2 kings 18:26 - Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebnah, and Joah, said to Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in the Syrian language, for we understand it. Don’t speak with us in the Jews’ language, in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”
Select Bible Verse
Filter Categories
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
R
S
T
U
V
W
What does "2 kings 18:26" mean?
This verse from 2 Kings 18:26 is a key moment in the siege of Jerusalem by the Assyrian army, led by King Sennacherib. Here's a breakdown of what it means:
Context: The Assyrian army has surrounded Jerusalem and is trying to intimidate the inhabitants into surrendering. Rabshakeh, Sennacherib's chief officer, is delivering a propaganda speech from outside the city walls, designed to demoralize the people and convince them that resistance is futile.
Eliakim, Shebnah, and Joah: These are high-ranking officials in King Hezekiah's (the king of Judah) government. They are sent out to negotiate with Rabshakeh.
Rabshakeh: As mentioned, he is Sennacherib's chief officer. He's a skilled communicator and is using a combination of threats, mockery, and promises to weaken the morale of Jerusalem's defenders.
"Please speak to your servants in the Syrian language, for we understand it." This is the crucial request. The "Syrian language" here refers to Aramaic, which was the language of diplomacy and commerce at the time. The Judean officials understood Aramaic.
The request is an attempt to prevent the Assyrian message of demoralization and threats from reaching the masses.
"Don’t speak with us in the Jews’ language, in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” The "Jews' language" is Hebrew, the language of the common people of Judah. The officials are desperate to prevent Rabshakeh from speaking in Hebrew because they know his propaganda is more effective if the ordinary citizens can understand it. They want to keep the people from panicking and losing hope.
In summary:
The Judean officials recognize the danger of Rabshakeh's propaganda and try to limit its impact. They ask him to speak in Aramaic so that only they, the officials, will understand, and the common people on the wall won't be swayed by his words. This reveals their fear of the Assyrian message's effect on the population and their attempt to control the narrative.
In the end, Rabshakeh chooses to ignore them and speaks in Hebrew, intensifying the propaganda war.
2 kings 18:26 - Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebnah, and Joah, said to Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in the Syrian language, for we understand it. Don’t speak with us in the Jews’ language, in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”
What does "2 kings 18:26" mean?
This verse from 2 Kings 18:26 is a key moment in the siege of Jerusalem by the Assyrian army, led by King Sennacherib. Here's a breakdown of what it means:
Context: The Assyrian army has surrounded Jerusalem and is trying to intimidate the inhabitants into surrendering. Rabshakeh, Sennacherib's chief officer, is delivering a propaganda speech from outside the city walls, designed to demoralize the people and convince them that resistance is futile.
Eliakim, Shebnah, and Joah: These are high-ranking officials in King Hezekiah's (the king of Judah) government. They are sent out to negotiate with Rabshakeh.
Rabshakeh: As mentioned, he is Sennacherib's chief officer. He's a skilled communicator and is using a combination of threats, mockery, and promises to weaken the morale of Jerusalem's defenders.
"Please speak to your servants in the Syrian language, for we understand it." This is the crucial request. The "Syrian language" here refers to Aramaic, which was the language of diplomacy and commerce at the time. The Judean officials understood Aramaic.
The request is an attempt to prevent the Assyrian message of demoralization and threats from reaching the masses.
"Don’t speak with us in the Jews’ language, in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” The "Jews' language" is Hebrew, the language of the common people of Judah. The officials are desperate to prevent Rabshakeh from speaking in Hebrew because they know his propaganda is more effective if the ordinary citizens can understand it. They want to keep the people from panicking and losing hope.
In summary:
The Judean officials recognize the danger of Rabshakeh's propaganda and try to limit its impact. They ask him to speak in Aramaic so that only they, the officials, will understand, and the common people on the wall won't be swayed by his words. This reveals their fear of the Assyrian message's effect on the population and their attempt to control the narrative.
In the end, Rabshakeh chooses to ignore them and speaks in Hebrew, intensifying the propaganda war.