Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 36:4
And Rab-shakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence [is] this wherein thou trustest?
4 10. The speech of the Rabshakeh, dealing with the two motives which might be supposed to have induced Hezekiah to rebel: (1) his reliance on the help of Egypt ( Isa 36:6), and (2) his religious confidence in Jehovah ( Isa 36:7); and urging him to submit to the king of Assyria ( Isa 36:8-10).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
What confidence – What is the ground of your confidence? on what do you trust? The appellation great king was the customary title of the kings of the Persians and Assyrians.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Isa 36:4-20
Rabshakeh said unto them
War orators
We have a class of speakers in this country who are silent on all great social and cosmopolitan topics, but make themselves heard and felt the moment any matter of warlike fascination comes to the surface.
All other questions float down the stream of public opinion without causing them even to indicate their existence. But let a question involving blood appear, and with marvellous celerity all these pugilistic men come from the obscurity of barracks and service clubs, and from no one knows where, often fuming about no one knows what. They remind one of those animals noted for their bloodthirstiness in the warm regions of Africa–the caribitos (Serrasalmo)
Their haunts are at the bottoms of rivers, but a few drops of blood suffice to bring them by thousands to the surface; and Humboldt himself mentions that in some part of the A pure, where the water was perfectly clear and no fish were visible, he could, in a few minutes, bring together a cloud of caribitos by casting in some bits of flesh. With equal ease we can collect our war orators if we only give them one sanguinary pretext. (Scientific Illustrations and Symbols.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
4. great kingthe usual titleof the Persian and Assyrian kings, as they had many subordinateprinces or kings under them over provinces (Isa10:8).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Rabshakeh said unto them,…. The three ministers above mentioned:
say ye now to Hezekiah; tell him what follows; he does not call him king, as he does his own master:
thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria; this he said boastingly of his master, and in order to terrify Hezekiah and his subjects; whom he would represent as little in comparison of him, who had subdued many kingdoms, and aimed at universal monarchy; so the eastern kings used to be called, as now the Grand Signior with the Turks, and the French call their king the great monarch; but the title of a great king suits best with God himself, Ps 95:3:
what confidence is this wherein thou trustest? meaning, what was the ground and foundation of his confidence? what was it that kept him in high spirits, that he did not at once submit to the king of Assyria, and surrender the city of Jerusalem to him?
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Vs. 4-10: THE RABSHAKEH TRIES TO UNDERMINE THE MORALE OF JERUSALEM
1. With rudeness the Assyrian emmisary refuses to address the Judean monarch as “king”; it is simply, “Say ye now to Hezekiah”, (vs. 4a).
2. He expresses amazement that the king of Judah is so naive as to rebel against the great king of Assyria – seeing that his confidence is rooted only in empty words, (vs. 4b-5).
3. There is no help to be found in Egypt – a mere “broken reed” that can only pierce the hand that leans upon it; this is a truth on which Isaiah, the prophet, has long insisted, (vs. 6; Isa 31:1-3).
4. But Rabshakeh was quite mistaken in thinking that Jehovah was displeased with Hezekiah’s destruction of the “high places”; he knew far too little of Judah’s religion to speak of it intelligently -speaking of Jehovah as if he were a mere man-made god like the idols of other nations, (vs. 7; 2Ch 32:19; comp. Deu 12:2-5; 2Ki 18:1-6).
5. In mockery, he suggests that if Judah can guarantee 2,000 riders he will furnish as many horses – that they may stand a better chance of defending themselves against the host of Assyrian cavalrymen, (vs. 8; but see Deu 17:16; Psa 20:7; Psa 33:17; 2Ch 32:7-8); if they cannot do that, how can they expect to turn away one of the least of Assyria’s officers with his mighty horsemen? (vs. 9)
6. Beside this, the Assyrian claims that JEHOVAH HAS SENT HIM against Judah to destroy it! (vs. 10; 1Ki 13:18).
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
4. Say now to Hezekiah. He relates that the three ambassadors, though they were attended by all the magnificence that yet remained in the kingdom, were not only repulsed, but disdainfully treated by the tyrant’s delegate, and loaded with disgraceful reproaches; for, as if Hezekiah had been convicted of wicked revolt, Rabshakeh asks how he had dared to rebel. The particle נא ( na) is supposed by some to denote entreaty, and is rendered by them I pray; but it would be unsuitable to a proud and insolent man to entreat in this manner. He speaks in the ordinary language of those who lay conditions on the vanquished, or on those who are overwhelmed with fear, whom they wish to compel to make an unconditional surrender, or, as we commonly say, (sommer) to summon.
Thus saith the great king. In order to give greater validity to the summons, that general speaks in the name of his king, whose greatness he extols to the skies, in order to terrify Hezekiah, when he learns that he has to do with a king of such vast resources. He does not only mean that the first monarch in the world was far superior to Hezekiah, who in comparison of him was but a petty prince; but he calls the king of Assyria great, because by his power he eclipsed all others, so that he stood alone in his lofty rank. By these thunderbolts of words Hezekiah might have been overthrown and subdued, especially since he was so far from being able to resist the power of that tyrant that he was shut up in the city and unable to move out of it.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
MODERN RABSHAKEHS, AND THEIR ATTEMPTS TO TERRIFY GODS PEOPLE INTO A HUMBLE SURRENDER
Isa. 36:4. What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?
Sennacherib is surprised at the attitude of resistance taken by Hezekiah, and sends an embassy to dissuade him from his mad project. When they appear outside the walls, some officers of Hezekiahs court come out to confer with them, and Rabshakeh opens upon them with the taunting question, What confidence, &c. The proud king of Assyria had another end beyond that of conquest. His aim was to show that Jehovah was on a level with the gods of the nations. This was, therefore, a religious war. Every country he subdued was another god overcome, and if only Jerusalem were taken, his triumph would be complete. The situation here described is an image of the Christian faith assailed by modern unbelief. The forces of infidelity have become bold and insolent. The Bible is subjected to the hostile criticism of men who would rejoice to see it overthrown. Unbelief is marshalling her forces against the citadel of revealed truth. She has on her side some prominent leaders of modern thought, and employs both press and lecture room for accomplishing her destructive designs. If she can only get the Christian faith out of the way, the world will be her own. Our modern Rabshakehs are hurling against us the taunting question, What confidence, &c.
I. What is this confidence of ours which is so assailed
The question implies that we have a confidence. Our opponents admit it, though to them it is inexplicable. They are forced to bear testimony to a strange but courageous faith by which we are supported in life and death. Jerusalem had nothing to rest on but Gods presence and promise. Their king had encouraged them with the noble words of 2Ch. 32:7-8. Here is the secret of the confidence which so surprised the Assyrian king; and on the same ground do we take our stand against the opposing hosts of unbelief. Gods presence and faithfulness are the bulwarks behind which we may safely entrench ourselves. We have believed Gods Word and have taken shelter in Christ (Php. 3:3). On His exalted throne He is directing the Churchs energies, restraining her enemies, and giving success to her enterprises.
II. What assaults are made upon our confidence?
They correspond to those by which Rabshakeh tried to subvert Hezekiahs confidence. He puts the question in a contemptuous tone, and then proceeds to answer it, and to show that the confidence cherished had no solid basis.
1. He points to the slenderness of Hezekiahs resources (Isa. 36:5-6; Isa. 36:8-9). The Egyptians can no more be relied on than the frail reeds that grow on the banks of their Nile. No help can come from abroad; and see how weak you are in yourselves. If you can find riders, I will supply 2000 horses. How could such a puny kingdom withstand the power of Assyria with its magnificent military equipment? So unbelief tries to undermine faith, not knowing that Gods strength is perfected in human weakness. Cardinal Cajetan tried to browbeat Luther,Do you think that your electors will take up arms for you? I tell you, no; and where then will you be? The brave answer was, Then, as now, in the hands of God.
2. Rabshakeh tries to close the door of Divine help (Isa. 36:7). How can you expect support from a God whose worship you have suppressed? But this was a needful reform, for these rural places of worship had degenerated into scenes of idolatry. So the enemies of the faith in our day try to make capital out of the changes and reforms that have taken place. They point to our ecclesiastical divisions and theological controversies as an argument against us. How can that be true about which there is so much diversity of opinion? How can Divine help be expected to defend the Christian faith, when there are so many sects and parties, disestablishment agitations, and ecclesiastical rivalries? We answer that there is a unity among all who love the Lord Jesus, and however much we may deplore the need of change and reform, we are not to be deterred from effecting them by any fear of Gods displeasure. It can never offend God to maintain His truth and worship in all their purity (H. E. I. 13721374).
3. Another reason for surrender is urged in Isa. 36:10, where the Assyrian claims to be commissioned by God to destroy the land. This was only a piece of bluster intended to alarm Jerusalem. It has its counterpart in our day in those men of science, who come to us in the name of God with the truths they have discovered, and throw them in our face as inconsistent with faith in the Scriptures. But there can be no real disagreement between science and revelation. We are not going to open our gates to arrogant scientists who claim that their department embraces everything; to materialists who tell us that our heaven is six feet below the ground. Let science keep to its legitimate sphere. It was a good remark made by Professor Ball to a lady who put to him some questions about comets, to each of which he replied, I do not know. Then, she said, may I ask what is the use of your science? To let me know, madam, he replied, that I cannot know some things (H. E. I. 538, 539).
4. Rabshakeh presses a surrender in view of the hardships the people would have to endure. He threatens them with famine and thirst, and (Isa. 36:16-17) promises them ease and plenty if they will but suppress the sentiment of patriotism, abandon their confidence, and give up their city into his hands. This is an old and well-used device to make the believer cower in the face of trials and privations. But the men of faith are proof against such selfish considerations. They will fight the Lords battles at whatever cost; for however hard their outward lot may be, they have inward joys which more than counterbalance the loss of all things.
5. The last argument which Rabshakeh employed is this (Isa. 36:18-20): Other gods were unable to defend their worshippers against his victorious march, and why should the Lord be able to defend Jerusalem? This was his last thrust, and was intended to bring home to the people the utter baselessness of their confidence. This reasoning is not unlike the patronising tone in which infidels speak of the Christian religion, as one of the many superstitions, all well enough for their day, but now effete, or destined to perish before the advance of intelligence; as one of those venerable systems, all of which are now losing their hold on the intellect and heart.
III. Why should we still hold to our Christian confidence in spite of these attempts to overthrow it?
The agnosticism and infidelity which in our time are so loud and pretentious are only systems of negation; they have no substitute for that which they endeavour to destroy. If we allow them to rob us of our faith, we are spiritually bankrupt, for these destructive agencies have nothing to satisfy the heart and conscience. Never let us lower our flag for all their threats and boastful arrogance. Perhaps the best way to deal with them is that which was followed by Hezekiahs officers (Isa. 36:21; Mat. 7:6).
IV. What will be the end of all the assaults made upon the Christian faith?
We know what came of the boastful insolence of Rabshakeh. Not only did he fail to unhinge the confidence of Hezekiah, but he brought upon himself confusion and defeat. God answered his blasphemies. God employs the hostile efforts of unbelief to confirm us in our confidence. What our enemies intend for the subversion of the truth only places it on a more solid basis. Christianity can never suffer from the most rigid investigation, for this only reveals its immovable strength. We throw back on our opponents their own question, What confidence have you, what light in the dark lonesome hour of death? Oh, the strange credulity of unbelief, which accepts the most glaring fallacies, whose reason is clouded by a proud and insolent defiance of God! We have nothing to fear, then, from the boastful Rabshakehs of our day. The assaults to which our faith is now subjected are nothing new. Old weapons are refurbished, old stratagems resorted to; but it has survived attacks as clever as those now made upon it (H. E. I. 1165).
CONCLUSION.Let me put to you the question in a different tone with all affection and anxiety for your spiritual welfare. It is good to have our position assailed that we may see its strength (H. E. I. 11381139). Is yours a confidence that can resist the thrusts and subtle reasonings and plausible solicitations of the world? The best answer you can give to the insolence of unbelief is to hold your peace, and go quietly forward in resolute faith and persistent well-doing, giving not the answer of the lip, but of the lifea life nourished, strengthened, and beautified by faith in Christ.William Guthrie, M.A.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
4. The great king Sennacherib was so called because he had under him subordinate kings or provinces. Notice Rabshakeh’s affected contempt of Hezekiah in withholding his title as king. What hast thou, a pretended king, to confide in? But he puts a royal swell upon thinking of Assyria.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah. Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this on which you now rely? I say your counsel and strength for war are but vain words. On whom do you trust now that you have rebelled against me?” ’
‘Hezekiah.’ Note the lack of title which expresses extreme disdain. He is being treated as not worthy to be called a king. In deliberate contrast the king of Assyria is called ‘the great king’, (sharu rabu – a recognised royal title). He wants the people of Judah to recognise the contrast. Are they going to trust in this Hezekiah creature or in the Great King?
‘What confidence is this on which you now rely?’ He is questioning the very basis on which Hezekiah’s confidence is placed. It may well be that he is quoting words put together by Sennacherib’s chief advisers.
‘I say your counsel and strength for war are but vain words (‘a word of lips’).’ He recognises all the discussions that will have gone on about purpose, strategy and arms assessment, and the decisions that have been reached, and dismisses them all as ‘vain words’, a ‘word of lips’. That is, they are spoken but carry no power. They were just words. They were a waste of time because whatever they decided will prove useless. It may even be that spies had brought back the details to him of what had happened in those meetings.
‘On whom do you trust now that you have rebelled against me?’ Let them contrast those on whom they are relying with his own great king. Note that he only recognised two possible rivals on whom they might be relying, the Pharaoh of Egypt or their God Yahweh. Hezekiah was dismissed as a possibility. Well, let them consider the facts about them both.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Isa 36:4-10
4Then Rabshakeh said to them, Say now to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, What is this confidence that you have? 5I say, ‘Your counsel and strength for the war are only empty words.’ Now on whom do you rely, that you have rebelled against me? 6Behold, you rely on the staff of this crushed reed, even on Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who rely on him. 7But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the LORD our God,’ is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar’? 8Now therefore, come make a bargain with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them. 9How then can you repulse one official of the least of my master’s servants and rely on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? 10Have I now come up without the LORD’S approval against this land to destroy it? The LORD said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.”
Isa 36:4 The message of Sennacherib was read loudly before the walls of Jerusalem so that everyone could hear and fear (cf. Isa 36:11-12)!
This verse has three uses of the VERB say (BDB 55, KB 65).
1. Qal IMPERFECT
2. Qal IMPERATIVE
3. Qal PERFECT
What is this confidence that you have This is a very significant statement for the rest of chapter 36 and 37 because it is a play on the Hebrew word trust (BDB 105, KB 120, Qal PERFECT, cf. Isa 12:2; Isa 26:3-4; Isa 31:1; Isa 32:9-11; Isa 36:4-6 [twice],7,9,15; Isa 37:10) or the question what are you trusting in? Notice that the Assyrian logic is based on their military victories over numerous other national gods. The line of psychological attack seems to impugn Hezekiah’s actions on behalf of YHWH in order to impugn His power and to impugn the people’s trust in Him (cf. Isa 36:4-5; Isa 36:7; Isa 36:10; Isa 36:15; Isa 36:18; Isa 37:4; Isa 37:6; Isa 37:10; Isa 37:17; Isa 37:20 esp., 23,29). This sets the stage, much like Daniel 3, for YHWH’s confrontation with the Assyrian gods for the purpose that all of the world may know that YHWH is God (cf. Isa 37:20; Isa 45:6; 2Ch 32:7-8).
This question is the theological purpose of the literary unit!
Isa 36:5
NASB, NJBempty words
NKJVvain words
NRSVmere words
LXXwords of the lips
The LXX is a literal translation of the MT (BDB 182 CONSTRUCT BDB 973). This is an idiom for someone who speaks without thinking (cf. Pro 14:23).
rebelled against me This refers to the fact that Hezekiah initially stopped paying tribute to Assyria (cf. 2Ki 18:7), but then apparently began it again when Sennacherib invaded (cf. 2Ki 18:14-16) and then refused a second time to pay tribute.
Isa 36:6 Behold, you rely on the staff of this crushed reed, even on Egypt Apparently, the Assyrians had inside information on Hezekiah’s ill-conceived design for a military alliance with Egypt. Isaiah had earlier condemned this alliance (cf. Isa 30:1-5; Isa 31:1-3).
Isa 36:7 whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away This is an attempt to impugn Hezekiah’s relationship with YHWH (cf. 2Ki 18:5). The thrust of the argument is that YHWH is angry with Hezekiah for closing the local high places (cf. 2Ki 18:7). However, this was a misunderstanding by the Assyrians because Hezekiah did exactly what was commanded in Deuteronomy which is the centralization of worship at a site which YHWH would choose (cf. Deu 12:2-5). The high places had become sites of Ba’al and Asherah worship (cf. 2Ki 18:4). See Special Topic: Fertility Worship of the Ancient Near East .
Isa 36:8 come make a bargain with my master The VERB (BDB 786, KB 876) is a Hithpael IMPERATIVE denoting the offer of a political pledge (cf. 2Ki 18:23; Job 17:3; Psa 119:122). The implication is, leave your pledge with YHWH and trust in Assyria (and by implication, her gods). This sounds preposterous, but remember Judah had already tried to form an alliance with Egypt (cf. Isa 36:6; Isa 36:9), which also involved Egyptian deities! Judah’s monotheism was being tested!
I will give you two thousand horses This is a mocking statement based on the weakness of Judea’s army. There is some historical doubt about the presence of cavalry in Judah or Assyria at this early date, therefore, many commentators say this is a reference to chariots even though the obvious language refers to cavalry.
Isa 36:9
NASB, TEVofficial
NKJV, NRSVcaptain
NJBsoldiers
REB,
PESHITTAservants
LXXgovernor
The term (BDB 808, cf, 2Ki 18:24; see NIDOTTE, vol. 3, p. 603) may refer to the recently appointed governor of the defeated Judean walled cities. Each of these local governmental officials had a small military contingent. Apparently Lachish became the headquarters of this Assyrian administrator.
Therefore, the sarcastic claim of Rabshakeh was that Jerusalem could not defend itself against a regional, local militia, much less the Assyrian army.
Isa 36:10 Have I now come up without the LORD’S approval This verse is a statement by the Assyrians that (1) they did not consult Judah’s God and (2) that God was even on their side! How they knew of the prophecies concerning God’s choosing of Assyria to judge Israel, Isa 10:5-7, is uncertain. Some believe it is a half-truth related to Isal Isa 37:26.
This verse seems to contradict itself.
1. without … approval, literally apart from (BDB 116)
2. the LORD said to me
Obviously Assyria (i.e., Sennacherib) is flaunting itself against the will of YHWH and His people!
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
the great king. Contrast Psa 47:2.
trustest = hast confided. Hebrew. batah. App-69. See Hezekiah’s “Songs of the Degrees” (Psa 121:3; Psa 125:1, Psa 125:2; Psa 127:1; Psa 130:5-8; and App-67).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Thus saith: Isa 10:8-14, Isa 37:11-15, Pro 16:18, Eze 31:3-18, Dan 4:30, Act 12:22, Act 12:23, Jud 1:16
Assyria: Assyria proper, now Kourdistan, was bounded by Armenia on the north, Media and Persia on the east, Babylonia on the south, and the Tigris, which divides it from Mesopotamia, on the west, between 33 degrees and 38 degrees n lat. and 42 degrees and 46 degrees e long. But the Assyrian empire, the bounds of which were different at different times, in its most flourishing state, according to the descriptions of the Greek and Roman writers, comprehended all the countries and nations between the Mediterranean on the west, and the Indus on the east, and between the deserts of Scythia on the north, and the Indian ocean on the south.
What: 2Ki 18:5, 2Ki 18:19-37, 2Ki 19:10, 2Ch 32:7-10, 2Ch 32:14-16, Psa 42:3, Psa 42:10, Psa 71:10, Psa 71:11
Reciprocal: 2Ch 32:10 – Thus saith Isa 36:13 – Hear Isa 37:10 – Let not Isa 37:29 – rage Jer 48:14 – How Eze 29:16 – the confidence Eze 31:5 – his height Eze 31:8 – nor any 2Co 5:6 – we are always
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
36:4 And {e} Rabshakeh said to them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence [is] this in which thou trustest?
(e) Sennacherib’s chief captain.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The Rabshakeh told the Judean officials to give Hezekiah-he did not call him a king-a message from "the great king," a title the Assyrian monarchs arrogantly claimed for themselves (cf. Isa 10:8; Isa 30:33). He questioned Hezekiah’s confidence that led him to rebel against Sennacherib. Clearly Sennacherib wanted the Judahites to know that he regarded Hezekiah as a minor chieftain incapable of resisting the massive power of the Assyrian Empire.