2 Kings 18:26 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
2 Kings 18:26
Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to 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.
to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
Eliakim
אֶלְיָקִ֣ים'el.ya.Kim
H471
Eljakim · proper noun, a man's name
son
בֶּןben-
H1121
a son (as a builder of the family name) · noun, common masculine singular construct
Hilkiah
חִ֠לְקִיָּהוּChil.ki.ya.hu
H2518
Chilhijah · proper noun, a man's name
Shebna
וְשֶׁבְנָ֨הve.shev.Nah
H7644
Shebna or Shebnah · conjunction + proper noun, a man's name
Joah
וְיוֹאָ֜חve.yo.'Ach
H3098
Joach · conjunction + proper noun, a man's name
Rab-shakeh
רַבrav-
H7262
Rabshakeh · noun, masculine singular absolute
Speak
דַּבֶּרda.ber-
H1696
perhaps properly · verb, piel imperative, 2nd person masculine singular
servants
עֲבָדֶ֙יךָ֙'a.va.Dei.kha
H5650
a servant · noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular
language
אֲרָמִ֔ית'a.ra.Mit
H762
(only adverbial) in Aramean · adjective, feminine singular absolute
understand
שֹׁמְעִ֖יםsho.me.'Im
H8085
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attent… · verb, qal active participle, masculine plural absolute
talk
תְּדַבֵּ֤רte.da.Ber
H1696
perhaps properly · verb, piel jussive, 2nd person masculine singular
Jews’ language
יְהוּדִ֔יתye.hu.Dit
H3066
the Jewish (used adverbially) language · noun, gentilic feminine singular absolute
ears
בְּאָזְנֵ֣יbe.'a.ze.Nei
H241
broadness. i.e. (concrete) the ear (from its form in ma… · preposition + noun, common feminine dual construct
people
הָעָ֔םha.'Am
H5971
a people (as a congregated unit) · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
wall
הַחֹמָֽהha.cho.Mah
H2346
a wall of protection · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Ezra 4:7 And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the w…
Daniel 2:4 Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.
Isaiah 36:11-12 Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: an…
2 Kings 18:18 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…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on 2 Kings 18:17–end
Here is, I. Jerusalem besieged by Sennacherib's army, Kg2 18:17. He sent three of his great generals with a great host against Jerusalem. Is this the great king, the king of Assyria? No, never call him so; he is a base, false, perfidious man, and worthy to be made infamous to all ages; let him never be named with honour that could do such a dishonourable thing as this, to take Hezekiah's money, which he gave him upon condition he should withdraw his army, and then, instead of quitting his country according to the agreement, to advance against his capital city, and not send him his money again either. Those are wicked men indeed, and, let them be ever so great, we will call them so, whose pri…
Rab-shakeh said--The insolent tone he assumed appears surprising. But this boasting [Kg2 18:19-25], both as to matter and manner, his highly colored picture of his master's powers and resources, and the impossibility of Hezekiah making any effective resistance, heightened by all the arguments and figures which an Oriental imagination could suggest, has been paralleled in all, except the blasphemy, by other messages of defiance sent on similar occasions in the history of the East.
Adam Clarke on 2 Kings 18:26
Talk not with us in the Jews' language - The object of this blasphemous caitiff was to stir up the people to sedition, that the city and the king might be delivered into his hand.
John Gill on 2 Kings 18:17
And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris, and Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem,.... Notwithstanding he took the above large sum of money of him, so false and deceitful was he: these were three generals of his army, whom he sent to besiege Jerusalem, while he continued the siege of Lachish; only Rabshakeh is mentioned in Isaiah 36:2 he being perhaps chief general, and the principal speaker; whose speech, to the end of this chapter, intended to intimidate Hezekiah, and dishearten his people, with some circumstances which attended it, are recorded word for word in Isaiah 36:1 throughout; See Gill on Isaiah 36:1 and notes on that chapter.
Dictionary and topics
Chaldee language — Employed by the sacred writers in certain portions of the Old Testament, viz., Dan. 2:4-7, 28; Ezra 4:8-6:18; 7:12-26; Gen. 31:46; Jer. 10:11. It is the Aramaic dialect, as it is sometimes called, as…
Eliakim — Whom God will raise up. (1.) The son of Melea (Luke 3:30), and probably grandson of Nathan. (2.) The son of Abiud, of the posterity of Zerubbabel (Matt. 1:13). (3.) The son of Hilkiah, who was sent…
Fullers Field, The — a spot near Jerusalem, (2 Kings 8:17; Isaiah 7:3; 36:2) so close to the walls that a person speaking from there could be heard on them. (2 Kings 18:17,26) One resort of the fullers of Jerusalem would…
Hebrew language — The language of the Hebrew nation, and that in which the Old Testament is written, with the exception of a few portions in Chaldee. In the Old Testament it is only spoken of as “Jewish” (2 Kings…
Hilkiah — Portion of Jehovah. (1.) 1 Chr. 6:54. (2.) 1 Chr. 26:11. (3.) The father of Eliakim (2 Kings 18:18, 26, 37). (4.) The father of Gemariah (Jer. 29:3). (5.) The father of the prophet Jeremiah (1:1).…
Joah — Jehovah his brother; i.e., helper. (1.) One of the sons of Obed-edom (1 Chr. 26:4), a Korhite porter. (2.) A Levite of the family of Gershom (1 Chr. 6:21), probably the same as Ethan (42). (3.) The…
Rabshakeh — 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…
Scribes — Anciently held various important offices in the public affairs of the nation. The Hebrew word so rendered (sopher) is first used to designate the holder of some military office (Judg. 5:14; A.V.,…
Shebna — Tender youth, “treasurer” over the house in the reign of Hezekiah, i.e., comptroller or governor of the palace. On account of his pride he was ejected from his office, and Eliakim was promoted to it…
Syriac — (2 Kings 18:26; Ezra 4:7; Dan. 2:4), more correctly rendered “Aramaic,” including both the Syriac and the Chaldee languages. In the New Testament there are several Syriac words, such as “Eloi, Eloi,…
Keil & Delitzsch on 2 Kings 18:13–end
Sennacherib invades Judah and threatens Jerusalem.
(Note: We have a parallel and elaborate account of this campaign of Sennacherib and his defeat (2 Kings 18:13-19:37), and also of Hezekiah's sickness and recovery and the arrival of the Babylonian embassy in Jerusalem (2 Kings 20:1-19), in Isa 36-39, and a brief extract, with certain not unimportant supplements, in 2 Chron 32. These three narratives, as is now generally admitted, are drawn independently of one another from a collection of the prophecies of Isaiah, which was received into the annals of the kingdom (Ch2 32:32), and serve to confirm and complete one another.)
- Sennacherib, סנחריב (Sanchērı̄bh), Σενναχηρίμ (lxx), Σεναχήριβος…
Hezekiah’s representatives wanted the Assyrian delegation to speak . . . in Aramaic, the language of diplomacy, so that the people who were listening would not understand and be discouraged or frightened.
Rashi on 2 Kings 18:26
For we understand it. We are residents of the palace, and understand Aramaic and other languages. But do not speak Hebrew to us, which all the people understand,18They were concerned about the morale of the people and therefore wanted to keep the conversation private. and we do not want them to hear.19It is not proper to reveal matters of war to the general public.—Metzudas Dovid
Hilkiah · 1. Officer of Hezekiah — 1. Officer of Hezekiah
Joah · 1. — 1.
Language · .Syrian — .Syrian
Rab-Shakeh (Rabshakeh) · to Hezekiah and the surren — to Hezekiah and the surren
Sennacherib · and returns to Assyria — and returns to Assyria
Shebna (Shebnah) · 1. A scribe of Hezekiah — 1. A scribe of Hezekiah
Sieges · Cities invested by: Walls of, defended by the inhabitants — Cities invested by: Walls of, defended by the inhabitants
Syria · Inhabitants of: Spoke the Syriack language — Inhabitants of: Spoke the Syriack language
Walls · Of cities: Were strongly manned in war — Of cities: Were strongly manned in war
War · Enemy harangued by the general of the opposing si — Enemy harangued by the general of the opposing si
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
