Isaiah 36:22 · Bible study
Isaiah 36:22 Commentary: Torn Garments, Holy Grief
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why did Hezekiah's officials tear their clothes? A study of grief, blasphemy, and faithful response in the Assyrian crisis.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The officials tore their clothes as a visible expression of grief and horror at Rabshakeh's blasphemy against Yahweh and the threats against Jerusalem.
- Key words: qara' (קָרַע) 'to tear or rend', a common gesture of mourning and abhorrence; nagad (נָגַד) 'to tell, report', they faithfully relayed Rabshakeh's words to Hezekiah.
- Main debate: Was Shebna's tearing of clothes sincere or merely formal? Calvin argues Shebna was 'destitute of piety,' while other commentators see all three as genuinely grieved.
- Theological theme: Holy grief, God's people respond to blasphemy not with apathy or vengeance, but with sorrow and faithful action.
- Best use: Teaching how to honor God when we cannot speak; the value of embodied worship and lament in times of crisis.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Then 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.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.
KJV King James Version 1769
Then 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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Then 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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who is over the house, cometh in, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph, the remembrancer, unto Hezekiah with rent garments, and they declare to him the words of Rabshakeh.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And Eliakim the son of Hilkijah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the chronicler, came to Hezekiah, with their garments rent, and told him the words of Rab-shakeh.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And Eliacim the son of Helcias, that was over the house, and Sobna the scribe, and Joahe the son of Asaph the recorder, went in to Ezechias with their garments rent, and told him the words of Rabsaces.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Entonces Eliacim hijo de Hilcías mayordomo|strong="H5921, H1004", y Sebna escriba, y Joah hijo de Asaph canciller, vinieron á Ezechîas rotos sus vestidos, y contáronle las palabras de Rabsaces.
Então Eliaquim, filho de Hilquias, o administrador da casa real, e Sebna, o escriba, e Joá filho de Asafe, o cronista, vieram a Ezequias com as roupas rasgadas, e lhe contaram as palavras de Rabsaqué.
Et Éliakim, fils de Hilkija, chef de la maison du roi, Schebna, le secrétaire, et Joach, fils d’Asaph, l’ archiviste, vinrent auprès d’ Ézéchias, les vêtements déchirés, et lui rapportèrent les paroles de Rabschaké.
Da kamen Eljakim, der Sohn Hilkias, der Hofmeister, und Sebna, der Schreiber, und Joah, der Sohn Asaphs, der Kanzler, mit zerrissenen Kleidern zu Hiskia und zeigten ihm an die Worte des Erzschenken.
Toen kwam Eljakim, de zoon van Hilkia, de hofmeester, en Sebna, de schrijver, en Joah, de zoon van Asaf, de kanselier, tot Hizkia met gescheurde klederen; en zij gaven hem de woorden van Rabsake te kennen.
Ed Eliakim, figliuolo di Hilkia, prefetto del palazzo, Scebna, il segretario, e Joah, figliuolo d’Asaf, l’archivista, vennero ad Ezechia con le vesti stracciate, e gli riferirono le parole di Rabshake.
I przyszedł Elijakim, syn Helkijaszowy, przełożony domu, i Sobna pisarz, i Joach, syn Asafowy, kanclerz, do Ezechyjasza, rozdarłszy szaty swe, i oznajmili mu słowa Rabsacesowe.
И пришел Елиаким, сын Хелкиин, начальник дворца, и Севна писец, и Иоах, сын Асафов, дееписатель, к Езекии в разодранных одеждах и пересказали ему слова Рабсака.
當下希勒家 的兒子 家 宰 以利亞敬 和書記 舍伯那，並亞薩 的兒子 史官 約亞，都撕裂 衣服，來 到 希西家那裡，將 拉伯沙基 的話 告訴 了他。
Then Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, who was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothing parted as a sign of grief, and gave him an account of what the Rab-shakeh had said.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 36:22
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that the tearing of garments was a powerful cultural gesture of grief and horror. Barnes notes that the causes were 'the insolence and arrogance of Rabshakeh; the proposal to surrender the city; the threatening of the siege … and the blasphemy of the name of their God.' Calvin adds that the officials 'tear their garments, and in that manner give visible display how highly they are offended at those wicked slanders.' Gill comments that they tore their clothes partly because of the blasphemies they had heard (citing Matthew 26:65) and partly through grief for the calamity they feared. Keil and Delitzsch describe them as acting 'in despair and grief and the disgrace they had experienced.' There is broad agreement that the action was a public, embodied protest against the dishonor done to Yahweh, and a faithful report of Rabshakeh's words to King Hezekiah.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The officials tore their clothes as a clear cultural expression of grief and horror at Rabshakeh's blasphemous words against Yahweh and the dire threat to Jerusalem, and they faithfully reported those words to King Hezekiah.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of tearing garments | All commentators agree it was a culturally recognized expression of grief, horror, or abhorrence, especially at blasphemy. | No significant debate; the gesture's meaning is well-attested in the Old Testament. |
| Sincerity of the officials, especially Shebna | Eliakim and Joah are generally viewed as faithful officials who were genuinely grieved. | Calvin questions Shebna's piety, suggesting he tore his clothes only from shame or conformity. Other commentators do not make this distinction, treating all three as equally grieved. |
| Why they tore their clothes in private vs. public | The tearing was a visible sign of their distress, either on the way to Hezekiah or upon arrival. | Gill suggests it was done 'perhaps not in the presence and within the sight of Rabshakeh, but as they came along.' Others assume the torn clothes were part of their appearance when they came to the king. |
| Connection to the command of silence in v. 21 | The officials obeyed the king's command not to answer Rabshakeh with words. | Keil and Delitzsch argue the silence command applied only to the officials, not the people. The parallel in 2 Kings 18:36 has 'the people held their peace,' indicating a possible textual variant (see textual criticism). |
Historical & Cultural Context
By the time of this scene, the Assyrian empire under Sennacherib had already conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and was now threatening Judah. Verse 21 records that Hezekiah had commanded his officials not to answer Rabshakeh, the Assyrian field commander. So these three men, Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah, had stood silent while Rabshakeh shouted blasphemies in Hebrew, trying to turn the people against their king and their God.
Their official titles tell us their roles: Eliakim was 'over the household,' the palace administrator; Shebna was the scribe or secretary; Joah was the recorder or chronicler. Earlier in Isaiah 22, Shebna had held a higher office but was demoted for pride, a change likely influenced by Isaiah. These were not lowly messengers but the senior leadership of Judah.
Tearing one's clothes was a conventional expression of extreme grief, horror, or repentance throughout the Old Testament (2 Kings 5:7; Ezra 9:3; Job 1:20). In this context, it signaled abhorrence at blasphemy and anguish over the imminent national crisis. The gesture was unmistakable: they could not answer Rabshakeh, but their torn clothes spoke. They then went straight to Hezekiah, not to the people, to deliver a faithful report of everything said.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Isaiah 36:22 itself. However, there is a variant in the preceding verse (v. 21) between the Isaiah text and the parallel in 2 Kings 18:36. In Isaiah 36:21, the Hebrew reads 'they held their peace' (the officials), while 2 Kings 18:36 reads 'the people held their peace.' Keil and Delitzsch argue that the Isaiah reading is correct and should be preferred, as the command to be silent applied specifically to the officials, not the populace. The verse as transmitted is stable across the major medieval Hebrew manuscripts.
Reception History
Isaiah 36:22 has been read throughout church history as a model of faithful grief in the face of blasphemy. The early church fathers saw in the torn garments a sign of repentance and mourning over sin, not just external threat. Reformation commentators like Calvin and the Geneva Bible emphasized the duty of God's servants to feel and show distress when God's name is dishonored. In Puritan preaching, the verse was used to call believers to a holy sensitivity, tearing one's heart before God rather than becoming numb to blasphemy. Modern applications often focus on how Christians can visibly lament the public dishonor of God without resorting to anger or retaliation.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Silence is not approval. The officials obeyed the king's command not to answer Rabshakeh, but their torn clothes showed they did not accept his blasphemy. Obedience to authority does not require agreement with evil.
- Grief over God's honor is right. Their grief was not for themselves but for the dishonor done to Yahweh. Calvin notes that those 'who are unmoved when they learn that the name of God is dishonored, give evidence that they have no zeal or piety.'
- Faithful reporting matters. They told Hezekiah 'the words of Rabshakeh', no spin, no softening. They brought the full truth to the leader who could act. Faithfulness in the small task of reporting is the foundation of wise leadership.
Five-point outline
- The context: A blasphemous threat against God and his city (vv. 18, 20).
- The command: Silence from the king (v. 21).
- The response: Torn clothes, a public sign of holy grief (v. 22a).
- The report: They told the king everything (v. 22b).
- The consequence: Hezekiah tears his own clothes and goes to the temple (37:1). One act of grief leads to another.
Illustration hooks
- A parent whose child hears profanity at school but is told not to speak up. The parent's quiet, pained expression speaks louder than words.
- A Christian in a workplace meeting where God's name is used as a curse. They don't make a scene, but their discomfort is visible, torn clothes unseen.
- A church leader who receives bad news about a member's slander of the faith. They sit with the grief before deciding how to respond.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I respond when I hear God's name dishonored, especially when I can't speak up?
- Is silence in the face of blasphemy ever the right choice?
- What does it mean to 'report faithfully' when the news is bad?
Leading a Discussion
This verse captures a moment of crisis. The officials have just heard Rabshakeh mock Yahweh and threaten Jerusalem. They are forbidden to answer, but they cannot stay silent, their torn clothes say everything. This passage invites us to consider our own response when God's honor is attacked, especially in situations where words are not possible.
Discussion questions
- Read verses 18, 21. What specific blasphemy did Rabshakeh speak that would have been so offensive?
- Why do you think Hezekiah ordered his officials to remain silent (v. 21)? Was that wisdom or fear?
- The officials tore their clothes. What does this action communicate that words could not? (Consider the cultural meaning of tearing garments.)
- Calvin writes that Shebna may have torn his clothes only 'as a matter of form' because he lacked real piety. How can we tell the difference between genuine holy grief and mere performance?
- What risks might we face today when we visibly grieve over blasphemy or dishonor to God? How can we show our distress without being self-righteous?
- Notice that the officials reported everything accurately. Why is faithful reporting important, especially when the news is bad?
- How does Hezekiah's own response in chapter 37 (tearing clothes, going to the temple) build on the officials' action here? What does this chain of grief teach us about community response to crisis?
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 5:7 | When the king of Israel had read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends to me to heal a man of his leprosy? But please consider and see how he seeks a quarrel against me.” |
| Ezra 9:3 | When I heard this thing, I tore my garment and my robe, and pulled the hair out of my head and of my beard, and sat down confounded. |
| Isaiah 33:7 | Behold, their valiant ones cry outside; the ambassadors of peace weep bitterly. |
| Isaiah 36:3 | Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph the recorder came out to him. |
| Isaiah 36:11 | Then 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.” |
| Isaiah 37:1 | When King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into Yahweh’s house. |
| Isaiah 37:2 | He sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. |
| Matthew 26:65 | Then the high priest tore his clothing, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Behold, now you have heard his blasphemy. |
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
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes identifies the tearing of clothes as a customary Jewish expression of grief over specific provocations. He lists the causes: Rabshakeh's arrogance, the threat of siege and forced removal, and the blasphemy against God and the king. Overcome, they hurried to report everything to Hezekiah.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin draws a sharp distinction between Eliakim's genuine grief over blasphemy against God and Shebna's empty show of mourning. True servants tear their garments out of zeal for God's honor, not merely because shame or custom forces them to join the display. Outward forms mean nothing without inward piety.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Then came Eliakim the sonne of Hilkiah the steward of the house, and Shebna the chanceller, and Ioah the sonne of Asaph the recorder, vnto Hezekiah with rent clothes, and tolde him the wordes of Rabshakeh.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that the officials tore their clothes not in Rabshakeh's presence but as they traveled back to Hezekiah, moved by grief over the blasphemies they heard and dread of the coming calamity. He also highlights their faithful report, delivering everything Rabshakeh said without omission.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the tearing of clothes here is not a general expression of distress but a specific reaction of grief and horror at what the speaker considers outright blasphemy. The gesture underscores the perceived gravity of the offense.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch insists that the command to remain silent applied only to the three officials, not to the people, and that the Isaiah version is the correct one. Their silence was obedience to the king, and in their grief and humiliation they tore their clothes and hurried back to report.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the account in 2 Kings is the original source, while the parallel version in Isaiah is a later abbreviation. He points to textual differences showing deliberate omissions and corrections, concluding that the prophetic book shortened the historical material for its own purposes, though likely based on Isaiah's own writing.
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.