Isaiah 36: Edit history

Isaiah 36 opens the historical narrative section of chapters 36–39. Following the vision of restoration in Isaiah 35, it turns to the Assyrian invasion of Judah. Its content is nearly identical to 2 Kings 18:13–37.

Outline

• Verses 1–3 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria takes the fortified cities of Judah. From Lachish he sends the Rabshakeh with a great army to Jerusalem, and when the Rabshakeh stands by the conduit of the upper pool, Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah go out to him.
• Verses 4–10 The Rabshakeh asks, "What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?" He declares that Egypt is like a broken reed; that the LORD cannot be relied on either, since Hezekiah has taken away His high places and altars; and that even if Judah were given two thousand horses, it could not set riders on them. He also claims that the LORD has sent him.
• Verses 11–12 The officials of Judah ask him to speak in Aramaic, but the Rabshakeh refuses, saying that the people on the wall must hear as well.
• Verses 13–20 The Rabshakeh cries out in the language of Judah, promising that if they surrender, each will eat of his own vine and his own fig tree. He belittles the LORD, pointing out that the gods of Hamath, Arphad, and Sepharvaim did not deliver Samaria.
• Verses 21–22 As the king had commanded, no one answers him. The three officials tear their clothes and go to report to Hezekiah.

Key Verses

• Isaiah 36:4 "What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?" — the question that runs through the entire chapter.
• Isaiah 36:6 "Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt" — an image of the futility of leaning on Egypt.
• Isaiah 36:21 "But they held their peace, and answered him not a word" — showing Judah's refusal to answer the mockery.

People and Places

• Hezekiah: King of Judah and the target of the Rabshakeh's words.
• Sennacherib: The Assyrian king who invaded Judah.
• The Rabshakeh: A high-ranking Assyrian official. Many regard the term as a title of office rather than a personal name.
• Eliakim: Son of Hilkiah and steward of the royal household. In Isaiah 22 he is foretold as the one who would be installed in place of Shebna.
• Shebna: The scribe. In Isaiah 22 he is rebuked as the one who was over the house.
• Joah: Son of Asaph and the recorder (keeper of the court records).
• Lachish: A city of Judah southwest of Jerusalem, from which the Assyrian king sends the Rabshakeh.
• Hamath, Arphad, and Sepharvaim: Cities conquered by Assyria.

Points for Reflection

• Scholars differ on whether Isaiah 36–39 or 2 Kings 18–20 was written first, or whether both drew on a common source. Second Kings includes Hezekiah's payment of tribute (2 Kings 18:14–16) and mentions Assyrian officials other than the Rabshakeh, but Isaiah contains none of this material.
• Verse 7 is commonly read as the Rabshakeh's twisting of Hezekiah's reform, the removal of the high places, into an act of defiance against the LORD. The claim in verse 10 is sometimes read alongside Isaiah 10, which depicts Assyria as the rod of God's anger.
• The criticism of reliance on Egypt in verse 6 connects with the warnings of Isaiah 30 and Isaiah 31.
• The invasion is generally dated to around 701 BC. Assyrian records are also known to report Sennacherib's campaign against Judah and his attack on Lachish.
• The outcome of these events is recounted in Isaiah 37.

In Korean Churches

In Korean Protestant churches, this chapter is often paired with Hezekiah's prayer in chapter 37 and used as a sermon text centered on the question of verse 4, "What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?", prompting reflection on what one trusts in times of crisis.