Isaiah 36 11

Isaiah 36:11 kjv

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

Isaiah 36:11 nkjv

Then Eliakim, 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."

Isaiah 36:11 niv

Then Eliakim, 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."

Isaiah 36:11 esv

Then Eliakim, Shebna, 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."

Isaiah 36:11 nlt

Then Eliakim, 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."

Isaiah 36 verses

Isaiah 36 11 Meaning

Isaiah 36:11 records a plea from Judahite officials, Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah, to Rabshakeh, the Assyrian field commander. They ask him to speak in Aramaic, the common diplomatic language of the time, instead of Hebrew (the "language of Judah"). Their intent was to prevent the common people on the city wall from understanding Rabshakeh's demoralizing message and to keep them from being directly exposed to his psychological warfare tactics.

Isaiah 36 11 Context

Isaiah chapter 36 recounts a pivotal moment during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah (circa 701 BCE). Assyria, under King Sennacherib, had invaded Judah, conquering many fortified cities and threatening Jerusalem. King Hezekiah had initially paid a large tribute to Assyria in an attempt to stave off the invasion, even stripping gold from the temple doors (2 Kgs 18:14-16). Despite this, Sennacherib sent a large army to Jerusalem, led by his Rabshakeh, to demand its surrender.This verse takes place during Rabshakeh's public address at the city wall. The Assyrian official had delivered a scathing speech in Hebrew, directly taunting the people of Jerusalem and challenging their reliance on God and Egypt. He questioned Judah's strength, Egypt's reliability, and God's ability to save them, even claiming YHWH had sent him to destroy the land. Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah, representing Hezekiah, were attempting to negotiate or at least mitigate the damage of the Rabshakeh's message. Their plea in Isaiah 36:11 is an attempt to manage the information flow and prevent the widespread panic that Rabshakeh's provocative speech in the vernacular would undoubtedly cause among the general populace. The Assyrian challenge was also an implicit polemic against Judah's belief in the protective power of YHWH, elevating Assyria's gods and military might above that of Judah's God.

Isaiah 36 11 Word analysis

• Then: (וַיֹּאמֶר - wa-yo'mer) – This conjunction and verb construction marks a direct continuation and immediate response to Rabshakeh's earlier speech (Isa 36:4-10). It signifies a narrative progression, shifting from the Rabshakeh's monologue to the Judahite officials' interjection.
• Eliakim, Shebna, Joah: These are the names of key officials in King Hezekiah's administration.
  • Eliakim (אֶלְיָקִים - 'Elyakim) was "over the household" (Isa 36:3), essentially the palace administrator or prime minister, a position of great authority.
  • Shebna (שֶׁבְנָא - Shebna) was the scribe, indicating he held a senior bureaucratic and administrative role.
  • Joah (יוֹאָח - Yo'ach) was the recorder or chronicler, responsible for keeping records and representing royal interests.
  • Their presence collectively indicates that this was an official diplomatic delegation.
• Rabshakeh: (רַב שָׁקֵה - rav sha-keh) – This is not a personal name but an Assyrian military title, meaning "chief cupbearer" or "chief officer/eunuch." The title suggests high rank and trust, often indicating one responsible for a king's personal needs and communications. It highlights his significant role in Sennacherib's court and military command, and his capacity to deliver official proclamations and engage in psychological warfare.
• Speak to your servants in Aramaic: (דַּבֶּר־נָא אֶל־עֲבָדֶיךָ אֲרָמִית - dab-ber-na 'el-'a-va-dey-kha 'a-ra-mit) –
  • Speak: (dab-ber-na) - An imperative verb with a polite particle (na), meaning "please speak." This demonstrates a respectful but urgent request.
  • Your servants: ('a-va-dey-kha) - The Judahite officials humble themselves before the Assyrian commander, using diplomatic language of subservience, acknowledging his superior military power. This formal deference is a common practice in ancient Near Eastern diplomacy.
  • Aramaic: ('a-ra-mit) - This was the lingua franca of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, used for inter-state diplomacy, commerce, and administration across the Near East. It was generally understood by educated officials and scribes throughout the region, but not by the common populace of Judah.
• For we understand it: (כִּי שֹׁמְעִים אֲנַחְנוּ - ki shom'im 'anaḥnu) – This phrase provides the rationale for their request, emphasizing their competence in Aramaic and subtly asserting their role as intermediaries.
• And do not speak to us in the language of Judah: (וְאַל־תְּדַבֵּר אֵלֵינוּ יְהוּדִית - we'al-t^edab-ber 'eleynu y^ehu-dit) – A direct command/plea to stop speaking Hebrew.
  • Language of Judah: (y^ehu-dit) - This refers to Hebrew, the native tongue of the Judeans.
• In the hearing of the people who are on the wall: (בְּאָזְנֵי הָעָם אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַחֹמָה - b^e'oz-ney ha-'am 'asher 'al-ha-ḥomah) – This crucial part reveals their true motivation.
  • Hearing of the people: (b^e'oz-ney ha-'am) - Explicitly identifies the audience they are concerned about, the common citizens, whose morale they seek to protect.
  • On the wall: ('al-ha-ḥomah) - The physical location of these people, making them direct and unavoidable witnesses to Rabshakeh's speech.

• "Eliakim...said to the Rabshakeh, 'Speak...in Aramaic...we understand it'": This phrase highlights the diplomatic facade. The officials are attempting to control the message, framing it as a professional communication among peers in the accepted diplomatic language. Their "understanding" is emphasized to justify the request, implying that the Aramaic channel is sufficient for communication.
• "'And do not speak...in the language of Judah in the hearing of the people who are on the wall'": This phrase directly exposes the officials' underlying fear and strategy. They want to prevent mass panic or demoralization among the common citizens. Rabshakeh's earlier speech (Isa 36:4-10) was designed precisely to incite fear and doubt in the people, aiming to weaken their will to resist. The officials understood the power of language in psychological warfare and sought to create a language barrier as a defensive measure.

Isaiah 36 11 Bonus section

Aramaic became the lingua franca of the Near East starting around the 8th century BCE, gradually eclipsing Akkadian (the language of Assyria proper) and local languages for administrative and diplomatic purposes. Its widespread adoption meant that officials like Eliakim and Rabshakeh would have been conversant in it. This illustrates the sophisticated multilingual environment of ancient empires. Rabshakeh’s fluency in Hebrew was exceptional and strategically leveraged, underscoring the Assyrian's thorough intelligence gathering and their deliberate psychological approach to warfare. The request in this verse highlights the cultural and linguistic vulnerability of the common people during times of war, who could be easily swayed by persuasive rhetoric in their own tongue. It reflects the profound understanding of communication strategies that existed in the ancient world, recognizing that the battle for hearts and minds could be as crucial as the clash of armies.

Isaiah 36 11 Commentary

Isaiah 36:11 marks a desperate yet shrewd move by Hezekiah's officials. They recognized Rabshakeh's tactical brilliance in delivering his message of doubt and despair in Hebrew, directly targeting the morale of the common people manning Jerusalem's walls. Their plea to switch to Aramaic, the international language of diplomacy, was not an act of deference to Assyria but a calculated effort to shield their populace from the demoralizing effects of Assyrian propaganda. This highlights the ancient understanding of the power of words and psychological warfare. Rabshakeh's strategy aimed to undermine faith in YHWH and Hezekiah, creating internal discord and weakening resistance before a physical siege. The officials' counter-strategy was to intercept this direct communication, seeking to maintain the people's resolve and prevent premature surrender based on fear and doubt. It reveals a moment of acute tension, where the battle was not just military but deeply psychological and spiritual. This verse foreshadows the larger struggle of trust versus fear that permeates the entire narrative, urging Judah to trust in God despite overwhelming external threats.