Isaiah 36:11-20 · Bible study
Isaiah 36:11-20 Commentary: Rabshakeh's Siege Rhetoric
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why the Assyrian commander spoke Hebrew, mocked Yahweh, and aimed to shatter Jerusalem's trust in God.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Rabshakeh’s Hebrew speech is an assault on the faith of Jerusalem’s defenders, testing whether they trust God or the king of Assyria.
- Key words: Berachah (blessing/peace offer); Yehudit (Judean/Hebrew); Natsal (deliver/rescue).
- Main debate: Whether Rabshakeh genuinely believed Yahweh sent him (v.10) or this was pure propaganda.
- Theological theme: God’s sovereignty is challenged, but He is not defeated by human threats; faith requires waiting in silence.
- Best use: Teaching on spiritual warfare, discernment, and trusting God when human reason says otherwise.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
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?”
13Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out loudly in Hebrew: “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria!
14This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he cannot deliver you.
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,
17until I come and take you away to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.
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?
19Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand?
20Who among all the gods of these lands has delivered his land from my hand? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”
WEB World English Bible 2000
11Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Don’t speak to us in the Jews’ language in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”
12But Rabshakeh said, “Has my master sent me only to your master and to you, to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, who will eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?”
13Then Rabshakeh stood, and called out with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, and said, “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria!
14The king says, ‘Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you; for he will not be able to deliver you.
15Don’t let Hezekiah make you trust in Yahweh, saying, “Yahweh will surely deliver us. This city won’t be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”’
16Don’t listen to Hezekiah, for the king of Assyria says, ‘Make your peace with me, and come out to me; and each of you eat from his vine, and each one from his fig tree, and each one of you drink the waters of his own cistern;
17until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.
18Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, “Yahweh will deliver us.” Have any of the gods of the nations delivered their lands from the hand of the king of Assyria?
19Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand?
20Who are they among all the gods of these countries that have delivered their country out of my hand, that Yahweh should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’”
KJV King James Version 1769
11Then 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.
18Beware 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?
ASV American Standard Version 1901
11Then 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, to eat their own dung, and to drink their own water 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 will not be able to deliver you:
15neither let Hezekiah make you trust in Jehovah, saying, Jehovah will surely deliver us; this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.
16Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make your peace with me, 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 grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.
18Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, Jehovah 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 Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
20Who are they among all the gods of these countries, that have delivered their country out of my hand, that Jehovah should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
11And Eliakim saith--and Shebna and Joah--unto Rabshakeh, `Speak, we pray thee, unto thy servants in Aramaean, for we are understanding; and do not speak unto us in Jewish, in the ears of the people who are on the wall.'
12And Rabshakeh saith, `Unto thy lord, and unto thee, hath my lord sent me to speak these words? is it not for the men--those sitting on the wall to eat their own dung and to drink their own water with you?'
13And Rabshakeh standeth and calleth with a great voice in Jewish, and saith, `Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Asshur:
14Thus said the king, Let not Hezekiah lift you up, for he is not able to deliver you;
15and let not Hezekiah make you trust unto Jehovah, saying, Jehovah doth certainly deliver us, this city is not given into the hand of the king of Asshur.
16`Do not hearken unto Hezekiah, for thus said the king of Asshur, Make ye with me a blessing, and come out unto me, and eat ye each of his vine, and each of his fig-tree, and drink ye each the waters of his own well,
17till my coming in, and I have taken you unto a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards;
18lest Hezekiah doth persuade you, saying, Jehovah doth deliver us. `Have the gods of the nations delivered each his land out of the hand of the king of Asshur?
19Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where the gods of Sepharvaim, that they have delivered Samaria out of my hand?
20Who among all the gods of these lands are they who have delivered their land out of my hand, that Jehovah doth deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
11And Eliakim and Shebna and Joah said to Rab-shakeh, Speak, we pray thee, to thy servants in Syriac, for we understand it; and speak not to us in the Jewish [language] in the ears of the people that are upon the wall.
12And Rab-shakeh said, Is it to thy master and to thee that my master sent me to speak these words? Is it not to the men that sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own urine with you?
13And Rab-shakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jewish [language], and said, Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria!
14Thus says the king: Let not Hezekiah deceive you; for he will not be able to deliver you.
15Neither let Hezekiah make you rely upon Jehovah, saying, Jehovah will certainly deliver us; this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.
16Hearken not to Hezekiah; for thus says the king of Assyria: Make peace with me and come out to me; and eat every one of his vine, and every one of his fig-tree, and drink 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.
18Let not Hezekiah persuade you, saying, Jehovah will deliver us. Has any of thegods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
19Where are thegods of Hamath and of Arpad? where are thegods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
20Who are they among all thegods of these countries that have delivered their country out of my hand, that Jehovah should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
11And Eliacim, and Sobna, and Joahe said to Rabsaces: Speak to thy servants in the Syrian tongue: for we understand it: speak not to us in the Jews' language in the hearing of the people, that are upon the wall.
12And Rabsaces said to them: Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee, to speak all these words; and not rather to the men that sit on the wall; that they may eat their own dung, and drink their urine with you?
13Then Rabsaces stood, and cried out with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and said: Hear the words of the great king, the king of the Assyrians.
14Thus saith the king: Let not Ezechias deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you.
15And let not Ezechias make you trust in the Lord, saying: The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be given into the hands of the king of the Assyrians.
16Do not hearken to Ezechias: for thus said the king of the Assyrians: Do with me that which is for your advantage, 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 water of his cistern,
17Till I come and take you away to a land, like to your own, a land of corn and of wine, a land of bread and vineyards.
18Neither let Ezechias trouble you, saying: The Lord will deliver us. Have any of the gods of the nations delivered their land out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians?
19Where is the god of Emath and of Arphad? where is the god of Sepharvaim? have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
20Who is there among all the gods of these lands, that hath delivered his country out of my hand, that the Lord may deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 36:11
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Rabshakeh’s refusal to speak Aramaic and his shouted Hebrew speech is a calculated act of psychological warfare. Barnes notes that the officials’ request reveals their fear: they knew the people’s morale was fragile, and direct threats in their own language could push them to panic or desertion. Calvin sees Rabshakeh's insolence as he 'does not address Hezekiah as a king, but as if he were already a private subject.' The Cambridge Bible calls the diplomat 'astute' for immediately 'perceiving his advantage.' Rabshakeh’s speech attacks at two levels: he slanders Hezekiah as a deceiver, and he compares Yahweh to the impotent gods of conquered nations, gods of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, and even Samaria. The core consensus is that this scene is not just a military crisis but a full-scale assault on the people’s trust in God.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The siege is a direct assault on Judah’s trust in Yahweh, and Rabshakeh’s speech is a calculated attempt to undermine both Hezekiah’s leadership and faith in God.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'make an agreement with me by a present' (berachah) | It is a request for submission and tribute, likely involving a peace treaty with a gift. | Some read it as 'make a blessing with me' (an ironic holy term), while others see it as 'do homage to me' or simply 'surrender peacefully.' |
| Did Rabshakeh believe Yahweh sent him? | He quotes this claim (v.10) as a threat, but its sincerity is questioned. | Calvin and others think he is lying for intimidation; some scholars suggest he may have heard of Isaiah's prophecies and twisted them. |
| The comparison of Yahweh to local gods | Rabshakeh assumes Yahweh is just another national deity, unable to protect His people. | Christians agree this is blasphemy, but some see it as a fair assumption from an Assyrian perspective; others highlight that God uses even this mockery to reveal His power. |
| Why the people kept silent | They obeyed Hezekiah’s command not to answer (v.21). | Some see it as wise restraint; others note that silence could appear weak, but it preserved unity and trust in leadership. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The passage sits within Sennacherib’s campaign against Judah (701 BC). The Assyrian army has already swept through the northern kingdom of Israel and taken Samaria (722 BC). Now Sennacherib besieges Lachish, a key fortress southwest of Jerusalem, and sends his field commander, Rabshakeh, to demand Jerusalem’s surrender (Isa 36:2).
The request to speak Aramaic rather than Hebrew is a tell: Aramaic was the language of diplomacy and international trade across the Near East, used by scribes and envoys. Hebrew (called 'the Jews’ language' or 'Judean') was the common speech of ordinary Judeans. By asking for Aramaic, Eliakim, Shebna and Joah hope to contain the terror. But Rabshakeh refuses, because his audience is the people on the wall, the soldiers and citizens hearing every word.
His mention of eating dung and drinking urine draws on the horrific reality of siege famine (cf. Lev 26:29; Deut 28:53-57). The Assyrians were masters of psychological intimidation, often promising leniency to those who surrendered and brutal treatment to resisters. Rabshakeh’s offer of 'a blessing' (berachah) and a resettlement to 'a land like your own' is a standard deportation policy meant to sound attractive.
Behind the scene is Hezekiah’s reform, tearing down high places and centralising worship in Jerusalem (Isa 36:7). Rabshakeh twists this as an insult to Yahweh. The officials’ torn clothes at the end (v.22) show their despair, fitting a moment where the God of Israel appears to have abandoned His people.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note that the parallel account in 2 Kings 18:27 adds a phrase about people 'who will eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you,' and 2 Kings 18:32 adds 'a land of olive oil and honey.' Some Hebrew manuscripts (Kennicott, De Rossi) show minor variants: the conjunction on 'where are the gods' and a Syriac reading that may say 'that they might not eat their dung.' None of these variants affect the essential meaning or the dramatic thrust of the passage.
Reception History
Church history has read this scene as a paradigm of the world’s opposition to God’s people. Early Christian writers saw Rabshakeh as a type of Satan, speaking lies to tempt believers away from trust in God. Reformation exegetes like Calvin emphasised that faith is tested most when God seems absent and enemies are loud. In modern preaching, the passage is often used to teach discernment, recognising that promises of peace that demand you abandon God are always hollow. Across traditions, the silence of the people on the wall has been held as a model of disciplined waiting, until God acts in His time.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The enemy targets your trust, not just your walls. Rabshakeh speaks Hebrew to assault faith directly. The officials feared this: the battle is for the heart.
- The enemy twists truth to deceive. He claims Yahweh sent him (v.10), mocks Hezekiah, and offers false peace, surrender now, deportation later. His promises are bait.
- God’s silence is not defeat. The people obey Hezekiah’s command not to answer. Their quiet defiance holds until God acts (Isa 37).
Five-point outline
- The request for Aramaic: fear of hearing the worst in your own language.
- Rabshakeh’s refusal: he wants the people to hear and break.
- The attack on Hezekiah: ‘He cannot deliver you’, a leader’s credibility is under fire.
- The attack on Yahweh: ‘Has any god delivered his land?’, a theological challenge.
- The lure of false security: ‘Eat from your own vine’, but it’s a trap.
Illustration hooks
- A child overhearing their parents argue about money uses words they understand, and that fear stays. Rabshakeh uses the people’s language to implant dread.
- A political campaign where a candidate’s own record is attacked by an opponent, twisting facts. The people must decide whom to believe.
- A coach who blames the team’s leader in front of everyone to make the team doubt and mutiny. That is Rabshakeh’s tactic.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “When someone mocks my faith publicly, how do I keep trusting God?”
- “Why does God allow our enemies to speak lies about Him without striking them down?”
- “How do I know when an offer of ‘peace’ is really a trap?”
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows faith tested by a direct, public assault. The enemy uses the people’s own language to threaten and seduce. How do you hold steady when trust in God sounds foolish to the loudest voice in the room?
Discussion questions
- Why did the officials ask Rabshakeh to speak Aramaic? What does that tell you about their assessment of the people’s morale?
- Rabshakeh refused and spoke even louder in Hebrew. What was his goal? How did he try to achieve it?
- He quotes Hezekiah’s message to trust in Yahweh. Why does he twist that trust into a weakness?
- Look at v.18-20. How does Rabshakeh compare Yahweh to other gods? What assumption does he make about God?
- What promises does Rabshakeh offer (v.16-17)? Why would they be tempting? What is the hidden cost?
- The people kept silent on the king’s orders (v.21). What did their silence accomplish? In what situations is silence a form of faithful resistance?
- When has your trust in God been publicly mocked or dismissed? How does this story encourage you?
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)
| II Kings 18:26 | Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebnah, and Joah, said to Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in the Syrian language, for we understand it. Don’t speak with us in the Jews’ language, in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” |
| II Kings 18:27 | But Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me to your master and to you, to speak these words? Hasn’t he sent me to the men who sit on the wall, to eat their own dung, and to drink their own urine with you?” |
| Ezra 4:7 | In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in Syrian and delivered in the Syrian language. |
| Daniel 2:4 | Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in the Syrian language, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.” |
| Leviticus 26:29 | You will eat the flesh of your sons, and you will eat the flesh of your daughters. |
| Deuteronomy 28:53 | You will eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and of your daughters, whom Yahweh your God has given you, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemies will distress you. |
| Deuteronomy 28:57 | toward her young one who comes out from between her feet, and toward her children whom she bears; for she will eat them secretly for lack of all things in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy will distress you in your gates. |
| II Kings 6:25 | There was a great famine in Samaria. Behold, they besieged it until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver. |
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
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke examines Hebrew manuscripts and ancient versions to suggest alternative readings for several phrases in this chapter. He notes that some copies read "may not eat" instead of "eat their own dung," and points to textual variations involving water, tribute, and the names of foreign gods, highlighting the complexity of the original text.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes observes that Rabshakeh’s first strategic move was to shake the people's trust in Yahweh. He knew that as long as they relied on God, capturing Jerusalem was hazardous, so he aimed to unsettle their confidence before any military action could succeed.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin reads Rabshakeh not merely as an Assyrian officer but as a mask for Satan, who uses the same tactics today: promising present comfort and security to lure people away from trusting God. The most dangerous enemies, he warns, are those who speak our own language, twisting familiar words to undermine faith.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill points out that Hezekiah's officials, by asking Rabshakeh to speak Syriac, betrayed their own fear and lack of trust in God. Rabshakeh seized on this weakness, shouting even louder in Hebrew to terrify the people and turn them against their king and their faith. The commentator also highlights the blasphemy of equating the Lord with powerless idols.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch observe that Rabshakeh's deliberate choice to speak Hebrew rather than Aramaic was a calculated psychological tactic aimed at the common people, bypassing the officials to stir doubt and fear. They also note that Isaiah himself likely wrote this account, recording the fulfillment of his own prophecy.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the version in 2 Kings is the older and more original text, while Isaiah 36-39 is a shortened and corrected version adapted for a prophetic book. He shows that Isaiah's text omits historical details, tightens language, and arranges events by theme rather than by strict chronology.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights Rabshakeh's calculated tactic: by shouting in Hebrew to the common people, he aimed to bypass the officials and directly undermine their trust in both Hezekiah and the Lord. The wise restraint of the people, who obeyed the king's command to answer nothing, demonstrates that silence is often the best reply to blasphemy.