2 Kings 18 26

2 Kings 18:26 kjv

Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and talk not with us in the Jews' language in the ears of the people that are on the wall.

2 Kings 18:26 nkjv

Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; and do not speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people who are on the wall."

2 Kings 18:26 niv

Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and Shebna and Joah said to the field commander, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Don't speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall."

2 Kings 18:26 esv

Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, said to the Rabshakeh, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall."

2 Kings 18:26 nlt

Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebna, and Joah said to the Assyrian chief of staff, "Please speak to us in Aramaic, for we understand it well. Don't speak in Hebrew, for the people on the wall will hear."

2 Kings 18 verses

2 Kings 18 26 Meaning

This verse describes Hezekiah's officials, Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah, addressing the Assyrian field commander, the Rabshakeh. They request that the Rabshakeh speak to them in Aramaic rather than Hebrew, explaining that they understand Aramaic and do not want the common people listening from the city wall to understand the demoralizing and blasphemous message being delivered by the Assyrian. It is a plea for discretion to protect the morale and faith of the besieged inhabitants of Jerusalem.

2 Kings 18 26 Context

The narrative in 2 Kings 18 focuses on the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah, portraying him as one of the most righteous kings, who removed pagan worship and trusted in the LORD (2 Kgs 18:3-7). However, his kingdom faced the overwhelming power of the Neo-Assyrian Empire under Sennacherib, who invaded Judah in 701 BCE after Hezekiah rebelled by discontinuing tribute payments (2 Kgs 18:7-13).

Following the capture of many fortified cities, Sennacherib sent a large army to besiege Jerusalem. The Rabshakeh, a high-ranking Assyrian official, stood near the city wall and began a public address to demoralize the Jewish people, attempting to break their faith in Hezekiah and their God. The verses immediately preceding 2 Kings 18:26 describe the Rabshakeh's taunts: challenging Hezekiah's trust in Egypt, his religious reforms (misunderstanding them as removal of true worship, 2 Kgs 18:22), and boasting of Assyria's military might and past victories over other gods (2 Kgs 18:23-25). Verse 26, therefore, is a desperate, diplomatic intervention by Hezekiah's officials to mitigate the damage caused by the Rabshakeh's open blasphemy and psychological warfare aimed at the vulnerable populace.

2 Kings 18 26 Word analysis

• Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah:
  • Eliakim (אֶלְיָקִים, ʾElyāqîm): "God sets up" or "My God raises up." He was the household manager or vizier, a position of great authority (cf. Isa 22:20-22).
  • Shebna (שֶׁבְנָא, Shebnāʾ): Likely the scribe (secretary), a crucial official who documented everything. Earlier, Isaiah had prophesied his removal from a more prominent position due to his pride and secure burial preparations, to be replaced by Eliakim (Isa 22:15-19). His presence here may indicate a reduced, though still significant, role.
  • Joah (יוֹאָח, Yôʾāḥ): "The LORD is brother." The recorder or annalist, responsible for official records. These three high-ranking officials were directly representing King Hezekiah, showing the gravity of the situation. Their roles indicate deep knowledge of both internal and external affairs.
• said to the Rabshakeh:
  • Rabshakeh (רַב־שָׁקֵה, Rav-shāqēh): A high Assyrian military and diplomatic title, often translated as "chief cupbearer," but implying a more senior role, akin to a "chief officer" or "field commander" with authority to negotiate and intimidate. This was a position of great influence in the Assyrian court and military hierarchy. He served as the direct mouth-piece of Sennacherib, embodying the empire's might and confidence.
• "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic":
  • Please (נָא, nāʾ): A particle expressing a polite request, a softening of a direct command.
  • Aramaic (אֲרַמִּית, Arammith): The language of Aram or Syria, which had become the lingua franca of diplomacy, trade, and imperial administration throughout the Neo-Assyrian Empire. It was the common language for communication between nations. The officials knew it well due to its international prevalence. This highlights the strategic communication barrier they wished to enforce.
• "for we understand it;":
  • understand (שֹׁמְעִים, shōməʿîm): Literally "hear" or "comprehend." This confirms their fluency in Aramaic, positioning themselves as competent diplomats capable of understanding the nuances of the Rabshakeh's speech without it being translated.
• "do not speak to us in the language of Judah":
  • language of Judah (יְהוּדִית, Yəhûḏîṯ): Refers to Hebrew, specifically the dialect spoken in Judah, the vernacular of the common people in Jerusalem. This was the indigenous tongue of the besieged population. The request emphasizes the clear distinction between the language of common populace and the language of international discourse.
• "in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.":
  • This is the critical phrase revealing the officials' motive. The Rabshakeh's preceding speech (2 Kgs 18:19-25) was calculated to create dissent and fear among the people of Jerusalem. By requesting Aramaic, Hezekiah's officials sought to prevent the citizens on the wall from understanding the Rabshakeh's blasphemies, thereby preserving their morale, their trust in Hezekiah, and their faith in Yahweh. They acted as shepherds trying to shield their flock from the wolf's deceitful and terrifying cries.

2 Kings 18 26 Bonus section

• The Rabshakeh's subsequent refusal (2 Kgs 18:28) and his continuation of speaking in Hebrew demonstrate the Assyrian strategy: direct demoralization of the people was a key component of their psychological warfare. They wanted to incite the population to revolt against Hezekiah, rather than engaging in true diplomacy.
• This verse provides historical evidence for the prominence of Aramaic as an international language long before the Babylonian exile. It became even more dominant after the exile, to the extent that parts of Ezra and Daniel were written in Aramaic, reflecting its common usage among the returning exiles.
• The officials' quick thinking to preserve the morale of the people is a leadership example. They understood that external threats often include an internal, spiritual battle for hearts and minds, where truth and trust are critical.

2 Kings 18 26 Commentary

2 Kings 18:26 captures a crucial moment of psychological warfare during Sennacherib's siege of Jerusalem. Hezekiah's officials, Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah, faced with the Rabshakeh's deliberate demoralizing rhetoric, made a desperate appeal for linguistic discretion. Their request to shift from Hebrew, the language of the common people on the wall, to Aramaic, the language of international diplomacy that only they understood, was a pragmatic attempt to contain the damage of the Assyrian's blasphemous and fear-inducing message. It reflects a protective instinct to shield the faith and morale of the vulnerable populace from direct exposure to the enemy's calculated lies and insults against their King and their God. However, the Rabshakeh's subsequent disregard for their plea, by continuing to speak in Hebrew (2 Kgs 18:28), highlights the Assyrian strategy to bypass the leaders and directly sow seeds of doubt, fear, and defection among the common citizens. This incident underscores the importance of guarding one's mind and heart against the enemy's whispers and prioritizing spiritual fortitude over material weakness.