Isaiah 36: Sennacherib's Threat at the Wall
Assyria's field commander mocks Hezekiah's trust in the Lord, taunting Jerusalem to surrender and abandon its God.
Isaiah 36 (WEB)
1 Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all of the fortified cities of Judah, and captured them.
2 The king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem to king Hezekiah with a large army. He stood by the aqueduct from the upper pool in the fuller’s field highway.
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.
4 Rabshakeh said to them, “Now tell Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, “What confidence is this in which you trust?
5 I say that your counsel and strength for the war are only vain words. Now in whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me?
6 Behold, you trust in the staff of this bruised reed, even in Egypt, which if a man leans on it, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.
7 But if you tell me, ‘We trust in Yahweh our God,’ isn’t that he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar?’”
8 Now therefore, please make a pledge to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them.
9 How then can you turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put your trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
10 Have I come up now without Yahweh against this land to destroy it? Yahweh said to me, “Go up against this land, and destroy it.”’”
11 Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; and don’t speak to us in the Jews’ language in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”
12 But 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?”
13 Then 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!
14 Thus says the king, ‘Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you; for he will not be able to deliver you.
15 Don’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.”’
16 Don’t listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria, ‘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;
17 until 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.
18 Beware 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?
19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand?
20 Who 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?’”
21 But they remained silent, and said nothing in reply, for the king’s commandment was, “Don’t answer him.”
22 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.
Isaiah 36 (KJV)
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.
2 And 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.
3 Then came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah’s son, which was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph’s son, the recorder.
4 And 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?
5 I 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?
6 Lo, 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.
7 But 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?
8 Now 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.
9 How 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?
10 And 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.
12 But 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?
13 Then 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.
14 Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you.
15 Neither 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.
16 Hearken 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;
17 Until 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?
19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
20 Who 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?
21 But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not.
22 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.
Isaiah 36 (ASV)
1 Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah, and took them.
2 And 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.
3 Then came forth unto him Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder.
4 And 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?
5 I say, thy counsel and strength for the war are but vain words: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou hast rebelled against me?
6 Behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon 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 on him.
7 But if thou say unto me, We trust in Jehovah our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?
8 Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges 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.
9 How then canst 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?
10 And am I now come up without Jehovah against this land to destroy it? Jehovah 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.
12 But 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?
13 Then 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.
14 Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you; for he will not be able to deliver you:
15 neither 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.
16 Hearken 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;
17 until 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.
18 Beware 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?
19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
20 Who 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?
21 But they held their peace, and answered him not a word; for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not.
22 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.
Summary
In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria captures the fortified cities of Judah and sends his field commander, the Rabshakeh, with a large army from Lachish to Jerusalem. He confronts Hezekiah's officials—Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah—at the conduit of the upper pool, and delivers a calculated speech designed to undermine the city's confidence. He mocks the very idea of trust: in what does Hezekiah trust? Not Egypt, that broken reed that pierces the hand of any who leans on it. And surely not the Lord, whose high places Hezekiah has removed—a sly twist that misrepresents Hezekiah's reforms as an offense to God. The Rabshakeh even claims that the Lord himself sent Assyria to destroy the land. When the officials beg him to speak in Aramaic rather than the language of the people on the wall, he deliberately raises his voice to the listening crowd, urging them not to let Hezekiah deceive them into trusting the Lord. He promises a comfortable surrender, then boasts that no god of any nation has delivered its land from Assyria's hand—so how could the Lord deliver Jerusalem? The people keep silent as commanded, and the officials return to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, bearing the blasphemous words. The chapter sets the stage for a test of whether Judah will trust human threats or the living God.
Main Characters
- Hezekiah — The king of Judah whose trust in the Lord is mocked by Assyria, but who has removed the high places and led the people to worship at God's altar.
- The Rabshakeh — Sennacherib's field commander, who taunts Jerusalem with a shrewd, blasphemous speech meant to break the people's confidence in their king and their God.
- Sennacherib — The king of Assyria who has captured Judah's fortified cities and now threatens Jerusalem, sending his commander to demand surrender.
- Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah — Hezekiah's officials who meet the Rabshakeh, plead for him to spare the people his taunts, and return with torn clothes to report his words.
Key Verse
Isaiah 36:15 (WEB)
Don’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.”’
Lessons Learned
- The enemy's tactic is often to undermine our trust in God's ability and willingness to save.
- Half-truths and distortions, like the Rabshakeh's twisting of Hezekiah's reforms, are a favorite weapon against faith.
- Threats are loudest when they aim to spread fear among God's people.
- Sometimes the wisest response to mockery is disciplined silence and bringing the matter to God.
- The enemy attacks our trust. “What confidence is this in which you trust?” (Isaiah 36:4, WEB). The first target is always our reliance on God.
- Worldly alliances are broken reeds. Egypt is “the staff of this bruised reed… it will go into his hand and pierce it” (Isaiah 36:6, WEB); what we lean on instead of God wounds us.
- Lies often wear a half-truth. The Rabshakeh twists Hezekiah's removal of the high places into an offense (Isaiah 36:7, WEB), distorting godly reform to shake faith.
- Fear is spread by loud intimidation. He deliberately calls out “with a loud voice in the Jews’ language” to the people on the wall (Isaiah 36:13, WEB), aiming to terrify the watching crowd.
- Silence can be faithful restraint. The people “remained silent, and said nothing in reply, for the king’s commandment was, ‘Don’t answer him’” (Isaiah 36:21, WEB).
- What strategies does the Rabshakeh use to undermine Jerusalem's confidence?
- How does he distort Hezekiah's religious reforms, and why is that so dangerous?
- Why does he insist on speaking in the people's language despite the officials' request?
- What does Sennacherib's boast about other nations' gods reveal about his understanding of the Lord?
- When you face mockery or pressure to abandon trust in God, how do you respond?
- He belittles their sources of confidence—mocking Egypt as a broken reed, twisting Hezekiah's reforms, claiming the Lord sent him, offering an easy surrender, and boasting of past conquests (36:4-20). His aim is to dismantle every reason for hope.
- He claims Hezekiah offended the Lord by removing the high places (36:7), when in fact those reforms centralized true worship. By framing faithfulness as folly, he tries to make trusting God seem misguided—a half-truth is more deceptive than a lie.
- He wants the ordinary people on the wall to hear and lose heart (36:11-13). Spreading fear through the ranks is a tactic to pressure the leaders by demoralizing the population.
- He lumps the Lord in with the powerless idols of conquered nations (36:18-20), assuming the living God is just another local deity. His boast reveals a fatal blindness to the One he is actually defying.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to share, gently, how they handle voices that mock their faith. As leader, commend bringing such taunts to God in prayer, as Hezekiah will do in the next chapter.