Isaiah 36 14

Isaiah 36:14 kjv

Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you.

Isaiah 36:14 nkjv

Thus says the king: 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you;

Isaiah 36:14 niv

This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you!

Isaiah 36:14 esv

Thus says the king: 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you.

Isaiah 36:14 nlt

This is what the king says: Don't let Hezekiah deceive you. He will never be able to rescue you.

Isaiah 36 verses

Isaiah 36 14 Meaning

This verse conveys the Assyrian Rabshakeh's cynical warning to the people of Judah, directly addressing them and challenging their trust in King Hezekiah. The Rabshakeh, a high official of Sennacherib, explicitly states that Hezekiah's promise of divine deliverance by the LORD (Yahweh) is a deception and should not be believed. This was a tactic of psychological warfare designed to sow doubt among the populace, undermine their loyalty to their king, and sever their reliance on God's intervention, thereby pressuring them into surrendering to the overwhelming Assyrian forces.

Isaiah 36 14 Context

Isaiah 36 serves as the historical backdrop to the prophetic messages of judgment and salvation found elsewhere in the book, particularly concerning the Assyrian invasion. The chapter recounts Sennacherib, king of Assyria, leading his army against Judah around 701 BC. Having already captured many fortified cities of Judah, Sennacherib sends a massive army commander (the Rabshakeh) to Jerusalem with a deliberate strategy of psychological warfare. The Rabshakeh bypasses diplomatic protocol by speaking Hebrew directly to the common people within earshot, aiming to demoralize them and incite a surrender without battle. This verse occurs within his prolonged speech (Isa 36:4-21), where he systematically dismantles potential sources of hope for Judah: reliance on Egypt, their own military, and, critically, their God, Yahweh. He uses historical examples of conquered nations whose gods could not deliver them, placing Yahweh in the same category as these pagan deities. Therefore, Isaiah 36:14 is a calculated assault on Hezekiah's spiritual leadership and the very foundation of Judah's faith – that the LORD, the God of Israel, would indeed rescue them.

Isaiah 36 14 Word analysis

• "Do not let" (אַל־יַשִּׁא - al-yashshi): This is a strong negative imperative. From the Hebrew root נָשָׁא (nasha’), which means to "lend," "exact," or "deceive." In this Hiphil form, it explicitly means to "cause to err," "mislead," or "deceive." The Rabshakeh presents Hezekiah's words as an active act of leading astray.
• "Hezekiah" (חִזְקִיָּהוּ - Chizqiyahu): The reigning King of Judah. His name means "Yahweh strengthens" or "My strength is Yahweh." This name carries a deep irony in the context of the Rabshakeh's taunt, as the Assyrian is attempting to deny the very premise of the king's name—that the LORD would strengthen or deliver.
• "mislead you" / "deceive you" (אֶתְכֶם - et-chem): The "you" is plural, directly addressing the collective populace of Jerusalem, rather than Hezekiah's officials who initially tried to contain the conversation (Isa 36:11-12). This shows the Rabshakeh's intent to bypass leadership and stir up a populist revolt or surrender.
• "when he says" / "saying" (לֵאמֹר - lemor): A common Hebrew infinitive construct used to introduce direct speech or a specific statement. It signals the exact content of Hezekiah's alleged deception.
• "‘The LORD" (יהוה - Yahweh): The unique covenant name of God, specific to Israel. The Rabshakeh uses this name, not out of reverence, but cynically, as part of his strategy. He earlier claimed Yahweh himself sent the Assyrians (Isa 36:10), then implies Yahweh is powerless, like other national deities. His usage attempts to give his words a veneer of theological understanding while actually undermining faith in Yahweh's distinctive power.
• "will deliver us.’" (יַצִּילֵנוּ - yatztzîlēnu): From the Hebrew root נָצַל (natsal), meaning to "snatch away," "deliver," "rescue." This is Hezekiah's fundamental message of hope, affirming absolute reliance on God's supernatural intervention to save them from Assyrian might.

Words-group analysis:

• "Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says": This phrase constructs a narrative of Hezekiah as a manipulative, deceptive leader. The Rabshakeh casts Hezekiah as actively working against the people's best interest, intentionally feeding them false hope, rather than as a king faithfully reminding his people of God's covenant promises. It seeks to break the bond of trust between the king and his subjects.
• "‘The LORD will deliver us.’": This is the very core of Hezekiah's (and Isaiah's) message, framed by the enemy as a hollow, dangerous falsehood. The Rabshakeh directly attacks the central tenet of Judah's faith: God's power and faithfulness to deliver His people, even against impossible odds. This undermines both theological truth and national morale by dismissing the miraculous and divine sovereignty.

Isaiah 36 14 Bonus section

• The Theological Heart of the Conflict: The encounter recorded in Isaiah 36 and 37 is a pivotal test of the true identity of God. Is Yahweh merely a tribal deity, easily defeated like the gods of Hamath, Arpad, and Samaria (Isa 36:19), or is He the sovereign Creator of heaven and earth who can single-handedly humble a superpower? The Rabshakeh’s words force this question, presenting a worldview where gods are defined by their capacity to protect their land from stronger nations. Hezekiah's unwavering faith in Yahweh directly challenges this pagan concept of deity.
• Precedent for Israel's Restoration: This episode, ending in the miraculous destruction of the Assyrian army (Isa 37:36), became a foundational narrative for God's power and faithfulness. It underscored the truth that Judah's survival was not dependent on political maneuvering or military might, but solely on God's will. This precedent would later strengthen the hope of restoration during the Babylonian exile, reinforcing the belief that God would deliver His people again, even from seemingly insurmountable situations.

Isaiah 36 14 Commentary

Isaiah 36:14 encapsulates the spiritual and psychological battle waged by the Assyrian Rabshakeh against Judah. It's more than a mere military threat; it's a frontal assault on faith. The Rabshakeh's objective is to alienate the people from their king and, more crucially, from their God. By portraying Hezekiah as a deceiver and Yahweh's promised deliverance as a lie, he tries to dismantle the foundations of hope and resistance. The Assyrians, based on their experience with numerous conquered nations whose gods proved impotent, believed Judah's God would be no different. This verse presents a powerful polemic against the unique nature of Yahweh. The choice facing the Judeans was stark: surrender to the palpable threat and pragmatic arguments of human power, or hold steadfast to the unseen promise of a God who had repeatedly proven Himself as deliverer. For believers, it serves as a reminder that spiritual adversaries often target our trust in God's promises by attempting to discredit His spokespersons or negate His power, urging us to choose the path of earthly security over divine reliance. We, like Judah, are often called to look beyond what seems humanly possible and rest in the "Hezekiah's promise" that "the LORD will deliver."