2 Kings Chapter 18
Hezekiah’s Reign, Assyria’s Threat
A. The Righteous Reign of Hezekiah
2 Kings 18:1–2 — Full Passage (KJV)
Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea the son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah.
Hezekiah began his reign in Judah during the final, tragic years of the Northern Kingdom. The text records that he ascended the throne in the third year of Hoshea king of Israel, which places Hezekiah directly in the shadow of Israel’s collapse. Within three years of the start of Hezekiah’s rule, the Assyrian Empire besieged Samaria, and within another three years the Northern Kingdom fell completely. Hezekiah witnessed firsthand the devastating consequences that came upon a nation when it abandoned the LORD and pursued idolatry. Israel’s destruction served as a living warning to Judah’s new king, emphasizing the danger of forsaking the covenant and rejecting the word of God.
This chronological section is known among scholars for its difficulty. Various attempts to reconcile the reign data of kings and co-regencies have been proposed, and the arrangement remains one of the more complex chronological challenges in Scripture. The most consistent solution recognizes that Hezekiah began as co-regent with his father Ahaz around 729–728 BC, while his sole reign began in 716–715 BC. This harmonizes with the reference in verse thirteen regarding Hezekiah’s fourteenth year, which aligns with Sennacherib’s campaign against Judah in 701 BC, a date universally confirmed through Assyrian records.
The Scripture notes that Hezekiah reigned twenty nine years in Jerusalem, and his long reign reflects the blessing of God upon a faithful and righteous king. Unlike his father Ahaz, who plunged Judah deeper into idolatry and compromise, Hezekiah would lead a sweeping spiritual reform, tearing down idolatrous strongholds and restoring proper worship. His mother Abi, the daughter of Zachariah, is mentioned by name, and this inclusion suggests the godly upbringing and spiritual influence that shaped Hezekiah’s life. The length, stability, and godliness of his reign distinguish Hezekiah as one of Judah’s greatest kings, second only to David in devotion and reform.
Hezekiah’s Reign, Assyria’s Threat
B. Hezekiah’s Righteousness
2 Kings 18:3–6 — Full Passage (KJV)
And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father did. He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made, for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it, and he called it Nehushtan. He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the Lord, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses.
Hezekiah distinguished himself from the start of his reign by doing what was right in the sight of the Lord according to the example of David. The text emphasizes that Hezekiah did not follow the compromised patterns of many previous kings but instead aligned himself with the godly model set by David. His reforms began with the removal of the high places, which were unauthorized worship sites scattered throughout Judah. These locations had become convenient substitutes for the temple and fostered a casual approach to worship that violated the clear commandments of God. For generations, even good kings tolerated them. Hezekiah alone possessed the conviction and courage to abolish them entirely, demonstrating a zeal for pure worship that set him apart from every king before or after him.
Hezekiah’s reforms went further when he broke in pieces the bronze serpent Moses had made in the wilderness. According to Numbers 21, the bronze serpent was originally crafted during a plague of fiery serpents, and God used it as a means of mercy for the people. Those who looked upon it in faith were delivered from death. Over the centuries, this relic had been preserved, yet instead of remaining a symbol of God’s past grace, it had become an object of idolatrous veneration. The people burned incense to it and called it Nehushtan. In an act of uncompromising devotion to the Lord, Hezekiah shattered the artifact. His action demonstrated that even a God used object, if elevated to the place of devotion, must be removed. Jesus Himself later referred to the serpent as a picture of His own crucifixion in John 3, yet the typological significance never justified idolatry. Hezekiah’s refusal to tolerate misplaced worship reflects a level of discernment and spiritual purity unmatched among the kings.
The destruction of the bronze serpent reveals a timeless lesson. Even good things can become idols. Religious objects, traditions, methods, personalities, education, eloquence, or forms of worship can subtly displace Christ from the center of devotion. Anything that draws the heart away from fidelity to Scripture becomes an idol, regardless of how noble or ancient it may be. Hezekiah’s actions remind God’s people that idolatry is not limited to pagan statues but can grow out of things originally meant for good. By calling the bronze serpent merely a piece of brass, Hezekiah reduced it to what it truly was and stripped it of the false spiritual significance attached to it.
Hezekiah trusted in the Lord God of Israel with a depth that set him apart from every king of Judah. Scripture declares that none like him arose either before or after. His faith was not merely intellectual, it was an active, covenantal loyalty. He held fast to the Lord and refused to depart from following Him. His obedience to the commandments given through Moses was consistent and deliberate. His spiritual strength is even more striking when considered against the backdrop of his father Ahaz, who was one of Judah’s most corrupt kings. Hezekiah’s devotion was influenced throughout his life by the prophet Isaiah, whose ministry no doubt shaped his theology, courage, and unwavering devotion to the Lord. Hezekiah stands as one of Scripture’s clearest examples of godly leadership, rising out of a wicked household through the grace and power of God.
Hezekiah’s Reign, Assyria’s Threat
C. Hezekiah’s Political Achievements
2 Kings 18:7–8 — Full Passage (KJV)
And the Lord was with him, and he prospered whithersoever he went forth, and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not. He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
Bible Notes, Paragraph Format (Your Standard)
The Lord was with Hezekiah, and therefore he prospered in all his undertakings. This blessing was a direct result of his faithfulness and devotion to God, and it fulfilled the Davidic promise that obedience would bring stability and divine favor. The success of his reign cannot be attributed to military skill or political cunning alone but must be understood as the outworking of covenant faithfulness. When Hezekiah turned from the practices of his father Ahaz and restored true worship, the Lord honored his obedience by strengthening him in every endeavor.
Hezekiah rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to serve him. This was a bold and dangerous decision, since Assyria had proven itself capable of crushing nations, including the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Yet the kingdom of Judah stood firm because Hezekiah acted from spiritual conviction rather than political arrogance. His father Ahaz had willingly submitted to Assyria out of fear and unbelief, even stripping the temple to buy Assyrian protection. Hezekiah shook off that imposed yoke and reclaimed Judah’s independence based on the promises God had made to David. Scripture later rebukes Zedekiah for rebelling against Babylon, revealing that rebellion itself is not inherently righteous or wicked. The determining factor is whether the action aligns with God’s will. In Hezekiah’s case, his refusal to bow to Assyria reflected faith in the Lord and therefore was blessed.
Hezekiah also subdued the Philistines, pushing them back as far as Gaza and its surrounding territory. The Philistines had long been a persistent enemy of Judah, and during weaker reigns they grew bold and aggressive. Hezekiah’s victories against them strengthened Judah’s borders and restored national security. His political and military achievements were not merely the product of strategy but flowed from spiritual renewal. When a king restored true worship and trusted in the Lord, national strength followed. Judah became strong, stable, and independent because its king walked faithfully before God.
D. Israel Falls into Exile During His Reign
2 Kings 18:9–12 — Full Passage (KJV)
And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it. And at the end of three years they took it, even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is, the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken. And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed his covenant, and all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, and would not hear them, nor do them.
The fall of Samaria occurred in the sixth year of Hezekiah’s reign and stood as a sobering warning to Judah. The Assyrian siege lasted three years and ended with the complete destruction and exile of the Northern Kingdom. Watching the northern tribes carried away was not merely a political tragedy but a theological crisis. Israel was not defeated because Assyria was powerful but because the people refused to obey the voice of the Lord, transgressed His covenant, and rejected the commandments given through Moses. Their downfall demonstrated that covenant privilege does not guarantee covenant blessing. Privilege must be met with obedience.
This event should have deeply impressed itself upon Judah. The nation to the north shared the same ancestry, covenant history, and law, yet they were swept away because they neither heard nor obeyed God’s word. The people of Judah were no less Israelite by blood, so the fall of the northern tribes served as a visible declaration that divine judgment would fall on any part of the covenant community that turned from the Lord. From this point forward, the Southern Kingdom increasingly bore the name Israel in the theological sense, because they alone remained as the remnant of the covenant nation. Yet the lesson was unmistakable. If Judah walked the same path of rebellion, they too would face the same fate.
The Assyrian Threat During the Reign of Hezekiah
1. Hezekiah Tries to Buy Peace from the Assyrians
2 Kings 18:13–16 — Full Passage (KJV)
Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them. And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended, return from me, that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king's house. At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
The attack of Sennacherib in the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign came roughly five years after the destruction of Samaria. Assyria’s power had only grown stronger, and now the empire moved against Judah with overwhelming force. The Assyrians seized every fortified city in the land, reducing Judah to a single remaining holdout, the city of Jerusalem. The mention of Lachish is historically significant, since this fortress city was one of Judah’s strongest defensive positions. Archaeological discoveries in Nineveh include detailed Assyrian reliefs portraying the siege of Lachish. These carvings depict Sennacherib seated on a portable throne, observing the line of Judean captives and the plunder taken from the city. Excavations at Lachish itself have revealed evidence of later destruction by Nebuchadnezzar, including a mass grave of approximately fifteen hundred bodies. The biblical narrative aligns directly with these historical and archaeological findings, and the fall of Lachish demonstrates how dire Judah’s situation had become.
In desperation Hezekiah sent word to Sennacherib confessing that he had offended him and agreeing to pay whatever tribute the Assyrian monarch demanded. This response reveals a lapse in Hezekiah’s faith. Instead of seeking the Lord’s deliverance as he would later do, he attempted to secure peace by surrendering Judah’s wealth and accepting vassal status under Assyria. The demand imposed upon him was immense. Three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold represented a crushing burden that far exceeded Judah’s treasury. Hezekiah stripped the silver from the house of the Lord and emptied the royal treasuries. In a further act of humiliation he removed the gold plating from the doors and pillars of the temple, the very adornments he had once placed there as part of his reforms. His attempt to appease Sennacherib not only plundered the nation and diminished the temple but also emboldened the enemy.
Hezekiah may have reasoned that the Lord would not intervene because the Northern Kingdom had fallen and because Judah’s fortified cities had been captured without resistance. He may have believed that the sins of previous generations had finally brought unavoidable judgment. Whatever his reasoning, Hezekiah acted without seeking God and relied on human strategy rather than divine power. His efforts proved vain. Appeasement never satisfies a tyrant. Instead of securing peace, the tribute only convinced Sennacherib that Judah was weak and ripe for conquest. This episode reveals a critical truth. Even godly leaders can falter under pressure, but God remains faithful and sovereign. Hezekiah’s failure here sets the stage for the dramatic deliverance that follows, when the king finally turns fully to the Lord in faith and prayer.
The Assyrian Threat During the Reign of Hezekiah
2. The Rabshakeh Tries to Convince Judah to Surrender
2 Kings 18:17–20 — Full Passage (KJV)
And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem, and they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool which is in the highway of the fuller's field. And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder. 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. Thou sayest, but they are but vain words, I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me.
The Assyrian king sent three high officials from Lachish to Jerusalem, accompanied by a massive army that symbolized Assyria’s ruthless power. Among them was the Rabshakeh, the field commander who functioned as the spokesman for Sennacherib. Rabshakeh was not a personal name but a title that likely originated in the royal court and came to denote a high-ranking military and political officer. The presence of Tartan, Rabsaris, and Rabshakeh together shows that Assyria approached Jerusalem with overwhelming authority and intended to intimidate Judah into surrender without a battle.
The Assyrian delegation marched to the conduit of the upper pool, a strategic location near Jerusalem’s vital water supply. Control of the water source in any siege would determine life or death for the city. The boldness of the Assyrian officials reveals how weak Judah appeared from the perspective of the invaders. As they stood at the waterway, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebna the scribe, and Joah the recorder came out to negotiate on behalf of Hezekiah. These were the king’s highest administrative officers, and their presence demonstrated the seriousness of the encounter.
The Rabshakeh began his speech with calculated insult and psychological warfare. He addressed Hezekiah as if he were powerless and mocked the confidence that Judah seemed to hold. Instead of acknowledging trust in the Lord, the Assyrian spokesman attacked the political alliances Judah had pursued, especially the misguided attempt to rely on Egypt. Hezekiah had been tempted to lean on Egyptian support, believing that only a powerful earthly ally could stand against Assyria’s might. The prophet Isaiah repeatedly warned against such alliances, urging Judah to trust God rather than Egypt. The Rabshakeh’s attack exposed the fragile foundation of Judah’s political strategy. Although he spoke to undermine faith, his criticism contained an element of truth, since God indeed wanted His people to rely on Him and not on Egypt. The Rabshakeh’s accuracy, however, was malicious in motive. He spoke truth only to produce despair, not faith.
The Rabshakeh’s speech illustrates a timeless pattern of spiritual warfare. Satan often speaks truth about human sinfulness or weakness, but he always uses that truth to demoralize rather than redeem. When he points out sin, it is never to drive a sinner to Christ but to drive them into hopelessness. In the same way, the Rabshakeh aimed to break the will of Judah by attacking their misplaced confidence. He mocked their plans, ridiculed their military strength, and questioned the very basis of their resistance. From the viewpoint of an unbeliever, his question was logical. On whom did Judah trust that they dared resist Assyria. The life of faith is incomprehensible to those outside of God’s covenant. The motives, confidence, and decisions of a believer cannot be fully understood by the world because true confidence rests not in visible resources but in the unseen promises of God. The faithful must therefore expect criticism and misunderstanding, because their strength comes from a source the world cannot perceive.
The Assyrian Threat During the Reign of Hezekiah
3. The Demoralizing Arguments of the Rabshakeh
2 Kings 18:21–25 — Full Passage (KJV)
Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand and pierce it, so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him. But if ye say unto me, We trust in the Lord our God, is it not 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. Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them. How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen. 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.
The Rabshakeh continued his psychological assault by attacking the very foundations of Judah’s confidence. His first argument struck at the political strategy Hezekiah had been tempted to rely upon. He mocked Judah for trusting in Egypt and compared Pharaoh to a bruised reed, a splintered staff that only injures the one who leans upon it. His analogy was precise. Egypt appeared outwardly strong but was internally fractured and unreliable. Historically, Egypt had already failed to uphold its promises of military assistance. The Assyrian commander understood the geopolitical landscape more clearly than Judah’s own diplomats. His assessment aligned with the prophetic warnings given through Isaiah, who repeatedly rebuked Judah for looking to Egypt rather than to God. The Rabshakeh’s words therefore contained an unsettling measure of truth, yet that truth was wielded for destructive purpose. He did not expose Egypt’s weakness in order to direct Judah to trust in the Lord but to leave them with no place to turn.
Anticipating the likely response of Judah’s leaders, the Rabshakeh moved to attack their spiritual confidence as well. If Judah insisted that they were trusting in the Lord, he argued that the Lord Himself must be displeased with them because Hezekiah had removed the high places and altars scattered throughout the land. The Assyrian commander, ignorant of biblical theology, assumed that more altars meant more honor to Israel’s God. He therefore concluded that Hezekiah’s reforms had angered the Lord. This line of reasoning was a subtle and dangerous distortion. Hezekiah had in fact restored proper worship by abolishing unauthorized shrines. Yet the Rabshakeh twisted the facts to make obedience appear as disobedience. This is a common tactic of the enemy. He often presents obedience as folly and restrictiveness, while presenting disobedience as freedom and rationality. If Hezekiah had allowed the logic to take hold, he might have begun to question whether his faithfulness had actually made things worse.
The field commander then pressed his argument further by urging Judah to give pledges to the king of Assyria. This revealed the core objective of his mission. Assyria preferred surrender without battle. The Rabshakeh did not want to fight, because battle might inspire the people to turn to their God and find deliverance. He sought to demoralize, intimidate, and break Judah’s will. His strategy mirrors the tactics used by Satan. The adversary often seeks to convince believers to surrender spiritually without entering the fight of faith. He whispers discouragement, highlights human weakness, and magnifies the strength of the enemy in order to persuade believers to retreat. The temptation narrative of Christ in the wilderness displays the same pattern. Satan offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world without the cross. He attempted to talk Him out of obedience and into surrender. This method failed with Christ and must be resisted by all who follow Him.
The Rabshakeh ridiculed Judah’s military weakness by offering two thousand horses, knowing Judah lacked sufficient trained riders to mount them. His mockery implied that even with Assyrian assistance Judah would be no match for the smallest Assyrian detachment. This humiliation was designed to reduce Judah to despair and to make resistance seem impossible. The field commander wanted Judah to believe that they were facing an unbeatable foe. The great danger in such moments is that fear can drown out faith, and the visible strength of the enemy can obscure the unseen power of God.
Finally, the Rabshakeh delivered the most devastating blow. He claimed divine authorization for his invasion. He declared that the Lord Himself had sent him to destroy the land. This was the most cunning argument of all. It blended theological truth with theological poison. It was partially correct that Assyria was an instrument of God’s judgment, as Isaiah had declared. God had indeed foretold that Assyria would be the rod of His anger. Yet the Rabshakeh twisted this truth into a fatalistic decree in order to persuade Judah that resistance was useless. The claim that the Lord had spoken directly to him was almost certainly a lie. God did not need to personally commission the Assyrians, because their own violent ambitions were sufficient to accomplish His broader purposes. Just as Judas’ betrayal fulfilled prophecy while still being fully wicked, so the Assyrians fulfilled God’s predictions without ever acting in obedience. The Rabshakeh’s final claim was therefore the climax of a masterful attempt to break Judah’s confidence in God and to convince them that surrender was both inevitable and divinely ordained.
The Assyrian Threat During the Reign of Hezekiah
4. Hezekiah’s Men Ask Rabshakeh to Speak Only to Them
2 Kings 18:26–27 — Full Passage (KJV)
Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language, for we understand it, and talk not with us in the Jews' language in the ears of the people that are on the wall. But Rabshakeh said unto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee to speak these words, hath he not sent me to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung and drink their own piss with you.
Bible Notes, Paragraph Format (Your Standard)
Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah responded to the Rabshakeh with a plea to shift the conversation into Aramaic, the diplomatic language of the ancient Near East. These officials feared the effect that the commander’s words would have upon the people listening from the city walls. Hearing the threats and propaganda in their native tongue would only magnify fear and undermine confidence in Hezekiah’s leadership. Their request reflects their awareness of how fragile public morale was in the face of an overwhelming Assyrian army. Aramaic had become the language of international negotiation, and a man of the Rabshakeh’s position would naturally be fluent in multiple tongues, including Hebrew. His decision to speak in Hebrew was deliberate and strategic, not accidental.
The Rabshakeh rejected their request outright. He declared that his message was intended for the common people as much as for their leaders. His goal was not private diplomacy but psychological warfare. By addressing the populace directly, he hoped to plant seeds of terror that would blossom into revolt or surrender. His reference to the people eating and drinking their own waste foreshadowed the horrors of a prolonged siege. These words were chosen to shock, disgust, and terrify. He wanted the people to visualize starvation, degradation, and humiliation until resistance seemed hopeless. The Rabshakeh revealed himself not as a military spokesman alone but as a master manipulator whose weapon was despair. His words display how the enemy of God’s people delights in magnifying suffering in order to break faith and resolve.
5. The Rabshakeh Appeals to the People Directly
2 Kings 18:28–35 — Full Passage (KJV)
Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and spake, saying, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria. Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand. Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. Hearken not to Hezekiah, for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eat ye every man of his own vine and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his cistern, until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and of honey, that ye may live, and not die, and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The Lord will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all 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, Hena and Ivah. Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand. Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand.
The Rabshakeh, unrestrained and emboldened, raised his voice in Hebrew so that every person on the wall could hear his speech. His disobedience to the officials’ request revealed his eagerness to spread fear among the people. His opening words exalted the majesty and invincibility of the king of Assyria. By doing so, he framed the conflict as hopeless from the outset. His purpose was to magnify the enemy and reduce Judah to helplessness. He sought to erode confidence not only in Hezekiah’s leadership but also in the character of God. By insisting that Hezekiah could not deliver them, he attacked Judah’s trust in their king. By insisting that the Lord would not deliver them, he attacked Judah’s faith in the Lord Himself.
He offered the people a seductive alternative. If they would abandon their king and surrender, he promised immediate comfort and prosperity. Each man would enjoy his own vine, fig tree, and cistern. These images were intentionally chosen to evoke peace, plenty, and self sufficiency. Yet even as he painted this idyllic picture, he admitted that they would eventually be deported to another land. This relocation policy was a hallmark of the Assyrian Empire, designed to weaken conquered nations by uprooting them from their homeland. The Rabshakeh attempted to present forced exile as a gentle transition to a fertile and abundant land. His words were calculated to make horrific captivity appear reasonable, even attractive. This is a pattern repeated throughout spiritual warfare. The enemy frequently presents bondage as opportunity and presents compromise as wisdom.
The Rabshakeh then shifted to open blasphemy. He compared the Lord to the gods of the nations already conquered by Assyria. He reminded the people of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, Ivah, and even Samaria, pointing to the failure of their gods to protect them. His argument was simple. Since no other god had been able to resist Assyria’s power, the Lord would fare no better. This logic was both arrogant and fatally flawed. The gods of the nations were idols without life or power. The Lord alone is the true and living God. Yet by placing the Lord on the same level as false gods, the Rabshakeh crossed a line that would bring swift judgment. For anyone with spiritual discernment, his speech should have signaled the approaching intervention of God. It is one thing to insult Judah or Hezekiah. It is another to mock the God of Israel and claim supremacy over Him. Like Goliath before David, the Rabshakeh overreached in his arrogance and invited divine retribution.
His speech highlights the common strategies of the enemy. He magnifies human strength and diminishes divine sovereignty. He casts doubt upon godly leadership and tries to separate the people from their shepherd. He promises comfort through compromise and presents surrender as the path to life. He mocks the promises of God and exalts the power of the world. These tactics are designed to shake faith and weaken obedience, yet they ultimately reveal the insecurity of the enemy. His arguments collapse the moment God rises to act. Judah needed only to remain silent, trust the Lord, and wait for His deliverance.
The Assyrian Threat During the Reign of Hezekiah
6. The Response from the Officials and the People
2 Kings 18:36–37 — Full Passage (KJV)
But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word, for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not. Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, that was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.
The people of Jerusalem responded to the Rabshakeh’s provocative speech with complete silence. They did not try to argue with him, answer his accusations, or debate his blasphemous logic. There are moments when engaging the enemy provides no benefit and only adds to confusion, fear, or temptation. The Assyrian spokesman had not come to reason but to destroy confidence, stir panic, and erode trust in the Lord. He employed intimidation, half truths, distortions, and open blasphemy. Silence was therefore the wisest and strongest response. When the enemy’s arguments are designed to unsettle faith rather than seek truth, silence becomes an act of spiritual warfare. It is far better to trust God than to attempt to out reason demonic manipulation.
Their silence also reflects obedience. Hezekiah had instructed the people not to answer the Rabshakeh, and they honored his command. Hezekiah demonstrated wisdom by preventing his people from engaging in a debate they could not win. The refusal to respond preserved unity, minimized panic, and positioned Judah to seek the Lord rather than to trade insults with the enemy. True leadership is seen not only in commands that call the people to action but also in commands that restrain them from reacting foolishly. The people obeyed promptly, showing confidence in their king even as fear pressed in upon them.
Although silent, the officials who met the Rabshakeh were deeply affected. Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah returned to Hezekiah with their garments torn, an outward sign of grief, distress, and humiliation. Their torn clothes revealed the weight of the moment. They understood the severity of the threat, the arrogance of the enemy, and the vulnerability of their nation. Yet their grief did not lead to surrender. Rather, it drove them to their king, just as believers under pressure must turn toward God in prayer rather than toward despair. Their experience mirrors the apostle Paul’s description in the second letter to the Corinthians, where he wrote that believers are pressed on every side but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed. Judah faced overwhelming circumstances, yet the story was far from over. The enemy had spoken, but the Lord had not yet answered. Their sorrow, silence, and obedience prepared the way for the divine intervention soon to come.
