Yet they bring his words faithfully, setting the stage for the king's response, which will demonstrate trust in God's promise.
This chapter reminds us that faith is often tested by intimidating voices that seem powerful and logical. Like Hezekiah's generation, we may face circumstances that mock our trust in God. The Rabshakeh's arguments—that our circumstances are hopeless, that God has abandoned us, that other "gods" (worldly solutions) are more reliable—still echo today. Our response, like that of Hezekiah's officials, should be to silence the voice of fear and bring our burden to the Lord in prayer, trusting that His wisdom surpasses all earthly reasoning.