Isaiah 36

I read in a certain Commentary that the same person is Sennacherib who also captured Samaria, which is completely false. For the Sacred History recounts that first Phul, the king of the Assyrians, devastated the ten tribes under Manahen, the king of Israel. Secondly, Theglathphalasar came against Samaria under Phacee, the son of Romelia of Israel. Salmanasar, under the reign of King Hoshea of Israel, captured the entire city of Samaria. Sargon is said to be the fourth king who captured Ashdod. Asarhaddon, the fifth king, relocated Israel and sent the Samaritans as guardians to the land of Judah. Sennacherib, the sixth king, besieged Jerusalem after capturing Lachish and other cities of Judah during the reign of King Hezekiah. However, some believe that these names could refer to one and the same king with multiple names.

Rabshakeh, on the other hand, is believed to be the son of Isaiah the Jewish prophet, who also was a traitor; and the other son of Isaiah, who is called Jasub, is said to be left behind, which means "left" in our language. Others, on the other hand, think that he was a Samaritan, and therefore knew the Hebrew language, and boldly and impiously blasphemed the Lord. Let us consider the words of Rabshakeh; and first what he says: "You trust in this broken reed, in Egypt," is false: for no history tells that Hezekiah sent to the Egyptians and asked for the help of Pharaoh. And what he infers: "If you answer me, we trust in the Lord our God," is true. But again, he joins a lie to the truth, that Hezekiah took away its high places and altars. For he did this not against God, but for God, so that idolatry and ancient error being destroyed, he commanded God to be worshipped in Jerusalem, where his Temple was: although we read that by a very bad custom, the people offered sacrifices to God on altars already built on mountains and hills. And he, wanting to show the scarcity of the besieged, promises two thousand horses, of which Hezekiah cannot provide the riders, not because of the weakness of the people of Judah, who lacked knowledge of riding: but by observing the commandments of God, who had commanded Israel through Moses concerning the king: "He shall not multiply horses for himself, nor have many wives." And he said to me, "By yourself, you cannot withstand the servant of Sennacherib, who am the least of his servants, how then will you withstand the great power of the king?" And to what he had said, "If you answer me, we trust in the Lord our God," he cunningly and wisely responded that he had come not by his own will, but by the command of the Lord. "The Lord said to me, Go upon this land and destroy it." And this is the proof: certainly, without the will of the Lord, I could not have come here. But when I come and capture many cities, and part of Jerusalem remains untouched, it is evident that I have come by its will.

(Chapter 36—Verse 1 and following) And it came to pass in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem to King Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway to the washer's field. And Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came out to him. And Rabshakeh said to them, "Say to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours?' By what plan and courage do you prepare to rebel? On whom do you have confidence, because you have turned away from me? Look, you trust in this broken reed staff, in Egypt: if a man leans on it, it will enter into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to all who trust in him. But if you say to me, 'We trust in the LORD our God,' is it not he whose heights and altars Hezekiah has taken away, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, 'You shall worship before this altar'? And now make a deal with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, and you will not be able to provide riders for them. And how will you withstand the face of one judge from my lord's servants? And if you rely on Egypt: and on chariots, and on horsemen: and now, did I ascend to this land without the Lord, to destroy it? The Lord said to me: Go up on this land and destroy it. The history is clear and does not require interpretation: and this same thing is reported more fully in the volumes of Kings and Chronicles. In the third year of Hosea the son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. And afterwards: In the Lord God of Israel he trusted, and there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who came before him. He clung to the Lord and did not turn away from his commandments. He did the commandments that the Lord had given to Moses. Therefore, the Lord was with him, and he acted wisely in all that he did (2 Kings 18:2,7). But he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. In the sixth year of his reign, Shalmaneser, the king of Assyria, captured Samaria and took away the ten tribes of Israel that were called Israel. He deported them to Assyria and settled them in Halah and Habor, along the rivers of the Gozan, in the cities of the Medes (2 Kings 17 and 18). After seven years, that is, in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, the king of Assyria, Sennacherib, entered Judah and besieged its fortified cities, intending to capture them. And when he besieged Lachish, Hezekiah sent messengers to him, saying: 'I have sinned, withdraw from me and whatever you impose on me, I will bear.' And when he had paid three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold to the king's command, the king of Assyria broke down the doors of the temple of the Lord and took away its panels, which he himself had put up, and he sent the Tartan and the Rab-saris and the Rabshakeh with a great army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And when they had come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the highway to the washer's field, and they called for the king. But Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, went out to them, along with the court secretary, Shebna, and the court historian, Joah, the son of Asaph. Rabshekah addressed them as follows: "Tell Hezekiah: This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says... and so on, as recorded in the history. In this, we can see the arrogance of Rabshekah, who, in a manner contrary to true strength, imitates the custom of the prophets. While they usually begin their pronouncements with 'This is what the Lord says,' he now says, 'This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says.' But Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, went out to him, along with the royal secretary Shebna and the court official Joah son of Asaph. Eliakim is the same person mentioned in the Vision of the Valley of Zion (see Isaiah 22:20-21): I will call my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and I will clothe him in your robe and fasten your sash around him. I will hand your authority over to him, and he will be like a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the people of Judah, and so on. But these things are said to Shebna, who was the governor of the Temple before him, of whom it is written in the same vision: Go and enter to him who dwells in the tabernacle, to Shebna the governor of the Temple, whom the Hebrews say handed over his hands to the Assyrians, terrified by Rabsaris' threats, and betrayed the lower part of Jerusalem to the enemy, and except for the fortress of Zion and the Temple, nothing else remained that the Assyrian did not hold. Where are those who think that Sobna, who is now going out with Eliacim and Joahe to meet Rabsacen, is the same person as before. There, Sobna, the head of the Temple, is said to be captured by the Assyrians; but here Sobna is a scribe, that is, a γραμματεὶς, who is called Sopher in Hebrew, and is the same as the previous one. Rabsacen, on the other hand, is believed to be the son of Isaiah the Jewish prophet, who also was a traitor; and the other son of Isaiah, who is called Jasub, is said to be left behind, which means 'left' in our language. Others, on the other hand, think that he was a Samaritan, and therefore knew the Hebrew language, and boldly and impiously blasphemed the Lord. Let us consider the words of Rabshakeh; and first what he says: You trust in this broken reed, in Egypt, is false: for no history tells that Hezekiah sent to the Egyptians and asked for the help of Pharaoh. And what he infers: If you answer me, we trust in the Lord our God, is true. But again, he joins a lie to the truth, that Ezechias took away its high places and altars. For he did this not against God, but for God, so that idolatry and ancient error being destroyed, he commanded God to be worshipped in Jerusalem, where his Temple was: although we read that by a very bad custom, the people offered sacrifices to God on altars already built on mountains and hills. And he, wanting to show the scarcity of the besieged, promises two thousand horses, of which Ezechias cannot provide the riders, not because of the weakness of the people of Judah, who lacked knowledge of riding: but by observing the commandments of God, who had commanded Israel through Moses concerning the king: He shall not multiply horses for himself, nor have many wives. And he said to me, 'By yourself, you cannot withstand the servant of Sennacherib, who am the least of his servants, how then will you withstand the great power of the king? And to what he had said, if you answer me, we trust in the Lord our God, he cunningly and wisely responded that he had come not by his own will, but by the command of the Lord. The Lord said to me, Go upon this land and destroy it. And this is the proof: certainly, without the will of the Lord, I could not have come here.' But when I come and capture many cities, and part of Jerusalem remains untouched, it is evident that I have come by its will. I read in a certain Commentary that the same person is Sennacherib who also captured Samaria, which is completely false. For the Sacred History recounts that first Phul, the king of the Assyrians, devastated the ten tribes under Manahen, the king of Israel. Secondly, Theglathphalasar came against Samaria under Phacee, the son of Romelia of Israel. Salmanasar III, under the reign of King Hoshea of Israel, supposedly captured the entire city of Samaria (2 Kings 15:17). Sargon II is said to be the fourth king who captured Ashdod (Isaiah 20). Asarhaddon, the fifth king, supposedly relocated Israel and sent the Samaritans as guardians to the land of Judah (2 Kings 17). Sennacherib, the sixth king, besieged Jerusalem after capturing Lachish and other cities of Judah during the reign of King Hezekiah (2 Kings 18). However, some believe that these names could refer to one and the same king with multiple names.

The book of 2 Kings also speaks of this event. Isaiah has included it to his prophecy in order to show that his prophecy is true. Previously the prophet has made announcements concerning Babylon, Tyre, Egypt and other nations, but he is mostly concerned with the incarnation of our Savior, the unbelief and resultant judgment of Israel, and the call and salvation of the Gentiles. He has also announced Assyria's attack and their ultimate destruction. It follows that he would include this event here to demonstrate that his prophecies are true. By showing that the announcement related to Sennacherib is true, he can show that all his other prophecies will be fulfilled in the same way.

And it came to pass in the fourteenth year. Here he recounts, in the manner of a history, the destruction of the Assyrians.

And first, he sets out the deeds of the history;

second, certain things occasioned by the history: in those days Ezechias was sick even to death (ch. 38).

The first of these is divided into two parts:

first, the fault which Assyria committed against the Jews is set out;

second, the punishment which they sustained from God, where it says, and the angel of the Lord went out (Isa 37:36).

Now, Assyria offended Israel in three ways:

first, by wars;

second, by messengers: and the king of the Assyrians sent Rabsaces (Isa 36:2);

third, by letters, where it says: and he heard say about Tharaca (Isa 37:9).

Against all: he shall laugh at every strong hold (Hab 1:10).

And the king of the Assyrians sent Rabsaces. Here he shows how Assyria offended the Jews by threatening them through messengers.

And first, the meeting of the messengers is set out;

second, their discussion: and Rabsaces said to them (Isa 36:4);

third, their departure from each other: and Eliacim went in (Isa 36:22).

Concerning the first, he does two things.

First, the messenger of the Assyrians is described: Rabsaces, whom some say was the son of Isaiah, others a Samaritan; by the conduit, about which, see above (Isa 7:3).

But Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, went out to him, along with the royal secretary Shebna and the court official Joah son of Asaph. Eliakim is the same person mentioned in the Vision of the Valley of Zion (see Isaiah 22:20-21): I will call my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and I will clothe him in your robe and fasten your sash around him. I will hand your authority over to him, and he will be like a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the people of Judah, and so on.

But these things are said to Shebna, who was the governor of the Temple before him, of whom it is written in the same vision: Go and enter to him who dwells in the tabernacle, to Shebna the governor of the Temple, whom the Hebrews say handed over his hands to the Assyrians, terrified by Rabsaris' threats, and betrayed the lower part of Jerusalem to the enemy, and except for the fortress of Zion and the Temple, nothing else remained that the Assyrian did not hold. Where are those who think that Sobna, who is now going out with Eliacim and Joahe to meet Rabsacen, is the same person as before. There, Sobna, the head of the Temple, is said to be captured by the Assyrians; but here Sobna is a scribe, that is, a γραμματεὶς, who is called Sopher in Hebrew, and is the same as the previous one.

Second, the messengers of the Jews are described: and there went out to him Eliacim, who succeeded Sobna, who handed over the lower part of the city to the Assyrians, as above (Isa 22:15–25); Sobna, not the one mentioned above; the recorder, the secretary of the king, who committed deeds to writing for the king to remember—hence he is called recorder (commentor) from comminiscor.

Rabshekah addressed them as follows: "Tell Hezekiah: This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says..." and so on, as recorded in the history. In this, we can see the arrogance of Rabshekah, who, in a manner contrary to true strength, imitates the custom of the prophets. While they usually begin their pronouncements with "This is what the Lord says," he now says, "This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says."

The testimony of Rabshakeh is that he relies on the Lord, who has captured all the cities of Judah and said to the people: Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the multitude that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; with us is the Lord our God, our helper, who fights for us. And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah, king of Judah. But Sennacherib wants to destroy what Hezekiah has built; and he speaks to the people, "Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, and do not put your trust in the Lord our God."

And Rabsaces said to them. Here the discussion of the messengers is set out. And concerning this, he sets out two things:

first, the preamble of Rabsaces to the Jewish messengers;

second, to the others, where it says, then Rabsaces stood (Isa 36:13).

Concerning the first, he does three things.

First, the address of Rabsaces himself is set out, in which he intends to establish the weakness of Ezechias's ability to resist, by excluding defense from the Egyptians: lo you trust upon this broken staff of a reed, said mockingly, because there are many reeds in Egypt; he speaks the truth when he says that the Egyptians were like such reeds: you have been a staff of a reed (Ezek 29:6); but it is false that Ezechias trusted in them. And by excluding divine help: but if you will answer me: we trust in the Lord our God: is it not he whose high places and altars Ezechias has taken away?; what Ezechias did for religion, Rabsaces perverts into sacrilege: beware lest you offer your holocausts in every place that you shall see (Deut 12:13). And by excluding their own strength: and now deliver yourself up, as if to say: you have neither horses nor horsemen, that you might resist the armies of one prince, above: he has rejected the cities (Isa 33:8). He also establishes the power of Sennacherib to fight from divine command: but if you trust, above: I will give him a charge against the people of my wrath (Isa 10:6).

And as Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah humbly implore, 'Speak to your servants in the Syrian language, for we understand; and do not speak to us in the language of Judah in the hearing of the people who are on the wall,' it means: 'Why is it necessary to stir up the people with false terrors and boast of empty power?' Speak the language that the people do not understand. For if we have knowledge of your language: and we know the Syrian language, which is common to both. To which Rabshakeh replied arrogantly: Did my master send me to your lord and to you, and not rather to the men who sit on the wall? And he increased the threat, saying that they should eat their own feces and drink the urine of their own feet with them? By these means he showed that they were to be taken by hunger, scarcity, and thirst.

(Verse 11 and following) And Eliakim, Sobna, and Joah said to Rabshakeh, 'Speak to your servants in the Aramaic language, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in Judahite in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.' But Rabshakeh said to them, 'Has my master sent me to your master and to you to speak these words? Has he not sent me to the men who sit on the wall, who will eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?' And Rabsaces stood and cried with a loud voice in the language of Judah and said, Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria. Thus says the king: Let not Hezekiah deceive you, for he will 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 given into the hand of the king of Assyria. Do not listen to Hezekiah. For the king of Assyria says: The testimony of Rabshakeh is that he relies on the Lord, who has captured all the cities of Judah and said to the people: Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the multitude that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; with us is the Lord our God, our helper, who fights for us. And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah, king of Judah. But Sennacherib wants to destroy what Hezekiah has built; and he speaks to the people, 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, and do not put your trust in the Lord our God.' And as Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah humbly implore, 'Speak to your servants in the Syrian language, for we understand; and do not speak to us in the language of Judah in the hearing of the people who are on the wall,' it means: 'Why is it necessary to stir up the people with false terrors and boast of empty power?' Speak the language that the people do not understand. For if we have knowledge of your language: and we know the Syrian language, which is common to both. To which Rabshakeh replied arrogantly: Did my master send me to your lord and to you, and not rather to the men who sit on the wall? And he increased the threat, saying that they should eat their own feces and drink the urine of their own feet with them? By these means he showed that they were to be taken by hunger, scarcity, and thirst. At the same time he joins enticement with fear, so that he may deceive those whom he did not conquer with terror, with promises and persuasion, saying from the speech of the king Assyrians.

Second, the response of the others is set out: and Eliacim, and Sobna, and Joahe said to Rabsaces. In the hearing of the people, lest they be troubled, knowing what is said: in the blessing of the just, the city shall rejoice (Prov 11:10).

In order then that both our houses may be continually open to the one, and our ears to the others, let us purge away the filth from the ears of our soul. For as filth and mud close up the ears of our flesh, so do the harlot's songs, and worldly news, and debts, and the business of usury and loans, close up the ear of the mind, worse than any filth; nay rather, they do not close it up only, but also make it unclean. And they are putting dung in your ears, who tell you of these things. And that which the barbarian threatened, saying, "Ye shall eat your own dung," and what follows; this do these men also make you undergo, not in word, but in deeds; or rather, somewhat even much worse. For truly those songs are more loathsome even than all this; and what is yet worse, so far from feeling annoyance when ye hear them, ye rather laugh, when ye ought to abominate them and fly.

Third, Rabsaces's mockery of their response is set out: and Rabsaces said to them; urine of their feet, which flowed at their feet: they that were brought up in scarlet have embraced the dung (Lam 4:5).

Then Rabsaces stood, and cried out with a loud voice in the Jews' language. Here his address to the people is set out.

And first, his foolish words are set out, in which he frightens them with threats: he shall not be able to deliver you: who is this, that says the children of Israel can resist king Nabuchodonosor? (Jdt 5:27). He allures them with promises: thus said the king; a blessing, that is, a pact, which will be turned to your blessing, or: bless me as your lord. Till I come, from Egypt, to a land, namely, of the Medes: God give you of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, abundance of corn and wine (Gen 27:28). And he provokes them by examples: neither let Ezechias trouble you: he shall be lifted up, and shall magnify himself (Dan 11:36).

(Vers. 16 seqq.) Join me in blessing, and come out to me, and each one eat his own vineyard, and each one eat his own fig tree, and each one drink the water of his own cistern. This is what is read in the Book of Kings: 'Do with me what is beneficial, and come out to me' (2 Kings 18:31). Therefore, the meaning is the same. 'Do what is profitable for you,' he says, 'and may it contribute to your blessing.' Whether he is saying this: 'Bless the Assyrian king and praise him, and confess the Lord, so that you may obtain rewards, and until I return from Egypt, or when Lobna is captured, I will return. Dwell in your city and enjoy your possessions.'

(Vers. 17) Until I come and take you to a land, which is like your own land: a land of wheat and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. Later, however, I will come and lead you to a land that is similar to your land, with wheat, wine, and oil. It does not mention the name of the region, because it could not find an equivalent land promise: but it promises similarity. For each person desires what they were born into. Some think that the land of Media is promised to them, which had a similarity to the land of Judaea, both in location and in crops. And this is what he brings up.

(Verse 19) Where is the God of Hamath and Arpad? Where is the God of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand? This shows that all these gods have served Samaria, and that is why it has been captured.

(Verse 20) Who among all the gods of these lands has delivered their land from my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem from my hand? But, he said, if we easily overcame ten tribes with such great gods presiding over them, how much more easily will we conquer you, or rather Jerusalem alone, with one God as our ruler?

(Verse 21) But they were silent and did not answer him a word. For the king had commanded, 'Do not answer him.' And all the people remained silent and did not answer him anything. For they had received a command from the king not to answer him. Truly, Ezechias is just, doing everything faithfully and with wisdom. Therefore, he had ordered them not to answer the Assyrian blasphemer, so as not to provoke him to greater blasphemies. Where it is written: Do not kindle the coals of a sinner (Ecclesiastes 8:13); and in the psalm we read: When the sinner rose up against me, I was silent and humbled myself, and I kept silent about the good things (Psalm 38:23); and again: Set, O Lord, a guard at my mouth, and a fortified gate at my lips: do not incline my heart to the words of evil (Psalm 140:3).

Second, he sets out the silence of the people who heard him: he that deceives his friend, is mean of heart: but the wise man will hold his peace (Prov 11:12); answer not a fool according to his folly (Prov 26:4); for the king had commanded, saying: answer him not, lest he multiply words of blasphemy or deceive the people.

And Eliacim the son of Helcias, that was over the house, and Sobna the scribe, and Joahe the son of Asaph the recorder, went in. Here the departure of the messengers from each other is set out.

And first, the return of the Jews to Ezechias;

second, the return of Rabsaces to Sennacherib, where it says, and Rabsaces returned (Isa 37:8).

Concerning the first, he does two things:

first, the return of the messengers and their renunciation of the blasphemy of Rabsaces is set out;

second, the prayer of Ezechias is set out: and it came to pass, when king Ezechias had heard it, that he rent his garments (Isa 37:1), because of the blasphemy he heard, because this was the custom of the Jews, as is seen in Matthew 26:65.