Isaiah 36:15
Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD by saying, “The LORD will surely deliver us. This city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Rabshakeh's taunt is a clever twist: he pretends to quote Hezekiah's faith in God, but he frames it as Hezekiah deceiving the people by making them trust in the LORD. This isn't just disbelief; it's an attempt to poison the well of their hope, turning reliance on God into a foolish trick.
The Assyrian commander, Rabshakeh, stands before Jerusalem, having already conquered surrounding cities, and taunts the besieged people. He dismisses Hezekiah's encouragement to trust in God, attempting to undermine their faith by belittling their king and questioning the power of their God, offering the people only false promises of comfort if they surrender.
When the enemy can't break your walls, they try to break your faith. Rabshakeh’s words reveal a strategy as old as time.
Rabshakeh, the Assyrian commander, directly attacks the people's trust in God. He knows Hezekiah has been encouraging them to rely on the LORD for deliverance.
Undermining Confidence
Beyond just fear, the enemy also offers deceptive 'solutions.' Rabshakeh presents a tempting alternative to trusting God.
Rabshakeh doesn't just rely on threats; he also offers a seemingly practical alternative to trusting in God. He contrasts the uncertain promise of divine deliverance with tangible, immediate 'benefits' of surrender.
The Illusion of a Better Way
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
A title often applied to the covenant God of Israel, YHWH, who revealed His personal name to Moses. It signifies the self-existent, faithful, and redeeming God of the covenant.
batach · Hebrew Verb
To have firm reliance, confidence, or hope in someone or something. In a biblical context, it is the primary posture of the heart toward God, signifying total dependence on His character and promises.
Rabshakeh's taunts reveal a deliberate Assyrian strategy to undermine Judah's faith in God, knowing that their spiritual resolve was their greatest defense against military might.
c. 705 BC
Sennacherib's Accession to Assyrian Throne
Sennacherib becomes king of Assyria, inheriting a vast and powerful empire. He would later launch a major campaign against Judah.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Campaign Against Judah
Sennacherib invades Judah, capturing many fortified cities. Hezekiah, king of Judah, had previously rebelled against Assyrian rule.
c. 701 BC
Siege of Jerusalem Begins
Sennacherib's army arrives at Jerusalem and lays siege to the city, demanding its surrender.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Rabshakeh's Confrontation at Jerusalem
Rabshakeh, an Assyrian official, stands before Jerusalem's walls and taunts the people and King Hezekiah, urging them to surrender and abandon trust in the LORD.
c. 701 BC
This passage offers a direct contrast, showing God's actual intervention to deliver Jerusalem, fulfilling the very assurance Rabshakeh was mocking.
2 Kings 18:30-32This offers the same account from a different perspective, highlighting Hezekiah's own words to the people, which Rabshakeh is twisting and deriding.
Jeremiah 17:5This proverb warns against trusting in humans or earthly strength, a core theme Rabshakeh exploits by trying to break the people's trust in God and redirect it to Assyria's power.
Psalm 20:7This psalm speaks of trusting in the Lord's name, directly countering Rabshakeh's taunt and affirming the people's hope in God despite overwhelming opposition.
cambridgeIsaiah 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."
15 . The Lord will surely deliver us ] Cf. ch. Isaiah 37:35 .
barnesIsaiah 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."
Make you trust in the Lord - Rabshakeh knew that Hezekiah was professedly devoted to Yahweh, and that he would endeavor to induce the people to trust in him. The Jews had now no other refuge but God, and as long as they put their confidence there, even Rabshakeh knew that it was hazardous to attempt to take and destroy t…
Rabshakeh's taunt is a clever twist: he pretends to quote Hezekiah's faith in God, but he frames it as Hezekiah deceiving the people by making them trust in the LORD. This isn't just disbelief; it's an attempt to poison the well of their hope, turning reliance on God into a foolish trick.
The Assyrian commander, Rabshakeh, stands before Jerusalem, having already conquered surrounding cities, and taunts the besieged people. He dismisses Hezekiah's encouragement to trust in God, attempting to undermine their faith by belittling their king and questioning the power of their God, offering the people only false promises of comfort if they surrender.
The Assyrian commander, Rabshakeh, stands before Jerusalem, having already conquered surrounding cities, and taunts the besieged people. He dismisses Hezekiah's encouragement to trust in God, attempting to undermine their faith by belittling their king and questioning the power of their God, offering the people only false promises of comfort if they surrender.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Isaiah 36:15 is available in the Sola app.
Divine Intervention and Assyrian Withdrawal
An angel of the LORD strikes down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers overnight, forcing Sennacherib to withdraw his army from Jerusalem. Sennacherib is later assassinated by his own sons.
"Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD by saying, “The LORD will surely deliver us. This city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”" — Rabshakeh's taunt is a clever twist: he pretends to quote Hezekiah's faith in God, but he frames it as Hezekiah deceiving the people by making them trust in the LORD. This isn't just disbelief; it'…
