2 Kings 18 18

2 Kings 18:18 kjv

And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder.

2 Kings 18:18 nkjv

And when they had called to the king, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came out to them.

2 Kings 18:18 niv

They called for the king; and Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to them.

2 Kings 18:18 esv

And when they called for the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder.

2 Kings 18:18 nlt

They summoned King Hezekiah, but the king sent these officials to meet with them: Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian.

2 Kings 18 verses

2 Kings 18 18 Meaning

2 Kings 18:18 describes the moment King Hezekiah's top officials came out from Jerusalem to meet with the Assyrian delegates sent by King Sennacherib. This encounter, taking place outside the city walls, set the stage for the dramatic verbal confrontation that would follow, where the Assyrian chief commander, the Rabshakeh, would mock Judah and their God. It signifies the formal commencement of a critical diplomatic and military standoff.

2 Kings 18 18 Context

Chapter 18 of 2 Kings introduces Hezekiah's righteous reign, marked by reforms and trust in the Lord (v. 1-8). This positive start contrasts sharply with the looming threat of the Assyrian Empire. Having already conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and deported its inhabitants (v. 9-12), Sennacherib, King of Assyria, invades Judah in Hezekiah's fourteenth year (v. 13). Initially, Hezekiah attempts to appease Sennacherib by sending tribute (v. 14-16), but this only fuels Assyria's aggression. Undeterred by the tribute, Sennacherib sends a large army with a formidable delegation to Jerusalem to demand its surrender (v. 17). Verse 18 then focuses on the arrival of these Assyrian representatives at a specific location near Jerusalem and introduces the high-ranking Judahite officials who come out to meet them, thereby setting the immediate scene for the momentous verbal challenge to come, which targets Jerusalem’s trust in Yahweh.

2 Kings 18 18 Word analysis

• And: Hebrew waw conjunction (וְ). Connects to the previous verse, indicating a sequence of events. The Assyrians arrived (v.17), and then the officials came out.

• when they had called: Refers to the Assyrian delegates, particularly the Rabshakeh, who arrived and "called" (קָרָא, qārāʾ - "to call out, summon") for a meeting or demanded an audience with the king, which implies summoning those within the city walls. This emphasizes the Assyrian's initiative and dominance in the situation.

• to the king: While not King Hezekiah personally, it indicates the direct representation of the kingdom of Judah. The Assyrians expected an official response from the highest authority.

• they came forth: Refers to Hezekiah's representatives. Yaṣāʾ (יָצָא), "to go out, come forth," indicates leaving the safety of the city walls to engage with the enemy, signifying a direct encounter.

• to the king: Again, not King Hezekiah in person but emphasizing the delegation from him, meeting the Assyrians.

• and the king's steward: Eliakim son of Hilkiah (אֶלְיָקִים בֶּן־חִלְקִיָּהוּ, ʾElyaqīm ben-Ḥilqīyāhū). The title here is סוֹכֵן (sōkēn), literally "steward" or "overseer of the house." This was a powerful position, essentially the prime minister or chief of staff in the royal administration. Isaiah 22:15-25 prophesied that Shebna would be replaced by Eliakim in this very role, highlighting the divine orchestration of affairs even amidst human crisis.

• and the scribe: Shebna (שֶׁבְנָא, Šeḇnāʾ). The title is הַסֹּפֵר (hassōfēr), "the scribe" or "secretary." This individual held a vital role in drafting documents, recording royal decrees, and handling state correspondence. Significantly, Shebna had previously been the sōkēn (steward) himself, according to Isaiah 22:15. His presence as the "scribe" indicates a demotion, fulfilling prophecy, and adding a layer of ironic humiliation in a critical public moment.

• and the record: Joah son of Asaph (יוֹאָח בֶּן־אָסָף, Yôʾāḥ ben-ʾĀsāf). The title is הַמַּזְכִּיר (hamazkīr), "the remembrancer" or "recorder." This official was responsible for keeping state archives, bringing important matters to the king’s attention, and possibly serving as a chief of protocol or public announcer.

• words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "And when they had called to the king, they came forth to the king": This opening sets up the scene of diplomatic confrontation. "They" initially refers to the Assyrians, establishing their active role in summoning Hezekiah's representation. "They came forth" then refers to Judah's officials. The repeated "to the king" implies the symbolic meeting between two kings (via their representatives), though Hezekiah himself is not present.
  • "and the king's steward, and the scribe, and the record": This lists the three high-ranking officials from Hezekiah’s court, presenting the formal, institutional response of Judah. Their titles reveal the highest administrative, diplomatic, and communication functions within the kingdom, underscoring the gravity of the situation and the best human response available to Hezekiah. The specific identities of Eliakim and Shebna add a profound prophetic dimension from Isaiah's previous ministry concerning these very individuals.
  • "were come forth unto him": This phrase confirms that the Judahite officials moved from Jerusalem’s defenses to the meeting point with the Assyrians, specifically with Rabshakeh and his delegation. This act, at the conduit of the fuller’s field, outside the safety of the city walls (2 Kgs 18:17), marks the point of direct confrontation between Assyrian might and Jerusalem’s officials.

2 Kings 18 18 Bonus section

The meeting point at "the conduit of the fuller’s field" mentioned in the preceding verse (18:17) is highly significant. This specific location served as a powerful visual and symbolic link to a past crisis in Judah's history during the reign of King Ahaz (Isaiah 7:3). In Ahaz's time, faced with the Syro-Ephraimite coalition, God, through Isaiah, instructed Ahaz to trust in Him alone, promising deliverance if he did not "call it" trust (Isaiah 7:9). Ahaz famously refused, instead forming an alliance with Assyria, which ultimately led to Judah's degradation. Now, years later, Hezekiah, a king of righteousness, stands at the very same location, facing an even greater Assyrian threat. This recurrence of the site highlights a recurring theme: will the king and the people trust in human strength, diplomacy, or God's promises in a moment of extreme national peril? The irony of meeting Assyria, the very power Ahaz relied on, at the location where divine trust was once forsaken, underscores the profound theological test that awaited Hezekiah.

2 Kings 18 18 Commentary

2 Kings 18:18 is a concise but critical verse that functions as a narrative transition, shifting from the general threat of Sennacherib's invasion to the specific, dramatic confrontation outside Jerusalem's walls. By naming the key Judahite officials—Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah—the text emphasizes the gravity of the diplomatic encounter and brings in figures whose histories carried specific prophetic weight from Isaiah’s ministry. Eliakim, as the "steward," was the highest-ranking civil servant, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy (Isa 22:20-22) of his ascendancy. Shebna, the "scribe," notably held the steward position before Eliakim, adding a subtle, perhaps humiliating, detail about his demotion, a divine act in light of his arrogance (Isa 22:15-19). Joah, the "record" or remembrancer, completed this formidable trio representing King Hezekiah. Their appearance "at the conduit of the fuller's field" (v. 17) is also significant, as it was the very spot where King Ahaz had been confronted by Isaiah years earlier about trusting in foreign alliances rather than God (Isa 7:3). This context immediately frames the current crisis as a new test of faith for Hezekiah and Judah, a spiritual battle far exceeding the diplomatic or military. The verse sets the stage for Rabshakeh’s impending blasphemous challenge to Judah’s trust in God, and implicitly, to God’s power to deliver His people.