2 Kings 18 28

2 Kings 18:28 kjv

Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and spake, saying, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria:

2 Kings 18:28 nkjv

Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out with a loud voice in Hebrew, and spoke, saying, "Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria!

2 Kings 18:28 niv

Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew, "Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria!

2 Kings 18:28 esv

Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: "Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria!

2 Kings 18:28 nlt

Then the chief of staff stood and shouted in Hebrew to the people on the wall, "Listen to this message from the great king of Assyria!

2 Kings 18 verses

2 Kings 18 28 Meaning

2 Kings 18:28 records the Rabshakeh, a high-ranking Assyrian official, deliberately standing and calling out loudly in the Hebrew language (language of Judah) to the people on Jerusalem's walls. His purpose was to bypass Hezekiah's officials and directly communicate Sennacherib's demand for surrender, thereby demoralizing the citizens by declaring the authority and irresistible might of the Assyrian king, intended to instill fear and doubt in Judah's resistance and trust in the Lord.

2 Kings 18 28 Context

This verse occurs during a pivotal moment in the history of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Following King Hezekiah's spiritual reforms and his decision to rebel against Assyrian rule, Sennacherib, the mighty king of Assyria, invaded Judah, conquering its fortified cities. Having besieged Jerusalem, Sennacherib dispatched his chief officials—the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and the Rabshakeh—with a large army to demand the city's surrender. The Rabshakeh then initiates a campaign of psychological warfare against Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem. Verse 28 captures the moment he begins his direct appeal to the common people, escalating the Assyrian intimidation beyond formal diplomacy. He speaks in Hebrew to ensure his message is understood by the soldiers and inhabitants gathered on the wall, intending to erode their morale, undermine Hezekiah's authority, and persuade them to surrender, effectively setting up a clash of words that anticipates a greater spiritual conflict between the self-proclaimed "great king" of Assyria and the Lord, the God of Judah.

2 Kings 18 28 Word analysis

• Then: Signifies the immediate temporal progression, indicating a specific action following prior events (such as the Rabshakeh's initial diplomatic exchange with Hezekiah's officials).
• the Rabshakeh (Hebrew: רַב־שָׁקֵה, rav-shaqeh): A high-ranking Assyrian military and diplomatic title, often translated as "Chief Cupbearer" or "Chief of the Officials." This person was not merely a messenger but an important envoy, possessing authority to negotiate and capable of powerful rhetoric, embodying the power of the Assyrian empire. His role carried significant weight and a reputation for ruthlessness.
• stood: A deliberate action signifying intention and authority. Standing when addressing a crowd gives a speaker prominence and denotes a formal posture for delivering a significant announcement or address.
• and called out (Hebrew: וַיִּקְרָא, vayyiqrā): "To summon, proclaim, announce loudly." Implies an effort to ensure the message reached a wide audience, not just officials. This was a public pronouncement designed for maximal impact.
• in a loud voice: Reinforces the intention for widespread hearing, demonstrating confidence, defiance, and a desire to intimidate through sheer volume. It bypasses any quiet diplomatic communication.
• in the language of Judah (Hebrew: יְהוּדִית, Yehudit): Refers to the Hebrew language. This is a crucial detail. Just prior to this verse, Hezekiah's officials requested the Rabshakeh to speak Aramaic (the common diplomatic language of the day) so that the common people on the wall would not understand (2 Ki 18:26). The Rabshakeh's deliberate choice to speak Hebrew highlights his manipulative strategy to directly appeal to and demoralize the people of Jerusalem. It demonstrates a shrewd psychological warfare tactic designed to sow fear and mistrust within the city's population.
• and spoke, saying: A common introductory formula in biblical narratives to present direct speech.
• Hear (Hebrew: שִׁמְעוּ, shimʿu): An imperative verb, "listen," "obey." This is a command, not an invitation. It demands immediate and attentive listening from the audience, reminiscent of prophetic calls for Israel to hear the word of God, but here it twists that sacred pattern.
• the word (Hebrew: דְּבַר, d’var): Implies a message, a declaration, a command, carrying the authority and weight of the speaker. Here, it refers to the authoritative decree of the king.
• of the great king (Hebrew: מֶלֶךְ־הַגָּדוֹל, melek haggadol): A title commonly used by Assyrian monarchs to signify their supreme power, universal dominion, and unrivaled status among kings. This title directly challenges the biblical concept of God as the one truly great King. It is a propaganda term to assert Sennacherib's divine-like authority.
• the king of Assyria! Explicitly identifies the "great king" with Sennacherib, thereby grounding the abstract claim of greatness in the tangible, fearsome military might of the Assyrian Empire besieging them. This further solidifies the perceived overwhelming power and inescapable authority behind the demand.

Words-group Analysis:

• "Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice": This phrase paints a vivid picture of a deliberate and theatrical public performance. It's a calculated move to seize attention and project immense power and certainty, employing both position (standing) and volume (loud voice) to maximize impact. This immediate, forceful approach signals the shift from diplomatic pretense to overt psychological warfare.
• "in the language of Judah, and spoke": This is a direct subversion of diplomatic protocol. The Rabshakeh explicitly chooses the native tongue of the besieged populace, directly confronting them and bypassing any filtration or translation by Hezekiah's officials. It reveals a highly strategic, malicious intent to directly undermine morale, instigate fear, and tempt disloyalty within the ranks and among the common people. This act represents an escalation from a military siege to a battle of wills and ideologies.
• "Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria!": This is a forceful imperative, demanding immediate and unquestioning submission. The Rabshakeh elevates Sennacherib to a quasi-divine status with the title "great king," a blasphemous claim when compared to the Lord, the true Great King of Israel. This proclamation serves as a foundational declaration of absolute authority, intended to make the people of Jerusalem feel insignificant, without hope, and under the irresistible dominion of a formidable earthly power. It's a bold claim meant to crush hope and persuade surrender.

2 Kings 18 28 Bonus section

The Rabshakeh's speech marks a critical turning point where the Assyrian assault shifts from physical to spiritual warfare. It is designed to expose and exploit any wavering faith among Judah's people. This direct challenge to Yahweh, delivered publicly, reflects the common Assyrian strategy of terror and psychological breakdown employed in their campaigns to prevent protracted sieges and subsequent costly battles. Interestingly, while the Rabshakeh boldly proclaims Sennacherib as "great," the true greatness of God is about to be powerfully demonstrated not by loud words or human might, but by a single angel's act of divine intervention, leading to the dramatic and sudden retreat of the Assyrian army, a testament to the fact that all earthly power and boasts ultimately bow before the true Great King of the universe. This episode highlights the constant need for God's people to discern whose voice they are truly hearing and whom they will ultimately trust during times of crisis.

2 Kings 18 28 Commentary

2 Kings 18:28 sets the stage for a dramatic confrontation between the arrogance of human power and the sovereignty of God. The Rabshakeh, speaking on behalf of Sennacherib, employs a shrewd strategy of direct intimidation. By choosing to speak Hebrew and by physically projecting authority through a loud voice, he bypasses King Hezekiah's diplomatic efforts and aims directly at the hearts of Jerusalem's ordinary citizens and soldiers. His opening words, "Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria!", are saturated with Assyrian imperial propaganda. "Great king" was a common boast, asserting unmatched power and dominion, implying irresistible might and portraying Yahweh as just another local deity inferior to Assyrian gods and might. This was not merely a military demand, but a profound spiritual challenge, aiming to erode Judah's faith in their God and their divinely appointed king. This calculated psychological attack underscores the Rabshakeh's skill in warfare, recognizing that demoralization and loss of hope could be as effective as a physical assault. The chapter that follows will illustrate the stark contrast between this earthly, prideful declaration and the quiet, yet infinitely powerful, word of the Lord.