2 Kings 18:19
New International Version
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?

New Living Translation
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?

English Standard Version
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?

Berean Standard Bible
The Rabshakeh said to them, “Tell Hezekiah that this is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: What is the basis of this confidence of yours?

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

New King James Version
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?

New American Standard Bible
And Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria says: “What is this confidence that you have?

NASB 1995
Then Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, “What is this confidence that you have?

NASB 1977
Then Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, “What is this confidence that you have?

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, “What is this trust that you have?

Amplified Bible
Then the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, “What is [the reason for] this confidence that you have?

Christian Standard Bible
Then the royal spokesman said to them, “Tell Hezekiah this is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: ‘What are you relying on?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then the Rabshakeh said to them, “Tell Hezekiah this is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: ‘What are you relying on?

American Standard Version
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?

Contemporary English Version
One of the Assyrian commanders told them: I have a message for Hezekiah from the great king of Assyria. Ask Hezekiah why he feels so sure of himself.

English Revised Version
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?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He said to them, "Tell Hezekiah, 'This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: What makes you so confident?

Good News Translation
One of the Assyrian officials told them that the emperor wanted to know what made King Hezekiah so confident.

International Standard Version
Rab-shakeh told them, "Tell Hezekiah right now, 'This is what the great king, the king of Assyria says: '"Why are you so confident?

Majority Standard Bible
The Rabshakeh said to them, “Tell Hezekiah that this is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: What is the basis of this confidence of yours?

NET Bible
The chief adviser said to them, "Tell Hezekiah: 'This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: "What is your source of confidence?

New Heart English Bible
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?

Webster's Bible Translation
And Rab-shakeh said to them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this in which thou trustest?

World English Bible
Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘The great king, the king of Assyria, says, “What confidence is this in which you trust?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the chief of the butlers says to them, “Now say to Hezekiah, Thus said the great king, the king of Asshur: What [is] this confidence in which you have confided?

Young's Literal Translation
And the chief of the butlers saith unto them, 'Say, I pray you, unto Hezekiah, Thus said the great king, the king of Asshur, What is this confidence in which thou hast confided?

Smith's Literal Translation
And Rabshakeh will say to them, Say now to Hezekiah, Thus said the great king, the king of Assur, What this confidence in which thou trustedst?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Rabsaces said to them: Speak to Ezechias: Thus saith the great king, the king of the Assyrians: What is this confidence, wherein thou trustest?

Catholic Public Domain Version
And Rabshakeh said to them: “Speak to Hezekiah: Thus says the great king, the king of the Assyrians: What is this faith, in which you strive?

New American Bible
The commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you base this trust of yours?

New Revised Standard Version
The Rabshakeh said to them, “Say to Hezekiah: Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you base this confidence of yours?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then the Rab-shakeh said to them, Speak now to Hezekiah, Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: What confidence is this in which you trust?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Rab Shaqeh said to them: “Say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great King, the King of Assyria: what is this trust that you have trusted?
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
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?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Rapsakes said to them, Say now to Ezekias, Thus says the king, the great king of the Assyrians, What is this confidence wherein thou trustest?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem
18Then they called for the king; and Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebnah the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder, went out to them. 19 The Rabshakeh said to them, “Tell Hezekiah that this is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: What is the basis of this confidence of yours? 20You claim to have a strategy and strength for war, but these are empty words. In whom are you now trusting, that you have rebelled against me?…

Cross References
Isaiah 36:4
The Rabshakeh said to them, “Tell Hezekiah that this is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: What is the basis of this confidence of yours?

2 Chronicles 32:10
“This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: What is the basis of your confidence, that you remain in Jerusalem under siege?

Isaiah 37:10
“Give this message to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you by saying that Jerusalem will not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.

2 Kings 19:10
“Give this message to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you by saying that Jerusalem will not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.

Isaiah 36:5
You claim to have a strategy and strength for war, but these are empty words. In whom are you now trusting, that you have rebelled against me?

2 Kings 19:22
Whom have you taunted and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel!

Isaiah 37:23
Whom have you taunted and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel!

2 Kings 19:6-7
who replied, “Tell your master that this is what the LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid of the words you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. / Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land, where I will cause him to fall by the sword.’”

Isaiah 37:6-7
who replied, “Tell your master that this is what the LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid of the words you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. / Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land, where I will cause him to fall by the sword.’”

2 Kings 19:14-19
So Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers, read it, and went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. / And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD: “O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth. / Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see. Listen to the words that Sennacherib has sent to defy the living God. ...

Isaiah 37:14-20
So Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers, read it, and went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. / And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: / “O LORD of Hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth. ...

2 Kings 19:32-34
So this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: ‘He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow into it. He will not come before it with a shield or build up a siege ramp against it. / He will go back the way he came, and he will not enter this city, declares the LORD. / I will defend this city and save it for My own sake and for the sake of My servant David.’”

Isaiah 37:33-35
So this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: ‘He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow into it. He will not come before it with a shield or build up a siege ramp against it. / He will go back the way he came, and he will not enter this city,’ declares the LORD. / ‘I will defend this city and save it for My own sake and for the sake of My servant David.’”

2 Kings 19:35-37
And that very night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies! / So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. / One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon reigned in his place.

Isaiah 37:36-38
Then the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies! / So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. / One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon reigned in his place.


Treasury of Scripture

And Rabshakeh said to them, Speak you now to Hezekiah, Thus said the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein you trust?

Rab-shakeh.

Thus saith.

2 Chronicles 32:10
Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem?

Isaiah 10:8-14
For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings? …

Isaiah 36:4
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?

What confidence.

2 Kings 18:22,29,30
But if ye say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem? …

2 Kings 19:10
Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.

2 Chronicles 32:7,8,10,11,14-16
Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: …

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Asshur Assyria Butlers Chief Commander Confided Confidence Field Great Hezekiah Hezeki'ah Hope Placing Rabshakeh Rab'shakeh Rab-Shakeh Rest Speak Trust Trustest Wherein Words
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2 Kings 18
1. Hezekiah's good reign
4. He destroys idolatry, and prospers
9. The inhabitants of Samaria are carried captive for their sins
13. Sennacherib invading Judah, is pacified by a tribute
17. Rabshakeh, by blasphemous persuasions, solicits the people to revolt














The Rabshakeh said to them
The term "Rabshakeh" refers to a high-ranking Assyrian military official or chief cupbearer, a title rather than a personal name. This indicates the importance of the message being delivered, as it comes from a person of significant authority. Historically, the Assyrian Empire was known for its military prowess and administrative efficiency, often employing skilled negotiators and spokesmen like the Rabshakeh to intimidate and demoralize their enemies. The presence of such an official underscores the gravity of the situation facing Jerusalem.

Tell Hezekiah
Hezekiah was the king of Judah, known for his faithfulness to God and his efforts to reform the religious practices of his people by removing idolatry. His reign is marked by a return to the worship of Yahweh, which is significant in the context of this confrontation. The direct address to Hezekiah highlights the personal nature of the challenge and the pressure on him as a leader to respond to the Assyrian threat.

This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says
The phrase "the great king, the king of Assyria" is a title that reflects the Assyrian monarch's self-perception and the empire's dominant status in the ancient Near East. Assyria was a formidable power, known for its extensive conquests and brutal tactics. This introduction serves to intimidate and assert the superiority of the Assyrian king over Hezekiah, emphasizing the might and authority of the speaker's master.

On what are you basing this confidence of yours?
This question challenges the foundation of Hezekiah's trust and assurance in the face of Assyrian aggression. The Hebrew root for "confidence" (בִּטָּחוֹן, "bittachon") implies a sense of security or trust. The Rabshakeh's question is designed to sow doubt and fear, questioning the legitimacy and strength of Hezekiah's reliance on God or any potential allies. Historically, this reflects the common practice of psychological warfare, aiming to weaken the resolve of the besieged by undermining their faith and morale.

(19) And Rab-shakeh said.--Tiglath Pileser records that he sent a rab-sak as his envoy to Tyre. Thenius supposes the present rab-sak may have been a better master of Hebrew than his companions. Schrader says it would have been beneath the tartan's dignity to speak, and that such vigorous language as follows would have had a very strange effect in the mouth of a eunuch (the rabsaris).

The great king, the king of Assyria.--Comp. the usual grandiloquent style of the Assyrian sovereigns: "I, Esarhaddon, the great king, the mighty king, the king of multitudes, the king of the country of Asshur;" and the title, "king of princes," which Hosea applies to the king of Assyria (Hosea 8:10).

Verse 19. - And Rabshakeh said unto them. Although the third in order of dignity, Rabshakeh took the word, probably because he was familiar with the Hebrew language, and could speak it fluently (see ver. 26). His being spokesman made him appear to be the chief ambassador, and made Isaiah, in the parallel passage (36.), pass over in silence the other two. Speak ye now to Hezekiah. It was a rude, almost an insulting commencement, to give Hezekiah no title - neither "the king," nor "King of Judah," nor even "your master," but to call him merely "Hezekiah." The same rudeness is persisted in throughout (vers. 22, 29, 30, 31, 32), and it is emphasized by the employment of some title or other, generally a lofty title, when Sennacherib is spoken cf. Sennacherib himself is less rude in his inscriptions (see the 'Eponym Canon,' pp. 133, line 45; 134, line 6; 136, lines 21, 15). Thus saith the great king, the King of Assyria. The "great king" - sarru rabu - was the ordinary title assumed by Assyrian monarchs. It passed from them to the Babylonians and the Persians. Sennacherib calls himself, on Bellino's cylinder," the great king, the powerful king, the King of Assyria, the king unrivalled, the pious monarch, the worshipper of the great gods, the protector of the just, the lover of the righteous, the noble warrior, the valiant hero, the first of all kings, the great punisher of unbelievers" (see 'Records of the Past,' vol. 1. p. 25). What confidence is this wherein thou trustest? We may assume that Hezekiah had, at the beginning of the year, withheld his tribute. He had certainly not gone out to meet the "great king" as he approached his territories, to do homage, and place the forces of Judah at his disposal. On the contrary, he had taken up an attitude of hostility. He had fortified his capital (2 Chronicles 32:2-5); he had collected arms and soldiers, and had shut himself up in Jerusalem, having made every preparation for a siege. Sennacherib inquires why he has dared to do all this - on what strength does he rely? What is the ground of his confidence?

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The Rab-shakeh
שָׁקֵ֔ה (šā·qêh)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7262: Rabshakeh -- perhaps 'chief of the officers', an Assyrian military leader

said
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to them,
אֲלֵהֶם֙ (’ă·lê·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

“Tell
אִמְרוּ־ (’im·rū-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

Hezekiah
חִזְקִיָּ֑הוּ (ḥiz·qî·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2396: Hezekiah -- 'Yah has strengthened', a king of Judah, also several other Israelites

that this is what
כֹּֽה־ (kōh-)
Adverb
Strong's 3541: Like this, thus, here, now

the great
הַגָּדוֹל֙ (hag·gā·ḏō·wl)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

king,
הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

the king
מֶ֣לֶךְ (me·leḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Assyria,
אַשּׁ֔וּר (’aš·šūr)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 804: Ashshur

says:
אָמַ֞ר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

What
מָ֧ה (māh)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

is the basis
בָּטָֽחְתָּ׃ (bā·ṭā·ḥə·tā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 982: To trust, be confident, sure

[of] this
הַזֶּ֖ה (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

confidence
הַבִּטָּח֛וֹן (hab·biṭ·ṭā·ḥō·wn)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 986: Trust

of yours?
אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that


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OT History: 2 Kings 18:19 Rabshakeh said to them Say you now (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
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