2 Kings 18:36 kjv
But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.
2 Kings 18:36 nkjv
But the people held their peace and answered him not a word; for the king's commandment was, "Do not answer him."
2 Kings 18:36 niv
But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, "Do not answer him."
2 Kings 18:36 esv
But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's command was, "Do not answer him."
2 Kings 18:36 nlt
But the people were silent and did not utter a word because Hezekiah had commanded them, "Do not answer him."
2 Kings 18 36 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference (Note) |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 39:9 | I was silent; I would not open my mouth, for you did it. | Silence out of submission to God's will. |
| Ps 4:4 | Tremble and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah | Self-restraint and quiet reflection. |
| Isa 30:15 | For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." | Strength found in quiet trust, not human action. |
| Lam 3:26 | It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. | Patient waiting for God's deliverance. |
| Hab 2:20 | But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him! | Reverent silence before the sovereign God. |
| Zech 2:13 | Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling. | Command for all to be silent before God's impending action. |
| Prov 26:4 | Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. | Wisdom in choosing not to engage with fools. |
| Prov 9:7-8 | Whoever corrects a scoffer gets dishonor... Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. | Discerning when to speak and when to remain silent to those who reject truth. |
| Matt 7:6 | "Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you." | Wisdom in withholding sacred truth from those who will despise it. |
| Rom 12:19 | Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." | Trusting God to handle vindication and justice. |
| Deut 32:35 | Vengeance is mine, and recompense; in due time their foot shall slide... | God's sovereign right and promise to avenge wrongs. |
| 2 Ki 19:35 | And that night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. | God's ultimate answer to the Rabshakeh's taunts. |
| Isa 37:36 | Then the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. | Parallel account of divine intervention and victory. |
| Matt 26:63 | But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, "I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." | Jesus' deliberate silence before false accusation. |
| Matt 27:12-14 | But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer... So that the governor was greatly amazed. | Jesus' silence as an unexpected, powerful response to his accusers. |
| John 19:9 | He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave him no answer. | Jesus' silence demonstrating sovereign authority even under interrogation. |
| Prov 17:28 | Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is thought to be discerning. | Wisdom associated with measured speech or silence. |
| Prov 21:23 | Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. | Protection found in careful speech or restraint. |
| Jas 1:19 | Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. | Exhortation to patient listening and restrained speech. |
| Eph 6:10-18 | Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. | Spiritual warfare calls for spiritual equipping and steadfastness, not always verbal counter-attack. |
| Neh 4:20 | In whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally there to us. Our God will fight for us. | Trust in God's battle, mirroring Hezekiah's confidence. |
| Isa 53:7 | He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter... | Prophecy of the Suffering Servant's silent submission. |
2 Kings 18 verses
2 Kings 18 36 Meaning
2 Kings 18:36 depicts the disciplined silence of the people of Jerusalem in the face of the Assyrian Rabshakeh's taunts and blasphemous speech. This deliberate non-response was a direct result of King Hezekiah's explicit command to them. Their quiet obedience served as a powerful act of unity and faith, preventing the enemy from inciting fear or discord and demonstrating their trust in their leadership and, ultimately, in God.
2 Kings 18 36 Context
The historical backdrop to 2 Kings 18:36 is the siege of Jerusalem by the Assyrian king Sennacherib (circa 701 BCE). Rabshakeh, the chief cupbearer and a high-ranking official in Sennacherib's army, has been sent to deliver a message designed to intimidate and demoralize the city's inhabitants. Standing outside the city walls, Rabshakeh speaks in a loud voice, using Hebrew to ensure the people understand, ridiculing Hezekiah's trust in Yahweh, threatening their water supply, and boasting of Assyria's overwhelming power and their gods' victories over other nations' deities. This verse immediately follows Rabshakeh's extensive and provocative speech (2 Ki 18:28-35). Hezekiah, having already demonstrated his deep reliance on God in this crisis (2 Ki 18:14-16), understands the psychological warfare at play. His command for silence is a strategic spiritual and political move, preventing any emotional or fearful response that could give the Assyrians an advantage, display disunity, or fuel further blasphemy through engagement.
2 Kings 18 36 Word analysis
- But the people (וְהֶֽעָם – vehaha'm): Refers to the common citizens of Jerusalem, standing on the city wall, listening to Rabshakeh. This highlights their unity and discipline in obeying their king, demonstrating a collective act of restraint, not just individual actions.
- were silent (הֶחֱרִֽישׁוּ – hecherishu): From the Hebrew root חרשׁ (ḥaraš), meaning "to be silent," "to hold one's peace." This is a causative stem (Hiphil), indicating they caused themselves to be silent or were made to be silent. It denotes a deliberate, willed act of self-restraint rather than stunned muteness. Their silence was an active choice, not a passive lack of response.
- and answered him not a word (וְלֹֽא־עָנ֖וּ אֹת֥וֹ דָּבָֽר – welo-'anu oto davar): Literally "and not they answered him a word." This phrase further emphasizes the completeness of their silence. It means they offered no single word, no protest, no argument, no response whatsoever to the enemy's highly inflammatory and blasphemous address. This precise wording underlines the absolute obedience.
- for the king’s command was (כִּֽי־מִצְוַ֥ת הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ הִיא – ki mitzvat hammelech hi): This clause provides the reason and justification for their action. The word מִצְוַת (mitzvat) refers to an authoritative "command" or "ordinance," stressing that their silence was not an emotional reaction or an accident, but a pre-meditated act of obedience to a royal decree.
- 'Do not answer him.' (לֵאמֹ֑ר לֹ֥א תַֽעֲנֻ֖הוּ – le'mor lo ta'anuhu): This is the exact directive from King Hezekiah. The imperative "Do not answer him" (לֹ֥א תַֽעֲנֻ֖הוּ) is a strong negative command. It demonstrates Hezekiah's wise leadership, recognizing that engaging with Rabshakeh would only give him an audience, provide him with information, allow him to further undermine morale, or draw them into a verbal contest they could not win by human strength. It's a command for strategic disengagement.
2 Kings 18 36 Bonus section
- The silence of the people in 2 Kings 18:36 stands in stark contrast to Rabshakeh's verbose, blasphemous, and provocative speech. This opposition of overwhelming words met with complete silence underscores a profound theological point: God's power does not require human argument or defense.
- Hezekiah's instruction foreshadows Jesus' own pattern of silence when faced with false accusations or when answering would serve no redemptive purpose (Matt 26:63; 27:12). Both demonstrate sovereign control and reliance on a higher purpose rather than verbal counter-attack.
- This command fosters unity among the besieged. In a moment of crisis and psychological warfare, division or debate among the people would have been disastrous. Hezekiah's clear directive promotes cohesion and disciplined trust.
2 Kings 18 36 Commentary
2 Kings 18:36 beautifully captures the wisdom of restraint and obedience in the face of spiritual and physical assault. Hezekiah's command to the people was not born of fear or helplessness, but of astute spiritual insight. He understood that Rabshakeh's objective was to provoke and demoralize, not to genuinely debate or negotiate. By ordering silence, Hezekiah prevented the Assyrians from exploiting human weakness, from learning about the city's true morale, or from drawing them into a fruitless, blasphemous exchange. This act of collective silence demonstrated profound trust—first, in their earthly king's counsel, and implicitly, in the unseen hand of God, who alone could answer such arrogance. It prepared the way for God's dramatic and devastating intervention against the Assyrians, showing that His battle is fought not by human words or strength, but by divine power in His timing. It serves as a profound biblical example that sometimes the most potent response to provocation and insult is none at all, relying instead on God to vindicate and deliver.