Isaiah 36:11-20 Meaning: When Your Faith Is Mocked
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?’”
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?
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?
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?'
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?
Meaning in one sentence
Hezekiah's officials ask Rabshakeh to speak Aramaic to shield the people from fear. But he refuses, publicly mocking their trust in God.
Context
Isaiah 36 sits at a turning point in the book. The Assyrian Empire under Sennacherib has crushed the northern kingdom of Israel and now surrounds Jerusalem. Hezekiah, king of Judah, has torn down pagan altars and called the people to rely on Yahweh alone. Rabshakeh, the Assyrian field commander, arrives with a weapon deadlier than swords: words. He speaks to the people directly in their own language, aiming to turn their hearts from their king and from God. Hezekiah's officials recognize the danger. If the people lose hope, the city falls without a fight. Their request to speak Aramaic is not mere diplomatic courtesy; it is a desperate attempt to shield the defenders on the wall from a psychological assault designed to break their trust in the Lord.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words carry the weight of the struggle. First, batach (H0982), often translated "trust." In verse 15, Rabshakeh warns the people not to let Hezekiah "make you trust" in Yahweh. The form of the verb here is causative: he pictures trust as something imposed on them, a delusion. The enemy's goal is to poison the very idea of resting securely in God. Second, the word pen (H6435) opens verse 18: "Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you." This particle carries urgency, it means "lest" or "otherwise." Rabshakeh frames hope itself as a danger. Third, the verb natsal (H5337) appears over and over as a refrain: "deliver." It means to snatch away, to rescue. The Assyrian boasts that no god has snatched a single nation from his grip. But the question he asks is not final; it is a dare that God will answer in the next chapter. These three words show us the enemy's strategy: attack trust, warn against hope, and deny the possibility of rescue.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have seen in this passage a picture of spiritual warfare. Reformed readers like Calvin noted how the enemy uses half-truths and promises of comfort to lure people away from God. Anglican scholars point out the calculated insult in Rabshakeh's refusal to call Hezekiah king, a tactic to undermine legitimate authority. Matthew Henry described the speech as "insolent" and observed that the enemy's argument from history is a lie, because the gods of other nations were not the living God. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown highlight the irony: earlier Rabshakeh claimed Yahweh had sent him (verse 10), yet now he denies that Yahweh can save. Whether Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox, readers have recognized that this story is not just ancient history. It is a mirror of how doubt speaks: it exaggerates evidence against God, minimizes His uniqueness, and offers an easier path that leads to captivity.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is that Hezekiah's officials were simply being polite or diplomatic in asking for Aramaic. Some assume they wanted privacy for negotiations. In fact, they were terrified. They knew the people on the wall were under immense strain. Hearing the enemy's taunts in their own language could break their courage and cause them to surrender. The request was a desperate attempt to control the message and protect the people's morale. Rabshakeh understood this and deliberately spoke Hebrew to maximize the damage.
Living This Out
This week, you might face voices that mock your trust in God, not necessarily aloud, but in your own mind. The enemy still uses the same tactics: he points to your circumstances and says, "God can't help you here." He offers you an easier way, a compromise that looks like peace but leads somewhere you do not want to go. This passage invites you to stay on the wall, listening to what your King says, not the taunts of the enemy. You do not have to answer the mockery. You can bring it to God in prayer, just as Hezekiah did in the next chapter. The story is not over yet.
Main takeaway: The enemy's most effective weapon is the lie that God cannot be trusted, but his record of conquests does not limit the power of the Lord.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
An enemy army came to Jerusalem and tried to scare the people. They said, "Don't trust God." But God is bigger than any army.
For ages 9, 12
The Assyrian commander knew that if he could make the people lose hope, they would give up. He mocked their faith and promised them a comfortable life if they surrendered. But it was a trick, he planned to take them away. This story shows that when someone mocks your faith, it is a test. You do not need to argue with them. You can take the matter to God, just like King Hezekiah did.
Questions People Ask
Why did Hezekiah's officials ask Rabshakeh to speak Aramaic?
Aramaic was the language of international diplomacy in the ancient Near East. The officials hoped to contain the conversation to the leaders and prevent the ordinary people on the wall from hearing the Assyrian's threats in Hebrew, which they understood. It was a strategic move to protect morale, not a simple language preference.
Was Rabshakeh's offer of peace genuine?
No. He promised that if they surrendered they would eat from their own vines and fig trees (v16), but he immediately added that he would come and take them away to another land (v17). The peace was temporary; the end result was exile. It was a deceptive offer designed to break their resistance.
Why does Rabshakeh compare Yahweh to other gods?
He argues from history: Assyria had conquered many nations, and their gods did not save them. He assumes Yahweh is just another local deity. But this is a fundamental misunderstanding. The God of Israel is not a territorial god; He is the Creator of all. The rest of the story in Isaiah 37 shows that Yahweh is not like the others, He delivers Jerusalem.
How does this passage connect to Jesus?
Like the Assyrian army, the forces of evil and death surrounded God's people and mocked their hope. Jerusalem was delivered by a miracle, the angel of the Lord striking the Assyrian camp (Isaiah 37:36). Jesus conquered death itself, a far greater enemy. The ultimate deliverance is not from an earthly army but from sin and death, through Christ's resurrection.
For pastors & researchers
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