Reference: Rabshakeh
Easton
chief of the princes, the name given to the chief cup-bearer or the vizier of the Assyrian court; one of Sennacherib's messengers to Hezekiah. See the speech he delivered, in the Hebrew language, in the hearing of all the people, as he stood near the wall on the north side of the city (2Ki 18:17-37). He and the other envoys returned to their master and reported that Hezekiah and his people were obdurate, and would not submit.
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And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh, from Lachish, to king Hezekiah with a great Host to Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem, and went and stood by the conduit of the uppermost pool, which is in the way to the fuller's field, and called to the king. And there came out to them, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah steward of household, and Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder. read more. And then Rabshakeh said unto them, "Tell ye Hezekiah, I pray you, 'Thus sayeth the great king, the king of Assyria: What confidence is this that thou hast? Thou wilt haply speak a light word, that thou hast counsel and power to make war. On whom then dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me? Dost thou trust to the staff of this broken reed Egypt, on which if a man lean it will run into his hand and pierce it? For even so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him. If ye say unto me, 'We trust in the LORD our God' - Is not that he whose hill altars and other altars too, Hezekiah hath put down, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, 'Bow yourselves before this altar here in Jerusalem'? And now join thyself to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver thee two thousand horses, if thou be able to set riders upon them: and, if thou be not, how then art thou able to resist one of the least dukes of my master's servants? Or trustest thou to Egypt for chariots and horsemen? Moreover, thinkest thou that I am come without the bidding of the LORD to this place to destroy it? Nay: the LORD said to me, 'Go up to this land, and destroy it.''" Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah and Shebnah and Joah, to Rabshakeh, "Speak, we pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrians' language, for we understand it: and talk not with us in the Jews' tongue, in the ears of the people that are on the walls." And Rabshakeh said unto them, "Hath my master sent me only to thy master and to thee, to speak these words? Or rather to the men that keep on the walls, that they shall eat their own dirt, and drink their own piss with you?" And so Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and spake saying, "Hear the saying of the great king, the king of Assyria! Thus sayeth the king, 'Let not Hezekiah beguile you, for he is not able to deliver you out of mine hand: neither let Hezekiah make you trust to the LORD, saying: the LORD will surely rid us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hands of the king of Assyria.' Hearken not unto Hezekiah, for thus sayeth the king of Assyria, 'Deal kindly with me, and come out to me. And then eat every man of his own vine, and of his own fig tree, and drink every man of the water of his own well, till I come and fetch you to as good a land as yours is: a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees, of oil and of honey. And ye shall live and not die. And hearken not unto Hezekiah for he will beguile you, saying: the LORD shall deliver us.' For have the Gods of the nations delivered any God his land, out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the Gods of Hamath and of Arpad? Where are the Gods of Sepharvaim, of Hena and Ivvah? Did they deliver Samaria out of mine hands? What God of any land hath delivered his land out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?" But the people held their peace and answered him not a word: for the king had commanded, saying, "Answer him not." Then Eliakim the steward of household, and Shebnah the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes rent and told him the words of Rabshakeh.
Fausets
i.e. "chief cupbearer" (2 Kings 18-19; Isaiah 36-37). Sent by Sennacherib with Tartan who probably had chief command (first in 2Ki 18:17; Isa 20:1) of an army to induce Jerusalem by threats and promises to surrender. Spokesman for Tartan and Rabsaris. Possibly a Jewish deserter and apostate. This is favored by his familiarity with the Hebrew language, in which he addresses fluently (to the annoyance of Hezekiah's officers sent to meet him) the Jews on the wall, and with Isaiah's prophecy (Isa 8:7-8; 10:5-6): "am I now come up without the Lord to destroy it? The Lord said, Go up against this land" (2Ki 18:25). Isaiah (Isa 33:14) alludes to traitors, "sinners in Zion," "hypocrites."
Rabshakeh was a zealous pleader for his master, reckless of truth, glossing over the real miseries of deportation by Assyria (Isa 36:16-17), pretending to have Jehovah on his side, yet classing Jehovah with the idols of other lands overthrown by Assyria (Isa 36:18-20, liars need to have good memories), trying to rob the godly of their one only but sure trust in trouble, misrepresenting Hezekiah's faithful act in removing forbidden high places to Jehovah, as though he thereby had dishonored and so forfeited the favor of Jehovah (Isa 36:7), boasting of Assyria's might, as if, because Judah could not supply 2,000 riders if even Assyria supplied the horses, it were impossible the Jews could repel one of the least of Assyria's captains (Isa 36:8-9); in filthy and blasphemous language he threatens to reduce them to eat their own excrement in the extremity of famine (Isa 36:12; 2Ch 32:11): a sample of the true nature of the pagan attack on Jerusalem, at once arrogant, blasphemous, and reckless of all decency.
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And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh, from Lachish, to king Hezekiah with a great Host to Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem, and went and stood by the conduit of the uppermost pool, which is in the way to the fuller's field,
Moreover, thinkest thou that I am come without the bidding of the LORD to this place to destroy it? Nay: the LORD said to me, 'Go up to this land, and destroy it.''"
Behold, the Lord shall bring mighty and great floods of water upon them: namely, the king of the Assyrians with all his power. Which shall pour out his furiousness upon every man, and run over all their banks. And shall break in upon Judah, increasing in power, till he get him by the throat. He shall fill also the wideness of thy land with his broad wings, O Immanuel."
Woe be also unto Assyria, which is a staff of my wrath, in whose hand is the rod of my punishment. For I shall send him among those hypocritical people, among the people that have deserved my disfavour shall I send him: that he may utterly rob them, spoil them, and tread them down like the mire in the street.
In the same year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, where Sargon the king of the Assyrians sent him; what time as he also besieged Ashdod, and won it the same season:
The sinners at Zion are afraid, and a sudden fearfulness is come upon the hypocrites. "What is he among us," say they, "that will dwell by that consuming fire? Which of us may abide that everlasting heat?"
But if thou wouldest say unto me: 'We trust in the LORD our God': is not he that God whose High places and altars Hezekiah took down, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem to worship only before this altar? Now therefore deliver hostages that thou rebel no more against my lord the king of the Assyrians, and I will give thee two thousand horses if thou be able to set men upon them. read more. Seeing now that thou canst not resist the power of the smallest prince that my LORD hath, how darest thou trust in the chariots and horsemen of Egypt?
Then answered Rabshakeh, "Think ye, that the king sent me to speak this only unto you? Hath he not sent me to them also, that lie upon the wall? That they be not compelled to eat their own dung, and drink their own stale with you?"
But thus sayeth the king of Assyria, 'Obtain my favour, incline to me: so may every man enjoy his vineyards and fig trees, and drink the water of his cistern: Unto the time that I come myself, and bring you into a land that is like your own: wherein is wheat and wine, which is both sown with seed, and planted with vineyards.' read more. Let not Hezekiah deceive you, when he sayeth unto you, 'The LORD shall deliver us.' Might the gods of the Gentiles keep every man's land, from the power of the king of the Assyrians? Where is the God of Hamath and Arpad? Where is the God of Sepharvaim? And who was able to defend Samaria out of my hand? Or which, of all the Gods of the lands, hath delivered their country out of my power, so that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?"
Morish
Rab'-shakeh
This is a title, signifying 'chief cup-bearer,' borne by an officer who was sent by Sennacherib with the Tartan (general) and a Rab-saris to Jerusalem. He was the chief spokesman; and from the fact of his being able to speak in the Jews' language, he is supposed to have been either a proselyte or an apostate Jew. If so he may possibly have been acquainted with Isa 10:5-6, for he says, "Am I now come up without the Lord against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, Go up against this land and destroy it." 2Ki 18:17-37. On the other hand, he profanely classes the God of Israel with all the gods that could not protect their worshippers from his master. 2Ki 19:4,8; Isa 36:2-22; 37:4-8.
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And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh, from Lachish, to king Hezekiah with a great Host to Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem, and went and stood by the conduit of the uppermost pool, which is in the way to the fuller's field, and called to the king. And there came out to them, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah steward of household, and Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder. read more. And then Rabshakeh said unto them, "Tell ye Hezekiah, I pray you, 'Thus sayeth the great king, the king of Assyria: What confidence is this that thou hast? Thou wilt haply speak a light word, that thou hast counsel and power to make war. On whom then dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me? Dost thou trust to the staff of this broken reed Egypt, on which if a man lean it will run into his hand and pierce it? For even so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him. If ye say unto me, 'We trust in the LORD our God' - Is not that he whose hill altars and other altars too, Hezekiah hath put down, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, 'Bow yourselves before this altar here in Jerusalem'? And now join thyself to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver thee two thousand horses, if thou be able to set riders upon them: and, if thou be not, how then art thou able to resist one of the least dukes of my master's servants? Or trustest thou to Egypt for chariots and horsemen? Moreover, thinkest thou that I am come without the bidding of the LORD to this place to destroy it? Nay: the LORD said to me, 'Go up to this land, and destroy it.''" Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah and Shebnah and Joah, to Rabshakeh, "Speak, we pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrians' language, for we understand it: and talk not with us in the Jews' tongue, in the ears of the people that are on the walls." And Rabshakeh said unto them, "Hath my master sent me only to thy master and to thee, to speak these words? Or rather to the men that keep on the walls, that they shall eat their own dirt, and drink their own piss with you?" And so Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and spake saying, "Hear the saying of the great king, the king of Assyria! Thus sayeth the king, 'Let not Hezekiah beguile you, for he is not able to deliver you out of mine hand: neither let Hezekiah make you trust to the LORD, saying: the LORD will surely rid us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hands of the king of Assyria.' Hearken not unto Hezekiah, for thus sayeth the king of Assyria, 'Deal kindly with me, and come out to me. And then eat every man of his own vine, and of his own fig tree, and drink every man of the water of his own well, till I come and fetch you to as good a land as yours is: a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees, of oil and of honey. And ye shall live and not die. And hearken not unto Hezekiah for he will beguile you, saying: the LORD shall deliver us.' For have the Gods of the nations delivered any God his land, out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the Gods of Hamath and of Arpad? Where are the Gods of Sepharvaim, of Hena and Ivvah? Did they deliver Samaria out of mine hands? What God of any land hath delivered his land out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?" But the people held their peace and answered him not a word: for the king had commanded, saying, "Answer him not." Then Eliakim the steward of household, and Shebnah the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes rent and told him the words of Rabshakeh.
O that the LORD thy God would hear all the words of Rabshakeh whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to rail on the living God, and to rebuke him with words which the LORD thy God hath heard. Wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left."
And Rabshakeh went back again and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah: for he had heard how that he was departed from Lachish.
Woe be also unto Assyria, which is a staff of my wrath, in whose hand is the rod of my punishment. For I shall send him among those hypocritical people, among the people that have deserved my disfavour shall I send him: that he may utterly rob them, spoil them, and tread them down like the mire in the street.
And the king of the Assyrians sent Rabshakeh from Lachish toward Jerusalem, against king Hezekiah, with a grievous Host; which set him by the conduit of the over pool, in the way that goeth through the fuller's land. And so there came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah's son, the president; Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph's son, the secretary. read more. And Rabshakeh said unto them, "Tell Hezekiah that the great king of Assyria sayeth thus unto him, 'What presumption is this, that thou trustest unto? Thou thinkest, peradventure, that thou hast counsel and power enough to maintain this war: or else whereto trustest thou, that thou castest thyself off from me? Lo, thou puttest thy trust in a broken staff of reed: I mean Egypt, which he that leaneth upon, it goeth into his hand and shooteth him through. Even so is Pharaoh the king of Egypt, unto all them that trust in him. But if thou wouldest say unto me: 'We trust in the LORD our God': is not he that God whose High places and altars Hezekiah took down, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem to worship only before this altar? Now therefore deliver hostages that thou rebel no more against my lord the king of the Assyrians, and I will give thee two thousand horses if thou be able to set men upon them. Seeing now that thou canst not resist the power of the smallest prince that my LORD hath, how darest thou trust in the chariots and horsemen of Egypt? Moreover, thinkest thou that I am come down hither, to destroy this land without the LORD's will? The LORD said unto me: Go down into the land, that thou mayest destroy it.'" Then said Eliakim, Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, "Speak to us thy servants, we pray thee, in the Syrians language, for we understand it well: And speak not to us in the Jews' Tongue, lest the folk hear, which lieth upon the wall." Then answered Rabshakeh, "Think ye, that the king sent me to speak this only unto you? Hath he not sent me to them also, that lie upon the wall? That they be not compelled to eat their own dung, and drink their own stale with you?" And Rabshakeh stood stiff, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' tongue, and said, "Now take heed, how the great king of the Assyrians giveth you warning! Thus sayeth the king, 'Let not Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you.' Moreover, let not Hezekiah comfort you in the LORD, when he sayeth, 'The LORD with out doubt shall defend us, and shall not give over this city into the hands of the king of the Assyrians.' Believe him not! But thus sayeth the king of Assyria, 'Obtain my favour, incline to me: so may every man enjoy his vineyards and fig trees, and drink the water of his cistern: Unto the time that I come myself, and bring you into a land that is like your own: wherein is wheat and wine, which is both sown with seed, and planted with vineyards.' Let not Hezekiah deceive you, when he sayeth unto you, 'The LORD shall deliver us.' Might the gods of the Gentiles keep every man's land, from the power of the king of the Assyrians? Where is the God of Hamath and Arpad? Where is the God of Sepharvaim? And who was able to defend Samaria out of my hand? Or which, of all the Gods of the lands, hath delivered their country out of my power, so that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?" Unto this Hezekiah's messengers held their tongues, and answered not one word: for the king had charged them that they should give him none answer. So came Eliakim, Hilkiah's son the President, Shebna the Scribe, and Joah, Asaph's son the Secretary, unto Hezekiah with rent clothes, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.
The LORD thy God, no doubt, hath well considered the words of Rabshakeh, whom his lord the king of the Assyrians hath sent, to defy and blaspheme the living God: with such words as the LORD thy God hath heard right well. And therefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that yet are left.'" So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah, read more. and Isaiah gave them this answer, "Say thus unto your lord, 'Thus sayeth the LORD: Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the king of the Assyrians' servants have blasphemed me. Behold, I will raise up a wind against him, and he shall hear a rumor; and as soon as he heareth it, he shall go again into his country. There will I destroy him with the sword.'" Now when Rabshakeh returned, he found the king of Assyria laying siege to Libnah; for he had understood that he was departed from Lachish.
Smith
Rab'shakeh
(chief cupbearer),
1/type/mstc'>18/1/type/mstc'>1/type/mstc'>2Ki 1/type/mstc'>18:1/type/mstc'>1,1/type/mstc'>1,1/type/mstc'>1; 1/type/mstc'>1/type/mstc'>Isa 36:1/type/mstc'>1,1/type/mstc'>1,1/type/mstc'>1
... one of the officers of the king of Assyria sent against Jerusalem in the reign of Hezekiah. [HEZEKIAH] (B.C. 713.) The English version takes Rabshakeh as the name of a person; but it is more probably the name of the office which he held at the court, that of chief cupbearer.
See Hezekiah
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In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, reigned Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah.
In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, reigned Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah.
In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, reigned Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah.
In the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of the Assyrians came down, to lay siege unto all the strong cities of Judah.
In the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of the Assyrians came down, to lay siege unto all the strong cities of Judah.
Watsons
RABSHAKEH, a chief butler, or cupbearer. This is a term of dignity, and not a proper name. Rabshakeh was sent by Sennacherib, king of Assyria, to summon Hezekiah to surrender Jerusalem, 2Ki 18:17-18; 19:4; Isa 36.
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And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh, from Lachish, to king Hezekiah with a great Host to Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem, and went and stood by the conduit of the uppermost pool, which is in the way to the fuller's field, and called to the king. And there came out to them, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah steward of household, and Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder.
O that the LORD thy God would hear all the words of Rabshakeh whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to rail on the living God, and to rebuke him with words which the LORD thy God hath heard. Wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left."