Isaiah 36:12-22

Isa 36:12

But Rabshakeh said, Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men that sit upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?

The Rabshakeh intensifies his response by stating that he was not sent to be a diplomat but to those who were on the walls, that is, to the armed men who were protecting the city.  Rabshakeh intended to besiege Jerusalem to the point that there would be no supplies left and there would be no food to eat nor any water to drink.  Rabshakeh came to attack and conquer Jerusalem and not for negotiation.

Isa 36:13

Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and said, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.

Then Rabshakeh disregarded the request to speak in Aramaic.  Instead, he began to speak in a loud voice so those on the wall could hear him.  Apparently, he was finished in these negotiations and now wanted to send fear throughout the entire city of Jerusalem.  Then Rabshakeh began his bellowing forth his message for all to hear.  He wanted them to know that the message was coming from the King of Assyria.

Isa 36:14

Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you.

The first thing he does is to plant doubt in the minds of the people that their leaders are unable to deliver them from the hands of Assyria.  He accuses Hezekiah of deceiving the people into believing that he can.  Once doubt is planted in the minds of the people then fear dovetails that doubt and spreads like a tsunami.

Isa 36:15

Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.

Then after he plants doubt about the leadership of Hezekiah, then he attacks the LORD and his ability to deliver.  He is making the men on the wall to doubt both Hezekiah and God that the city will not be given into the hands of Assyria when the army of Rabshakeh is sitting right outside the walls just waiting for the order to attack.  Rabshakeh is assuming that he knows what the LORD will do in this situation.

Isa 36:16

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 eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern;

Then after he attacks both Hezekiah and God, he then fills in the breach promising them a utopian environment that if they surrender to the king of Assyria and make an agreement with Rabshakeh then they would avoid being destroyed and avoid all the bloodshed that would occur.  He promises them a peaceful surrender and beyond that a tranquil lifestyle under the protection of Assyria.  He is promising them liberty and prosperity if they do not oppose him or make any type of insurrection.

Isa 36:17

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.

Then they would enjoy peace in their land until such a time that they are resettled in a land which will be similar to Judah.  It will be a land where the provisions are plentiful.  However, Rabshakeh does not mention any specific place.  Resettling was something which was part of the Assyrian policy of dealing with conquered people.  Since he was speaking in the Hebrew language, he might have been able to convince some of the people that he was one of theirs and that he was speaking the truth.  If Rabshakeh removes Judah from their land, he only spoke of the fruits of the earth but did not even mention the temple and the requirements that God had that they were to worship only in Jerusalem.  He was trying to override their religious nature with material goods.

Isa 36:18

Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The LORD will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

Then Rabshakeh goes back and attacks the strength and truth of God.  He tells them to beware and not to believe Hezekiah that the LORD will deliver them.  Then he tells them that the nations that Assyria conquered could not be helped by their local gods as Assyria was able to conquer nation after nation and there was never any retribution from any of those gods.  What Rabshakeh failed to understand being a pagan, was here in Judah he was not dealing with false gods but with the true God who reigns supreme.

Isa 36:19

Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?

Then Rabshakeh begins to name some specific areas which they conquered.  He failed to understand how the little country of Judah could be protected by a great God.  Hamath and Arphad were cities in Syria.  Sepharvaim was also a city in Syria.  These three cities had local false gods which could do nothing to prevent their being conquered.  Assyria also took into captivity Samaria which was the ten northern tribes and nothing prevented them from doing it.  Again, these names places all worshipped false gods which had no power because they were just the figments of imaginations of men.

Isa 36:20

Who are they among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?

Then Sennacherib makes a dumb statement basically stating that he is greater than any of those gods of those cities and of Samaria.  He transferred that belief to the God of Judah thinking that he was greater than the God of Judah.  He apparently was so arrogant that he never read or heard of what God did to Egypt and to the Moabites and Ammonites when Israel came out of Egypt.  He would have known that he was not dealing with false gods sitting on a shelf collecting dust.

Isa 36:21

But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

King Hezekiah had commanded his people not to answer them because he knew that if one answered him in the wrong way, then it could lead to a pervasion of fear throughout all of Jerusalem.  Now Hezekiah had a renewed faith in God and would see God deliver them from the hands of Assyria.  So Hezekiah’s representatives would not respond to any of the threats and held their peace.

Isa 36:22

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.