Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The torn clothes weren't just a display of sadness; they were a silent, powerful protest against the Assyrian commander's blasphemy, meant to convey their profound shock and offense without uttering a single word in reply. This act highlights their deep respect for God's honor, even in the face of overwhelming terror and humiliation.
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Assyrian commander Rabshakeh has just finished a terrifying speech filled with threats and blasphemies against God, aimed at making the people on the wall surrender. Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah, who had been sent to negotiate, return to King Hezekiah with their clothes torn in grief and horror. They relay Rabshakeh's defiant words, setting the stage for Hezekiah's prayer and God's powerful response.
Why did these officials tear their clothes upon returning to Hezekiah? It wasn't just sadness.
The tearing of clothes, a common practice in the ancient Near East, was a visceral, public display of profound distress, grief, and horror. In this moment, it was a powerful non-verbal declaration of their shock and revulsion at the blasphemous words spoken by Rabshakeh.
A Silent Protest
These men were messengers, but what they carried was heavier than just words.
The role of these officials—Eliakim (overseer of the household), Shebna (secretary), and Joah (recorder)—was to bring information to the king. In this instance, their report was devastating.
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Delivering Devastation
Understand the original words
bayith · Hebrew Noun
A high-ranking official or steward responsible for the management of the king's palace or administration. Historically, this role involved managing the king’s affairs and representing his interests.
sopher · Hebrew Noun
A state official responsible for drafting, copying, and maintaining state documents. This role implied high levels of literacy and administrative influence in the royal court.
mazkir · Hebrew Noun
A royal official responsible for maintaining records and historical chronicles of the kingdom’s events.
qara · Hebrew Verb
An act of rending or tearing garments, which serves as a traditional Israelite expression of intense grief, distress, mourning, or repentance before God.
Rabshaqeh · Hebrew Noun
A military or administrative title (likely of Assyrian origin) denoting a high-ranking field commander or envoy who served as the king's primary mouthpiece during diplomatic or military confrontations.
This passage unfolds during a moment of extreme national crisis for Judah. The Assyrian Empire, a superpower of the ancient Near East, had invaded, conquered much of the land, and was now laying siege to Jerusalem itself. The words spoken by the Rabshakeh (a high-ranking Assyrian official) to Hezekiah's emissaries were not just political threats but deeply blasphemous insults against Judah's God, intended to break the people's spirit and force their surrender.
Late 8th century BC
Hezekiah's religious reforms
King Hezekiah initiated widespread reforms, removing idolatrous objects and centralizing worship in Jerusalem.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian invasion of Judah
Sennacherib, king of Assyria, launched a military campaign into the Kingdom of Judah, conquering many fortified cities.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Siege of Jerusalem begins
The Assyrian army, led by Sennacherib's officials like the Rabshakeh, surrounded Jerusalem, imposing a siege.
c. 701 BC
Rabshakeh's taunts at Jerusalem's wall
The Assyrian commander Rabshakeh publicly taunted the people of Jerusalem and King Hezekiah, demanding surrender and blaspheming God.
c. 701 BC
Divine intervention halts the Assyrian advance
An angel of the Lord struck down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in their camp, forcing Sennacherib to withdraw his army from Jerusalem.
c. 681 BC
Assassination of Sennacherib
Sennacherib was assassinated by his own sons in Nineveh. Some accounts suggest this occurred upon his return from the failed campaign against Judah.
This passage describes the same event from a parallel account, showing how the officials responded to the Assyrian envoy and then reported back to Hezekiah.
Esther 4:1This verse shows a similar reaction of grief and distress when facing imminent disaster, where Mordecai and others tear their clothes upon hearing of Haman's wicked decree.
Job 1:20This passage illustrates the profound grief and shock experienced by Job when he heard about his devastating losses, leading him to tear his robe and shave his head.
Matthew 26:65This New Testament passage shows the high priest tearing his robes in feigned horror and anger upon hearing Jesus' claims, demonstrating that rending clothes was a recognized expression of extreme emotion, in this case, anger and shock at blasphemy.
barnesIsaiah 36:22: "Then came Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, that was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh."
With their clothes rent - This was a common mark of grief among the Jews (see 2 Samuel 3:21 ; 1 Kings 21:27 ; Ezra 9:3 ; Job 1:20 ; Job 2:12 ; Jeremiah 36:24 ; and the notes at Matthew 26:65 ; notes at Acts 14:14 ). The causes of their griefs were the insolence and arrogance…
pooleIsaiah 36:22: "Then came Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, that was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh."
The history related here, and in the three following chapters, is, for the substance of it, and almost wholly in the same words, contained 2 Kings 18:1-20:21 . It is fitly inserted here, to explain and confirm some of the foregoing predictions. It may seem to have been first…
The torn clothes weren't just a display of sadness; they were a silent, powerful protest against the Assyrian commander's blasphemy, meant to convey their profound shock and offense without uttering a single word in reply. This act highlights their deep respect for God's honor, even in the face of overwhelming terror and humiliation.
The Assyrian commander Rabshakeh has just finished a terrifying speech filled with threats and blasphemies against God, aimed at making the people on the wall surrender. Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah, who had been sent to negotiate, return to King Hezekiah with their clothes torn in grief and horror. They relay Rabshakeh's defiant words, setting the stage for Hezekiah's prayer and God's powerful response.
The Assyrian commander Rabshakeh has just finished a terrifying speech filled with threats and blasphemies against God, aimed at making the people on the wall surrender. Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah, who had been sent to negotiate, return to King Hezekiah with their clothes torn in grief and horror. They relay Rabshakeh's defiant words, setting the stage for Hezekiah's prayer and God's powerful response.
"Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh." — The torn clothes weren't just a display of sadness; they were a silent, powerful protest against the Assyrian commander's blasphemy, meant to convey their profound shock and offense without uttering…
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Last reviewed October 2026