Isaiah 36

King James Version

Full text for Isaiah Chapter 36

1¶ Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, [that] Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the defenced cities of Judah, and took them.

2And 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.

3Then came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah's son, which was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph's son, the recorder.

4And 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?

5I say, [sayest thou], (but [they are but] vain words) [I have] counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

6Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on 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 in him.

7But if thou say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: [is it] not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?

8Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, 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.

9How then wilt 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?

10And am I now come up without the LORD against this land to destroy it? the LORD said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.

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.

12But 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, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?

13Then 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.

14Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you.

15Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.

16Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make [an agreement] with me [by] a present, 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;

17Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards.

18[Beware] lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The LORD will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

19Where [are] the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where [are] the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?

20Who [are they] among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?

21But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

22Then 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Sennacherib, King of Assyria, invades Judah and sends his chief officer, Rabshakeh, with a great army to Jerusalem. Rabshakeh publicly challenges King Hezekiah's trust in the LORD and reliance on Egypt, mocking their ability to resist Assyria. He attempts to demoralize the people of Jerusalem, urging them to surrender and questioning the power of their God compared to the gods of other conquered nations. Hezekiah's officials report these blasphemous words to the king.

Medium Summary

In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib, King of Assyria, besieged and captured many fortified cities of Judah. He then dispatched his chief officer, Rabshakeh, with a formidable army to Jerusalem, where he confronted Hezekiah's representatives: Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah. Rabshakeh immediately challenged Hezekiah's confidence, deriding any trust in Egypt as leaning on a "broken reed" and questioning the efficacy of the LORD, whose altars Hezekiah had removed. He even claimed the LORD had sent him to destroy the land. When asked to speak in Syrian to spare the people, Rabshakeh defiantly spoke in the Jews' language, directly addressing the populace. He urged them not to be deceived by Hezekiah's promises of divine deliverance, offering instead terms of surrender that included relocation to a fertile land. Rabshakeh further blasphemed by asserting that the LORD was no more capable of delivering Jerusalem than the gods of other nations had been able to save their lands from Assyrian might. The people, obeying Hezekiah's command, remained silent, and the officials returned to the king with torn garments, relaying Rabshakeh's words.

Long Summary

The chapter opens in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah's reign, detailing the formidable invasion of Judah by Sennacherib, King of Assyria, who successfully captured many of the kingdom's fortified cities. Following these conquests, Sennacherib sent his high-ranking official, Rabshakeh, with a significant military force to Jerusalem, where he positioned himself by the conduit of the upper pool. King Hezekiah dispatched three key officials—Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah—to meet with the Assyrian envoy. Rabshakeh immediately launched into a scathing address, questioning the basis of Hezekiah's confidence and dismissing any reliance on Egypt as a futile endeavor, likening it to a "broken reed" that would only cause injury. He then challenged Hezekiah's trust in the LORD, ironically referencing Hezekiah's own reforms of removing high places and altars, implying that such actions had alienated his God. Furthermore, Rabshakeh audaciously claimed that the LORD Himself had commanded him to invade and destroy the land of Judah. Hezekiah's officials, concerned about the morale of the people listening from the city wall, requested Rabshakeh to speak in the Syrian language, which they understood, rather than in the Jews' language. However, Rabshakeh scornfully refused, explicitly stating his intention to demoralize the common people and make them suffer. Standing prominently, he then cried out in a loud voice in Hebrew, directly addressing the inhabitants of Jerusalem. He warned them against Hezekiah's assurances of deliverance and against trusting in the LORD, asserting that the city would inevitably fall. Rabshakeh offered an alternative: surrender to Assyria, make a present, and enjoy their own produce until they could be relocated to a land as fertile as their own. He concluded his tirade with a profound blasphemy, challenging the LORD's power by citing the inability of the gods of Hamath, Arphad, Sepharvaim, and Samaria to deliver their lands from the Assyrian king's hand, thereby questioning how the LORD could save Jerusalem. In response to these provocative words, the people of Jerusalem remained silent, adhering to King Hezekiah's prior command not to answer the Assyrian. Finally, Hezekiah's three officials returned to the king, their clothes rent as a sign of distress, and reported the entirety of Rabshakeh's insolent message.

Core Concepts

  • Assyrian InvasionSennacherib, King of Assyria, launched a devastating campaign against Judah, capturing many fortified cities before turning his attention to Jerusalem. This demonstrates Assyria's military dominance and expansionist policy.
  • Rabshakeh's TauntsThe Assyrian envoy Rabshakeh delivered a series of challenges and insults to King Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem. His words aimed to undermine their confidence in their military strength, their allies, and especially their God.
  • Reliance on EgyptRabshakeh explicitly mocked Judah's potential reliance on Egypt for aid, describing it as a "broken reed" that would betray and injure anyone who leaned upon it. This highlights the political vulnerability of smaller nations caught between empires.
  • Blasphemy and Divine ChallengeRabshakeh directly challenged the power of the LORD, questioning His ability to deliver Jerusalem by comparing Him to the defeated gods of other nations. He even claimed the LORD had sent him to destroy Judah, twisting religious belief for psychological warfare.
  • Hezekiah's ReformsRabshakeh ironically referenced Hezekiah's religious reforms, specifically the removal of high places and altars, as a potential reason for divine disfavor. This shows how religious actions could be reinterpreted by enemies for propaganda.
  • Psychological WarfareRabshakeh's deliberate choice to speak in the Jews' language to the people on the wall, despite the officials' request, was a calculated act to instill fear and demoralization. He aimed to break their will to resist through public shaming and threats.
  • Silence as ObedienceThe people of Jerusalem remained silent in the face of Rabshakeh's provocations, adhering to King Hezekiah's prior command. This act of disciplined silence demonstrates their obedience to their king amidst extreme pressure.