2 Kings 18 20

2 Kings 18:20 kjv

Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

2 Kings 18:20 nkjv

You speak of having plans and power for war; but they are mere words. And in whom do you trust, that you rebel against me?

2 Kings 18:20 niv

You say you have the counsel and the might for war?but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me?

2 Kings 18:20 esv

Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me?

2 Kings 18:20 nlt

Do you think that mere words can substitute for military skill and strength? Who are you counting on, that you have rebelled against me?

2 Kings 18 verses

2 Kings 18 20 Meaning

Rabshakeh, the Assyrian commander, taunts King Hezekiah of Judah, dismissing Judah's perceived strategic planning ("counsel") and military strength ("might") as utterly worthless, mere "empty words." He then directly challenges Hezekiah's underlying trust, implying a reliance on a weak ally or human power, questioning what source of confidence emboldened Judah to "rebel" against the mighty Assyrian empire. The taunt serves to psychologically dismantle Judah's resolve and trust in any support, including, by extension, their God.

2 Kings 18 20 Context

This verse is part of Rabshakeh's propaganda speech to the people of Judah during Sennacherib's siege of Jerusalem. King Hezekiah, who had led significant religious reforms in Judah and had trusted in the Lord (2 Kgs 18:5-7), had rebelled against Assyria by refusing tribute. Sennacherib sent a large army, and his chief commander, Rabshakeh, engaged in psychological warfare, attempting to demoralize the Jewish populace and sow distrust between them and Hezekiah, as well as between Judah and Yahweh. The Rabshakeh assumes that Hezekiah's 'rebellion' must stem from a perceived, but ultimately flimsy, source of human strength – either strategic cunning or military capability. His taunt aims to expose the perceived vanity of Judah's plans and power, contrasting it with Assyria's overwhelming might and track record of conquests against other nations and their gods. This verse is pivotal in setting up the subsequent narrative where human "counsel and might" indeed prove to be "empty words" compared to the Lord's power to deliver His people.

2 Kings 18 20 Word analysis

• You say (אָמַר - 'amar): Rabshakeh rhetorically attributes this belief or boast to Hezekiah/Judah. It's a verbal assault, framing their potential reliance on human methods as a declared and therefore targetable weakness.
• counsel (עֵצָה - 'etsah): Refers to strategic planning, deliberation, or advice for military engagement. In the context of ancient warfare, good counsel was highly valued. Rabshakeh dismisses Judah's plans as ineffective against Assyrian might. Biblically, true and wise counsel originates from God (Isa 28:29, Isa 9:6), and human counsel without Him is futile (Ps 33:10).
• might (גְּבוּרָה - gevurah): Denotes strength, valor, power, specifically military force or capability in this context. It implies the physical or tangible ability to execute warfare. Rabshakeh ridicules any belief Judah has in its own physical fighting capacity. God's "might" is absolute (Ps 21:13).
• for war (לַמִּלְחָמָה - la-milchamah): Specifies the application of their counsel and might—it is for battle. This highlights the direct challenge posed to Assyria.
• But they are but empty words (דְּבַר-שְׂפָתַיִם - devar-sefatyim): Literally "word of lips," indicating talk without substance, mere verbiage that lacks actionable content or effective power. It emphasizes the futility and hollowness of Judah's supposed counsel and might. It's an insult, calling their perceived strengths worthless chatter. This term suggests superficiality, devoid of true impact, implying the complete opposite of divine counsel which is always effective.
• Now in whom do you trust (עַל מִי בָטַחְתָּ - 'al mi batachta): A direct and sharp interrogation of the source of Hezekiah's confidence. Rabshakeh seeks to expose Judah's underlying reliance, believing it to be a finite, human, or material trust (e.g., in Egypt, in their fortifications). This phrase targets the very core of Judah's spiritual and strategic posture. The Assyrians cannot comprehend trust in an unseen God, equating it to relying on human strength or allies.
• that you have rebelled against me (מָרַדְתָּ בִּי - maradta bi): This is the accusation. "Rebelled" (מָרַד - marad) means to rise up in revolt, to be disloyal, or to refuse vassalage. For Assyria, this rebellion was a grave affront, defying Sennacherib's authority and expected tribute. From Hezekiah's perspective, this rebellion was an act of faith and dependence on the Lord, asserting Yahweh's sovereignty over pagan empires.

Word-group analysis

• "You say that you have counsel and might for war! But they are but empty words.": This whole phrase is a direct debunking of human capability. Rabshakeh first projects Judah's assumed self-confidence ("counsel and might") then immediately undercuts it as mere talk ("empty words"). This is typical ancient Near Eastern psychological warfare designed to demoralize an enemy by making them question their own strengths and wisdom. It ironically prefaces God's actual demonstration of power, proving indeed that human counsel and might are empty words compared to Him.
• "Now in whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me?": This question pierces to the heart of Hezekiah's motivation. Rabshakeh believes Judah's defiance must stem from reliance on some other tangible power (likely Egypt, or perhaps Jerusalem's fortifications). He cannot conceive of a king trusting in an invisible God to deliver him from the most dominant power of the age. This starkly highlights the conflict of worldviews: one based on empirical, visible power (Assyria) and one rooted in invisible, divine power (Judah's God). The rebellion, for Hezekiah, was an act of faith; for Rabshakeh, it was an inexplicable act of folly, unless backed by some unseen, weak human power.

2 Kings 18 20 Bonus section

• Polemics Against Pagan Idolatry and Humanism: Rabshakeh's taunt is an unwitting polemic against any ultimate trust in human wisdom or power apart from God. His challenge directly contradicts the pagan belief that military success comes from superior strategy and physical might, ultimately belonging to one's patron deity, thus setting the stage for Yahweh to definitively prove Himself sovereign over all other "gods" and human capabilities.
• The Unspoken Response: King Hezekiah's instruction to the people not to answer Rabshakeh (2 Kgs 18:36) signifies a refusal to engage in a human-level debate. Their silence speaks volumes, demonstrating their adherence to trust in the Lord and leaving the vindication to God Himself, a profound lesson in reliance on divine intervention rather than verbal combat or human reason.
• Dramatic Irony: The Rabshakeh's assertion that Judah's "counsel and might for war... are but empty words" is filled with dramatic irony. While the Rabshakeh intended this as a devastating insult, the subsequent events (the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem in 2 Kings 19) powerfully confirm this very statement, but not about Judah's counsel. It demonstrates that Assyria's (and all human) "counsel and might" are indeed "empty words" when compared to the Lord's power.

2 Kings 18 20 Commentary

2 Kings 18:20 serves as the theological hinge of Rabshakeh's grand speech, aiming to strip Judah of any confidence, human or divine. The Rabshakeh dismisses Hezekiah's perceived human wisdom and military strength as "empty words," entirely futile against the Assyrian war machine. This mockery, while intended to demoralize Judah, also sets up a profound biblical truth: indeed, human counsel and might are worthless when compared to the omnipotence and wise counsel of the living God. The question "in whom do you trust?" cuts to the core, seeking to expose Hezekiah's "secret weapon." Rabshakeh expects a human or political ally (like Egypt) to be named, not realizing that Hezekiah's true trust lay solely in the Lord (2 Kgs 18:5), a faith that defied rational human calculation against such an overwhelming foe. The verse, therefore, perfectly establishes the dramatic irony for the following chapter where the Lord proves the emptiness of human "counsel and might" by acting decisively on behalf of Jerusalem, making clear that Hezekiah's 'rebellion' was based not on human vanity, but on divine trust and ultimate victory.