2 Kings 18 37

2 Kings 18:37 kjv

Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.

2 Kings 18:37 nkjv

Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.

2 Kings 18:37 niv

Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn, and told him what the field commander had said.

2 Kings 18:37 esv

Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.

2 Kings 18:37 nlt

Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian, went back to Hezekiah. They tore their clothes in despair, and they went in to see the king and told him what the Assyrian chief of staff had said.

2 Kings 18 verses

2 Kings 18 37 Meaning

This verse describes the immediate and profound reaction of King Hezekiah's highest officials after hearing the Rabshakeh's blasphemous and mocking speech. Eliakim (who was in charge of the palace), Shebna (the royal secretary), and Joah (the recorder or chronicler) appeared before King Hezekiah with their clothes torn, a powerful outward symbol of extreme grief, anguish, shock, and religious horror. They then relayed the content of the Rabshakeh's insulting words, which directly challenged the Lord God of Israel and sought to sow disunity and despair within Jerusalem. Their distressed state emphasized the gravity and affront of the message they carried.

2 Kings 18 37 Context

The kingdom of Judah, under King Hezekiah, was facing an existential threat from the mighty Assyrian Empire led by Sennacherib. Although Hezekiah initially paid a large tribute to Assyria (2 Ki 18:13-16), Sennacherib continued his aggression and sent a powerful delegation, including the Rabshakeh, to demand Jerusalem's surrender. The Rabshakeh stood outside the city walls and delivered a highly demoralizing and blasphemous speech (2 Ki 18:19-35). His speech was intended to undermine the morale of the people of Judah, disparage King Hezekiah, and most significantly, ridicule and dismiss the power and authority of their God, Yahweh. He equated Yahweh with the gods of conquered nations and warned Judah not to trust in Him for deliverance. Hezekiah had sent his chief officials—Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah—to hear this message, anticipating its sensitive nature (2 Ki 18:18). This verse marks their return from that harrowing encounter, bearing not only the news but also the visual testament to the message's profound impact and the severe spiritual and emotional distress it caused them.

2 Kings 18 37 Word analysis

• Then (וַיָּבֹ֥א, vayyāḇōʾ): This temporal conjunction indicates an immediate sequence of events. The officials came to Hezekiah right after hearing the Rabshakeh's speech.
• Eliakim the son of Hilkiah (אֶלְיָקִ֤ים בֶּן־חִלְקִיָּהוּ֙, ʾElyāqim ben-Ḥilqiyyāhū):
  • Eliakim: Hebrew for "God raises up" or "God establishes." He was a high-ranking, trusted official.
  • son of Hilkiah: Identifies his lineage, common for important individuals.
  • who was over the household (אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־הַבַּ֔יִת, ʾăšer ʿal-habbāyiṯ): This title, literally "who was over the house/palace," signified the prime minister or chief steward, the highest official serving directly under the king. This position of immense authority (cf. Isa 22:20-22 where he replaces Shebna in this role) emphasizes the severity of the message given to someone of such stature.
• Shebna the scribe (וְשֶׁבְנָה֙ הַסֹּפֵ֔ר, wəšeḇnāh hassōfēr):
  • Shebna: Likely means "youth" or "rest." He previously held the prestigious position "over the household" but was prophesied by Isaiah to be replaced due to his pride and worldly ambitions (Isa 22:15-19). His demotion to "scribe" (sōfēr, royal secretary) is subtly noted here, demonstrating a divine judgment already in progress even amidst the national crisis.
  • the scribe: The royal scribe or secretary was another crucial position, involved in diplomatic correspondence, official records, and potentially royal pronouncements.
• Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder (וְיוֹאָ֥ח בֶּן־אָסָ֖ף הַמַּזְכִּ֑יר, wəyōʾāḥ ben-ʾāsāf hammazkīr):
  • Joah: "Yahweh is brother."
  • son of Asaph: Again, lineage provides identification.
  • the recorder (הַמַּזְכִּ֑יר, hammazkīr): This official, literally "the one who causes to remember," served as the chronicler or annalist, preserving royal decrees and events. This role was also diplomatic, possibly involving foreign relations, requiring a keen memory and knowledge of precedents.
• came to Hezekiah (בָּ֙אוּ֙ אֶל־חִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ, bāʾū ʾel-Ḥizqiyyāhū): They brought the report directly to the king, highlighting the urgent and sensitive nature of the message.
• with their clothes torn (וּבִגְדֵיהֶ֖ם קְרֻעִ֑ים, ūḇigḏēhem qrūʿīm):
  • clothes torn: A potent cultural symbol in ancient Israel. It was a common public display of deep anguish, despair, shock, grief (often over death), or horror in the face of blasphemy or disaster. Here, it signifies the profound spiritual and emotional impact of the Rabshakeh's defiant words against the living God and their nation. It wasn't merely sadness but an outward sign of utter spiritual brokenness and a deep offense against divine honor.
• and told him the words of the Rabshakeh (וַיַּגִּ֥ידוּ ל֖וֹ דִּבְרֵ֥י רַבְשָׁקֵֽה, wayyaggîḏū lōʾ diḇrē raḇšāqēh): They faithfully reported the blasphemous content of the Assyrian general's message. The urgency and dramatic delivery underscored by their torn garments set the stage for Hezekiah's own powerful spiritual response.

Words-group analysis:

• Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder: This precise identification of the three high officials emphasizes their high status and the credibility of their report. It shows the message of the Rabshakeh was not just heard by common folk but directly by the king's top advisors, lending immense weight to the gravity of the situation. Their roles reflect the seriousness of the diplomatic confrontation and the magnitude of the insult received.
• came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn: This phrase combines the act of reporting with a visual representation of distress. It signifies that the verbal report was insufficient to convey the depth of the outrage. The tearing of garments served as a powerful non-verbal communication, preparing Hezekiah for the horrifying message about to be delivered. It reflects not just personal dismay, but a national lament and outrage against the Assyrian's blasphemy towards Yahweh.

2 Kings 18 37 Bonus section

• The careful listing of the three officials with their specific titles highlights their representative role. These were the very individuals whom Hezekiah had sent out earlier to negotiate with the Rabshakeh (2 Ki 18:18). Their visible distress underscored their failure to appease the Assyrians and the sheer audacity of the enemy's demands.
• The placement of Shebna "the scribe" after Eliakim "over the household" serves as an subtle confirmation of Isaiah's earlier prophecy (Isa 22:15-25) regarding Shebna's demotion from his once higher office. Even in a moment of intense national peril, the prophetic word of God regarding individuals was being fulfilled, offering a deeper theological context and underscoring divine sovereignty even in chaotic times.
• This verse sets a pattern for how a king in Judah should respond to such divine affronts: not by relying on human strength or diplomacy alone, but by seeking God through proper spiritual acts (lamentation, prayer) and through His chosen prophets (like Isaiah in the next chapter).

2 Kings 18 37 Commentary

This verse serves as a crucial bridge between the Rabshakeh's aggressive, blasphemous challenge and King Hezekiah's turning to the Lord. The description of Hezekiah's chief officials — men of authority, experience, and proximity to the king — arriving with their garments torn speaks volumes about the impact of the Assyrian's words. This was not a customary tearing out of mere political frustration; it was a visible manifestation of profound spiritual and national crisis. The Rabshakeh had not only insulted the king but, more importantly, had blasphemed the name of the Lord God of Israel, daring to suggest that Hezekiah's God was no more powerful than the defeated deities of other nations. The officials' torn clothes convey:

1. Religious Horror: Their action highlights the profound sacrilege they had witnessed, an assault on the honor and power of the living God.
2. Deep Grief: Like mourning for the dead, this suggested a "death" to their hopes, or perhaps the 'death' of national dignity.
3. Utter Helplessness: Despite their high positions, they had no counter-argument against the Rabshakeh's power-backed rhetoric and could only express despair.
4. Urgency for Royal Action: By appearing this way before Hezekiah, they effectively pleaded with him to acknowledge the gravity of the situation and seek divine intervention. This act immediately precipitates Hezekiah's own identical response (2 Ki 19:1) and subsequent fervent prayer, leading directly to God's miraculous deliverance. This verse underscores the officials' understanding that this was a spiritual battle far beyond mere military or political strategy.

• Example: This scene parallels an event where a family receives news of a severe illness afflicting a beloved patriarch and, upon hearing the details of suffering, falls into a public display of weeping and lament, seeking the family head's guidance for intervention. Their deep emotional reaction communicates the gravity far better than words alone.