II Kings 18:36 · Bible study
2 Kings 18:36 Commentary: Silence Before Blasphemy
Hebrew · 5 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Learn why Jerusalem's people stayed silent when Rabshakeh mocked God, and what their obedience teaches about trusting God's defense.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The people’s silent obedience to Hezekiah’s command frustrated the Assyrian envoy and entrusted God’s honor to God alone.
- Key Words: Hebrew “hecherishu” (kept silent) and “anu” (answered), deliberate restraint in response to blasphemy.
- Main Debate: Whether silence before blasphemy is always wise or whether there are times for public rebuke.
- Theological Theme: God’s sovereignty over nations and His ability to defend His name without human defense.
- Best Use: A model for trusting God when His name is mocked, leaving vengeance and vindication to Him.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
But the people remained silent and did not answer a word, for Hezekiah had commanded, “Do not answer him.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
But the people stayed quiet, and answered him not a word; for the king’s commandment was, “Don’t answer him.”
KJV King James Version 1769
But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word; for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And the people have kept silent, and have not answered him a word, for the command of the king is, saying, `Do not answer him.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
But the people were silent and answered him not a word; for the king's command was, saying, Answer him not.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for they had received commandment from the king that they should not answer him.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y el pueblo calló, que no le respondieron palabra: porque había mandamiento del rey, el cual había dicho: No le respondáis.
E o povo se calou, de maneira que não lhe responderam palavra: porque havia mandamento do rei, o qual havia dito: Não lhe respondais.
Le peuple se tut, et ne lui répondit pas un mot; car le roi avait donné cet ordre: Vous ne lui répondrez pas.
Das Volk aber schwieg still und antwortete ihm nichts; denn der König hatte geboten und gesagt: Antwortet ihm nichts.
Doch het volk zweeg stil en antwoordde hem niet een woord; want het gebod des konings was, zeggende: Gij zult hem niet antwoorden.
E il popolo si tacque, e non gli rispose nulla; poiché il re avea dato quest’ordine: “Non gli rispondete!”
Ale milczał lud, i nie odpowiedzieli mu słowa; bo takie było rozkazanie królewskie, mówiąc: Nie odpowiadajcie mu.
И молчал народ и не отвечали ему ни слова, потому что было приказание царя: "не отвечайте ему".
百姓 靜默不言，並不 回答 一句，因為 王 曾吩咐 說：「不要 回答他。」
But the people kept quiet and gave him no answer: for the king's order was, Give him no answer.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Kings 18:36
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Adam Clarke observes that Hezekiah commanded silence because the blasphemy was so barefaced: “Jehovah is insulted, not you; let him avenge his own quarrel.” The Cambridge Bible notes that Rabshakeh hoped to incite discontent among the starving people, but “even the fear of starvation provokes no treachery.” The people’s silence was an act of obedience that directly frustrated the Assyrian envoy’s strategy. By refusing to engage, they left the matter in God’s hands. This consensus highlights the wisdom of not defending God by human arguments when He has not called for it.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The people obeyed King Hezekiah's command and remained silent when the Assyrian envoy blasphemed God.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Historical reliability | The event is historically grounded in the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem under Sennacherib. | No significant debate; the account is accepted across traditions as historical narrative. |
| Reason for silence | The people remained silent because Hezekiah commanded it. | Some emphasize the strategic wisdom of not giving the enemy a platform; others focus on the people's obedient faith as the primary reason. |
| Application to responding to blasphemy | Silence can be a godly response in certain contexts, leaving judgment to God. | Disagreement exists over when speaking out is required, especially in public witness or defending the faith. Some traditions point to passages like Acts 4:19-20 as precedent for speaking. |
| Hezekiah's leadership | Hezekiah showed wisdom by not engaging the Assyrian envoy in debate. | Some critique that Hezekiah should have publicly rebuked the blasphemy; others argue his restraint was a mark of faith and prudence. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse sits at a critical moment during the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem in 701 BC. King Hezekiah of Judah had rebelled against Sennacherib, who responded by sending a large army under three officials, Tartan, Rabsaris, and Rabshakeh, to demand surrender. Rabshakeh addressed the people in Hebrew from a position near the conduit of the upper pool, speaking directly to the soldiers and citizens on the wall. He mocked their trust in Yahweh, claiming that no god had ever delivered a nation from Assyria.
Hezekiah’s command to not answer was strategic. Any reply might have sparked a riot, legitimized the enemy’s demands, or caused panic. The people on the wall, likely exhausted by the siege and hearing the blasphemy in their own language, showed remarkable discipline. The Cambridge Bible observes that Rabshakeh expected some expression of discontent, but the silence “utterly disappoints” his hope. Their obedience was not passive fear but active trust, they obeyed their king and, by extension, their God.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for II Kings 18:36. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, and the verse appears without major differences in the Greek and Latin traditions.
Reception History
Matthew Henry, commenting on the broader passage, praises the wisdom of Hezekiah’s command. Adam Clarke notes that the silence left the matter in God’s hands. The Cambridge Bible observes that the silence “utterly disappointed” Rabshakeh’s hopes. Across generations, this verse has been cited as a pattern for not defending God by human arguments, trusting instead that He will vindicate His own name.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- When Mockery Comes: Recognize that blasphemy is ultimately against God, not just against His people. The people heard Rabshakeh’s taunts as an attack on Yahweh.
- The Command to Be Silent: Hezekiah’s order was a strategic act of faith. It prevented the people from being drawn into a debate that would legitimize the enemy’s claims.
- The Power of Obstructive Obedience: The people’s silence disarmed the enemy. Their refusal to answer took away any foothold for rebellion or despair.
Five-Point Outline
- The setting: Jerusalem under siege, the people exhausted and hungry.
- The provocation: Rabshakeh’s blasphemous speech in their own language.
- The command: Hezekiah’s unexpected order to not answer a word.
- The obedience: The people held their peace, despite the pressure.
- The outcome: The envoy’s strategy failed, and the crisis was brought before God through Isaiah.
Illustration Hooks
- A courtroom judge instructs a defendant not to respond to the prosecutor’s insults, any reply could damage the case.
- A student is taunted in the hallway but remembers a teacher’s advice to ignore the bully, denying him the reaction he wants.
- On social media, a comment thread is filled with mockery of faith. One user refrains from replying, aware that engaging only amplifies the noise.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Does the Bible command us to always stay silent when God is mocked, or are there times to speak out?
- How can we tell the difference between wise silence and cowardly silence?
- What role does prayer play after we have refused to answer a blasphemer?
Leading a Discussion
This verse challenges the instinct to defend God’s honor. Hezekiah’s command may seem counterintuitive, but it reflects a deep trust that God can defend Himself. The people’s silence was an act of faith that left the matter in the Lord’s hands.
Discussion Questions
- What do you think the people on the wall were feeling as they listened to Rabshakeh?
- Why do you think Hezekiah gave such a specific command to not answer?
- In what situations might it be wise to remain silent when others mock God?
- Are there times when speaking out is the right response? How do we discern?
- How does this account connect with Proverbs 26:4 (“Don’t answer a fool according to his folly”)?
- What does this story teach us about trusting God’s sovereignty in the face of opposition?
- How can we prepare ourselves to respond with faith rather than fear when we hear blasphemy?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Psalms 38:13 | But I, as a deaf man, don’t hear. I am as a mute man who doesn’t open his mouth. |
| Psalms 38:14 | Yes, I am as a man who doesn’t hear, in whose mouth are no reproofs. |
| Psalms 39:1 | For the Chief Musician. For Jeduthun. A Psalm by David. I said, “I will watch my ways, so that I don’t sin with my tongue. I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me.” |
| Proverbs 9:7 | One who corrects a mocker invites insult. One who reproves a wicked man invites abuse. |
| Proverbs 26:4 | Don’t answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him. |
| Amos 5:13 | Therefore a prudent person keeps silent in such a time, for it is an evil time. |
| Matthew 7:6 | “Don’t give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
4 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the blasphemy is so direct against Jehovah that Hezekiah rightly refuses to answer. The insult is not against the king but against God Himself, so the king leaves the quarrel to God to avenge in His own time.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentator notes that Rabshakeh counted on hunger to drive the people to rebel, but their determined silence defeated his entire strategy. Ignoring the taunts not only spared the crowd from dangerous impressions but also left the railer to choke on his own fury. The Chronicler later adds that the Assyrian even wrote letters of blasphemy, escalating his attack beyond words.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Note emphasizes that the people obeyed the king's command to the letter: they did not utter a single word in reply. Their complete silence shows they submitted to Hezekiah's authority rather than engaging the enemy's taunts.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the brazen serpent Hezekiah destroyed was not the original Moses made in the wilderness, but a later copy created when Israel fell into idolatry. He finds it improbable that Moses would have preserved an object that could tempt the people toward image worship for 800 years. The text distinguishes this image from the heathen idols precisely by noting Moses made it, which for Lange confirms it was a later replica, not the genuine relic.