Isaiah 36 8

Isaiah 36:8 kjv

Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.

Isaiah 36:8 nkjv

Now therefore, I urge you, give a pledge to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses?if you are able on your part to put riders on them!

Isaiah 36:8 niv

"?'Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses?if you can put riders on them!

Isaiah 36:8 esv

Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them.

Isaiah 36:8 nlt

"I'll tell you what! Strike a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses if you can find that many men to ride on them!

Isaiah 36 verses

Isaiah 36 8 Meaning

Isaiah 36:8 captures the Assyrian field commander, Rabshakeh, issuing a direct and humiliating challenge to King Hezekiah's officials during the siege of Jerusalem. He mocks Judah's military incapacity, particularly its lack of cavalry, by offering to provide them with two thousand horses. The taunt lies in the condition: He challenges Hezekiah to provide the necessary riders for these horses, implying Judah does not possess even the basic military skill or personnel to field a competent cavalry, regardless of having the animals. It underscores Assyria's overwhelming might and Judah's perceived weakness and dependence on unreliable external alliances rather than its own strength or divine intervention.

Isaiah 36 8 Context

Isaiah 36 initiates a historical narrative mirroring 2 Kings 18–19 and 2 Chronicles 32, detailing Sennacherib, King of Assyria’s, invasion of Judah in 701 BC. Following a military campaign that conquered many fortified cities in Judah, Sennacherib sends a large army, led by the Rabshakeh, to besiege Jerusalem. The Rabshakeh, speaking in Hebrew to undermine morale, engages Hezekiah’s officials outside the city walls. He employs psychological warfare, discrediting Hezekiah's alliances, his religious reforms, and his God, intending to demoralize the people and convince them to surrender. Verse 8 is a direct tactical challenge, a potent psychological blow aimed at highlighting Judah's military inferiority and convincing them of the futility of resistance without hope of external help or internal capability. It's a strategic move to prompt an immediate surrender rather than engage in a protracted siege.

Isaiah 36 8 Word analysis

• Now therefore, I urge you: The Hebrew "וְעַתָּה הִתְעָרֶב־נָא" (v'atah hit'arev-na).
  • וְעַתָּה (v'atah): "And now," serving as a logical connector, presenting a conclusion or proposal based on previous statements. Here, it signifies the culmination of his arguments regarding Judah's military weakness.
  • הִתְעָרֶב־נָא (hit'arev-na): This means "intermingle, make an exchange, become surety." It’s rendered as "make a wager" or "give a pledge" (ESV, KJV "give pledges"). The Rabshakeh isn't inviting a friendly bet but a serious, humiliating challenge, forcing Hezekiah to "put up" something as proof. The word 'na' (נָא) is an intensifier, adding a sense of urging or challenge, often with a condescending tone when spoken by an enemy.
• with my master, the king of Assyria: "אֶת־אֲדֹנִי מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר" (et-adonī melekh Ashshūr).
  • This phrase emphasizes the immense power and authority backing the Rabshakeh’s words. It’s a boastful reference to the ultimate power player, Sennacherib, contrasting with Hezekiah's seemingly isolated position.
• I will give you two thousand horses: "וְאֶתֵּן לְךָ אַלְפַּיִם סוּסִים" (v'etēn l'kha alpayim susim).
  • אַלְפַּיִם סוּסִים (alpayim susim): "two thousand horses." This quantity is staggering, especially for the ancient Near East, where a thousand cavalry was a massive force. Assyria’s boast of having so many to spare highlights its vast military resources and contempt for Judah’s limited capacity.
• if you are able on your part to set riders on them: "אִם־תּוּכַל לָתֶת עָלֶיךָ רֹכְבִים" (im-tukhal lathet ‘alekha rokh'vim).
  • אִם (im): "if," setting a condition that underscores the unlikeliness of Hezekiah fulfilling it.
  • תּוּכַל (tukhal): "you are able/capable." This directly questions Judah’s ability and resources. It's not merely a lack of horses but a fundamental lack of trained personnel to utilize them.
  • לָתֶת עָלֶיךָ (lathet ‘alekha): literally "to give upon yourself." This refers to Judah taking responsibility and supplying the riders.
  • רֹכְבִים (rokh'vīm): "riders, horsemen, cavalry." Trained cavalry was highly specialized and essential for offensive warfare and rapid maneuvers, a weakness of smaller armies like Judah’s that traditionally relied on infantry.
• Words-group by words-group analysis:
  • "Now therefore, I urge you, make a wager with my master...": This entire phrase encapsulates the Rabshakeh's calculated and taunting challenge, framed as an offer but delivered with utmost contempt for Judah's perceived weakness. It sets a seemingly fair, yet impossible, condition designed to highlight Judah’s helplessness.
  • "I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them.": This specific conditional offer underlines the true deficiency. It’s not about lacking animals, which Assyria, the regional superpower, has in abundance, but about the profound absence of trained military personnel and infrastructure within Judah to operate such a force, thereby revealing a deeper systemic weakness.

Isaiah 36 8 Bonus section

• Ancient Near Eastern armies like Assyria relied heavily on highly skilled cavalry and chariots for decisive battlefield engagements. Judah, primarily a highland kingdom, historically fielded a strong infantry but lacked significant cavalry, a point the Rabshakeh expertly exploited.
• The Rabshakeh's challenge highlights the Assyrian empire's unparalleled military logistics and wealth, enabling them to mockingly offer a strategic asset like horses to a perceived inferior. It reinforces Assyria's self-image as the dominant world power of the time.
• The historical accounts (including this one in Isaiah) demonstrate that Sennacherib’s siege aimed not just at military conquest but at demoralizing the populace to avoid costly assaults, a tactic common in ancient warfare. This verse perfectly encapsulates such a psychological maneuver.
• From a theological perspective, the Rabshakeh's challenge, aimed at highlighting Judah's dependence on physical resources, implicitly sets the stage for God's demonstration of power, proving that deliverance comes "not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit."

Isaiah 36 8 Commentary

Isaiah 36:8 serves as a pivotal point in Rabshakeh's psychological campaign against Jerusalem. Beyond a simple taunt, it's a brilliant piece of propaganda that strikes at the heart of Judah's military pride and capabilities. By offering an absurd number of horses—two thousand, which was more than Hezekiah likely possessed in total military strength—and then setting the impossible condition of providing riders, Rabshakeh exposed Judah's fundamental vulnerability. It highlights the biblical admonition against multiplying horses (Deut 17:16), subtly connecting their obedience (or lack thereof) to their current military plight. The verse forces Hezekiah’s officials to confront the reality that, without a powerful cavalry, they were at a severe disadvantage against the Assyrian war machine. The deeper message implied is that without external military alliances (which Rabshakeh already sought to discredit) or a direct divine intervention, Jerusalem's fate seemed sealed.