Isaiah 36:16-22

16 'Do not listen to Hezekiah,' for thus says the king of Assyria, 'Make your peace with me and come out to me, and eat each of his 1vine and each of his fig tree and drink each of the 2waters of his own cistern,
17 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.
18 'Beware that Hezekiah does not mislead you, saying, "3The LORD will deliver us." Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?
19 'Where are the gods of 4Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of 5Sepharvaim? And when have they 6delivered Samaria from my hand?
20 'Who among all the 7gods of these lands have delivered their land from my hand, that the 8LORD would deliver Jerusalem from my hand?' "
21 But they were silent and 9answered him not a word; for the king's commandment was, "Do not answer him."
22 Then 10Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and 11Shebna the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of Rabshakeh.

Isaiah 36:16-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 36

In this chapter we have an account of the king Assyria's invasion of Judea, and of the railing speech of Rabshakeh his general, to discourage the ministers and subjects of the king of Judah. The time and success of the invasion are observed in Isa 36:1 the messenger the former king sent to the latter, and from whence, and with whom, he conferred, Isa 36:2,3, the speech of the messenger, which consists of two parts; the first part is directed to the ministers of Hezekiah, showing the vain confidence of their prince in his counsels and strength for war, in the king of Egypt, and in his chariots and horsemen, and even in the Lord himself, pretending that he came by his orders to destroy the land, Isa 36:4-10. The other part is directed to the common people on the wall, he refusing to speak in the Syrian language, as desired, Isa 36:11,12, dissuading them from hearkening to Hezekiah to their own deception; persuading them to come into an agreement with him for their own safety and good; observing to them that none of the gods of the nations could deliver them out of his master's hands, and therefore it was in vain for them to expect deliverance from the Lord their God, Isa 36:13-20, to which neither ministers nor people returned any answer; but the former went with their clothes rent to Hezekiah, and reported what had been said, Isa 36:21,22.

Cross References 11

  • 1. 1 Kings 4:25; Micah 4:4; Zechariah 3:10
  • 2. Proverbs 5:15
  • 3. Isaiah 36:15
  • 4. Isaiah 10:9-11; Isaiah 37:11-13; Jeremiah 49:23
  • 5. Isaiah 10:9-11; Isaiah 37:11-13; Jeremiah 49:23
  • 6. 2 Kings 17:6
  • 7. 1 Kings 20:23, 28
  • 8. Isaiah 36:15
  • 9. Proverbs 9:7, 8; Proverbs 26:4
  • 10. Isaiah 22:20; Isaiah 36:3
  • 11. Isaiah 22:15

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Lit "Make with me a blessing"
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California.  All rights reserved.