Isaiah 36:4-10

4 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?

5 You say you have counsel and might for war—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me?

6 Look, I know you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him.

7 But if you say to me, “We are depending on the LORD our God”—isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before this altar”?

8 “ ‘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!

9 How then can you repulse one officer of the least of my master’s officials, even though you are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen^[a] ?

10 Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this land without the LORD? The LORD himself told me to march against this country and destroy it.’ ”

Isaiah 36:4-10 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

• 1. S 2 Kings 18:7
• 2. S 2 Kings 17:4; S Isaiah 8:12
• 3. Ezekiel 17:17
• 4. S Isaiah 30:2,5
• 5. Isaiah 42:3; Isaiah 58:5; Ezekiel 29:6-7
• 6. Psalms 22:8; Matthew 27:43
• 7. S 2 Kings 18:4
• 8. Deuteronomy 12:2-5; S 2 Chronicles 31:1
• 9. S Psalms 20:7; S Isaiah 30:16
• 10. S Isaiah 31:3
• 11. Isaiah 37:24
• 12. S Psalms 20:7; Isaiah 30:2-5
• 13. S 1 Kings 13:18; Isaiah 10:5-7

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "charioteers"