Isaiah 36 4

Isaiah 36:4 kjv

And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?

Isaiah 36:4 nkjv

Then the Rabshakeh said to them, "Say now to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: "What confidence is this in which you trust?

Isaiah 36:4 niv

The field commander said to them, "Tell Hezekiah: "?'This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours?

Isaiah 36:4 esv

And the Rabshakeh said to them, "Say to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours?

Isaiah 36:4 nlt

Then the Assyrian king's chief of staff told them to give this message to Hezekiah: "This is what the great king of Assyria says: What are you trusting in that makes you so confident?

Isaiah 36 verses

Isaiah 36 4 Meaning

Isaiah 36:4 records the direct challenge issued by the Rabshakeh, a high-ranking Assyrian official, to King Hezekiah of Judah. Speaking on behalf of the formidable Assyrian monarch, Sennacherib, the Rabshakeh immediately questions the foundation of Hezekiah’s "confidence" or trust. This aggressive opening aims to dismantle Hezekiah's morale and his people's faith by implicitly comparing the seemingly limitless power of the Assyrian empire with whatever perceived support Judah believes it has. The inquiry "What is this confidence in which you trust?" is a taunt designed to expose the perceived futility of any resistance against Assyria, positioning the Assyrian king as the ultimate authority, superior to any god or alliance.

Isaiah 36 4 Context

Isaiah chapter 36 initiates the historical account of the Assyrian invasion of Judah during the reign of King Hezekiah, paralleling narratives in 2 Kings 18-19 and 2 Chronicles 32. This occurred in 701 BCE when Sennacherib, King of Assyria, campaigned through Judah, conquering fortified cities and eventually laying siege to Jerusalem. The Rabshakeh, one of Sennacherib's top field commanders, was sent with a large army to Jerusalem to demand its surrender. Verse 4 marks the beginning of the Rabshakeh's propaganda speech delivered to Hezekiah's officials (Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah), and audibly to the people on the wall, deliberately designed to undermine their faith in God and break their resolve. The immediate context of this verse is the intense psychological warfare employed by Assyria, which frequently used terror and intimidation to secure surrender before costly military engagements. Hezekiah's earlier reforms (removing idols, destroying Nehushtan) meant that Judah's primary hope was now solely in the Lord, making this direct challenge to their "confidence" critically potent.

Isaiah 36 4 Word analysis

• Then the Rabshakeh: The Rabshakeh (רַבְשָׁקֵה, Ravshaqeh) is not a personal name but an Assyrian military and political title, likely meaning "chief cupbearer" or "chief minister" and indicating a high-ranking official entrusted with significant diplomatic and military duties, including relaying the king's decrees and conducting negotiations. His prominent role highlights the official and serious nature of the Assyrian threat.
• said to them: Refers to the three Judean officials Hezekiah had sent: Eliakim (over the household), Shebna (the scribe), and Joah (the recorder), as mentioned in Isa 36:3. The speech, however, was clearly intended for wider ears among the populace listening from the city wall, intensifying the psychological impact.
• 'Say now to Hezekiah': This is a direct command from the Rabshakeh, emphasizing his authoritative position and his role as Sennacherib’s mouthpiece. He bypasses the Judean officials to address King Hezekiah personally, underscoring the severity of the message.
• "Thus says": A common introductory formula in ancient Near Eastern diplomatic and prophetic speech. In a diplomatic context, it formally introduces the words of an important monarch, asserting his authority. In a prophetic context, it would precede the words of God, asserting divine authority. Here, it lends Sennacherib's words a quasi-divine, irresistible authority, implicitly challenging the authority of God.
• "the great king": (הַמֶּלֶךְ הַגָּדוֹל, ha-melekh ha-gadol). This was a standard self-designation for powerful ancient Near Eastern monarchs, especially Assyrian kings like Sennacherib. It asserted their supreme sovereignty over lesser kings and their vast empires. This title stands in direct polemical opposition to the one true Great King, the Lord of Hosts, establishing a cosmic rivalry of authority and power in the listener's mind.
• "the king of Assyria": Clearly identifies the source of the pronouncement. Assyria was at its peak power, a fearsome military empire that had conquered numerous nations, creating an atmosphere of terror. This identification served to remind Jerusalem of their inescapable fate, given Assyria’s track record.
• 'What is this confidence': (מָה הַבִּטָּחוֹן הַזֶּה, mah ha-bitaḥon ha-zeh). Bitaḥon (בִּטָּחוֹן) means trust, reliance, security, or confidence. This rhetorical question challenges Hezekiah to name the specific source of his hope and courage. It’s an aggressive, dismissive challenge, implying that any source of trust Hezekiah relies upon is baseless and insufficient against Assyrian might.
• 'in which you trust?': (אֲשֶׁר בָּטַחְתָּ, ʾasher bataḥta). This concludes the probing question, re-emphasizing the act of trusting. The Rabshakeh isn't just asking what their trust is, but in what they have placed their trust, searching for weaknesses to exploit—whether it be in Egypt, in their military, or in their God.

Word-groups by word-groups analysis:

• "Then the Rabshakeh said to them, 'Say now to Hezekiah'": This establishes the dramatic opening of the Assyrian communication. The Rabshakeh acts as the messenger, but his position allows him to add his own interpretive spin and psychological pressure. The directive to "say now to Hezekiah" implies an immediate and personal challenge to the king.
• "Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria": This declarative phrase emphasizes the absolute authority and imperial power of Sennacherib. The repetition and combination of titles ("great king" and "king of Assyria") magnifies his perceived supremacy. This phrasing subtly seeks to elevate the Assyrian monarch to a status where his word is unquestionable, usurping the traditional authority associated with "Thus says the LORD." It's a statement of perceived absolute, earthly power contrasting with unseen divine power.
• "'What is this confidence in which you trust?'": This rhetorical question is the core of the challenge. It’s not an inquiry seeking information but a dismissive taunt. It seeks to destabilize Hezekiah and the Judeans by belittling their trust, whatever its source, and suggesting its utter inadequacy against the Assyrian military machine. The Assyrians aim to strip away their last defense: hope.

Isaiah 36 4 Bonus section

The Rabshakeh’s choice of language was particularly insidious because it was delivered in Hebrew, ensuring the common people on the wall could understand the message directly. This was a deliberate tactical move to bypass Hezekiah’s officials and create internal dissent and fear within Jerusalem. The use of "the great king" was also a common titulary in Assyrian royal inscriptions, which portrayed their monarchs as instruments of the gods, even quasi-divine themselves. This added to the theological challenge, aiming to present Sennacherib as a figure of ultimate authority whose decrees, even against other nations' gods, were inviolable. The context implies that previous attempts at forming alliances (e.g., with Egypt, as discussed in Isa 30-31) would also have been on the Rabshakeh's mind as he probed for the source of Hezekiah's confidence, further highlighting the precariousness of human strategies when opposed to God's ultimate plan.

Isaiah 36 4 Commentary

Isaiah 36:4 sets the stage for a spiritual and existential battle, masked as a political and military one. The Rabshakeh, acting as Sennacherib's voice, launches an immediate, probing assault on Hezekiah's psychological and spiritual state. By challenging Hezekiah's "confidence" (Heb. bitaḥon), the Rabshakeh strikes at the heart of his faith. For Hezekiah, who had just enacted religious reforms focused on trusting God (2 Kgs 18:5-7), this was a direct test of his allegiance. The Assyrian king's self-proclaimed title, "the great king," is a calculated theological polemic against the Lord, "the great King over all the earth" (Psa 47:2; Mal 1:14). This challenge demands that Hezekiah and Judah declare their allegiance: to the seemingly omnipotent earthly king of Assyria, or to their invisible God. The entire episode serves to illuminate where true trust lies and who holds ultimate sovereignty. It serves as a stark reminder for believers that their confidence should always be in the Lord, rather than in any human endeavor, military might, or worldly alliance. For example, when faced with overwhelming difficulties in our lives, this verse encourages self-reflection on what—or who—we are truly placing our trust in. Are we relying on our resources, our intellect, or human connections, or are we actively trusting in God's power and promises despite appearances?