Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This isn't just a boast; it's a taunt rooted in a specific cultural and military reality. Rabshakeh is mocking Judah's likely lack of trained cavalry, a core strength of the Assyrian army, suggesting they couldn't even find enough skilled riders for a mere two thousand horses.
Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Rabshakeh, the Assyrian envoy, is delivering a message of intimidation to King Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem. He's already taunted their reliance on Egypt and questioned Hezekiah's reforms, and now he escalates his mockery by challenging Jerusalem's military capabilities. This specific taunt suggests that Judah, having fewer horses and likely less experience with cavalry, wouldn't even be able to find enough skilled riders for the horses the Assyrians could provide.
Rabshakeh wasn't just delivering a message; he was launching a psychological attack. His offer of horses was designed to belittle and demoralize.
The word for 'give pledges' in this verse can also mean 'make a wager.' Rabshakeh wasn't offering a genuine deal; he was taunting Hezekiah. He knew that Judah, by divine command and practice, had few horses and even fewer skilled riders. By offering 2,000 horses, he was essentially saying, 'You can't even imagine having this many horsemen, let alone fielding them against us.' This was a calculated insult, designed to highlight Judah's perceived military weakness, especially in contrast to the mighty Assyrian cavalry. The Assyrians prided themselves on their horsemen, and Rabshakeh used this very strength to mock Judah's deficiency.
Why was Judah so vulnerable in cavalry? The answer lies not just in military strategy, but in God's specific instructions for His people.
The taunt about not being able to find riders for 2,000 horses struck a nerve because it touched upon a significant aspect of Israelite policy. The Law given through Moses explicitly cautioned against kings 'multiplying horses' (Deuteronomy 17:16). This was to prevent reliance on military might, especially from Egypt (a major source of horses), and to foster trust solely in God. While some kings, like Solomon, had accumulated horses, Hezekiah had, according to the historical context, been restoring obedience to the Law. This meant Judah likely had very limited cavalry. Rabshakeh, familiar with these realities, expertly used this cultural and religious difference as a weapon of psychological warfare, highlighting Judah's perceived inferiority against the heavily cavalry-dependent Assyrian war machine.
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Understand the original words
sus · Hebrew Noun
A military-grade beast of burden used for war. In the Old Testament, the accumulation of horses was often prohibited for Israelite kings to prevent them from relying on military might instead of God.
Rabshakeh's taunting challenge about horses and riders highlights Judah's military weakness compared to the mighty Assyrian cavalry. This was particularly galling as Assyria was a major military power and Judah, under Hezekiah's reforms following Deuteronomy's directives, had deliberately limited its own cavalry and horse-breeding.
c. 705 BC
Death of Sargon II
Sennacherib ascends the throne of Assyria, facing revolts and needing to reassert his authority across the empire. He embarks on significant military campaigns to consolidate power.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Sennacherib's Campaign in the West
Sennacherib launches a massive invasion of the Levant, subjugating Phoenician cities and suppressing rebellions. Hezekiah of Judah had joined a revolt against Assyria, leading Sennacherib to attack his kingdom.
c. 701 BC
Siege of Lachish
Sennacherib captures the heavily fortified Judean city of Lachish, a crucial event depicted on Assyrian reliefs. This victory paves the way for the Assyrian army to advance towards Jerusalem.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Army at Jerusalem
Rabshakeh, an Assyrian commander, arrives at Jerusalem with a large force and delivers an arrogant ultimatum from King Sennacherib, demanding Hezekiah's surrender.
c. 701 BC
Miraculous Deliverance of Jerusalem
The Assyrian army besieging Jerusalem is miraculously struck down by an angel of the Lord overnight, forcing Sennacherib to withdraw his forces and return to Nineveh.
c. 681 BC
Assassination of Sennacherib
Sennacherib is assassinated by his own sons in Nineveh. His successor, Esarhaddon, continues Assyrian imperial policies but faces new challenges.
This verse immediately precedes the recorded speech of Rabshakeh, highlighting the pressure Hezekiah and his officials were under to potentially surrender or make a deal.
Isaiah 31:1This passage speaks directly to the folly of relying on Egypt for help with chariots and horsemen, which is precisely the kind of misplaced trust Rabshakeh is taunting Hezekiah about.
Psalm 20:7This psalm contrasts the boastful reliance on chariots and horses with trust in the Lord, offering a theological counterpoint to Rabshakeh's materialist taunts.
2 Chronicles 32:15This passage echoes Rabshakeh's specific mockery of trusting in the Lord, showing how the Assyrians consistently belittled Judah's faith in God.
barnesIsaiah 36:8: "Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them."
Now, therefore, give pledges - Margin, 'Hostages.' The Hebrew verb (ערב ‛ârab) means properly to mix or mingle; then, to exchange commodities by barter or traffic; then, to become surety for anyone, to exchange with him, to stand in his place; then, to pledge, to pledge one's life, or to give security of any ki…
pulpitIsaiah 36:8: "Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them."
Verse 8. - Now therefore give pledges; i.e. "bind yourselves under s-me penalty." Rabshakeh here interrupts his message' to introduce an offer of his own. Intent on ridiculing the absurdity of Hezekiah's resistance of Assyria, he promises to make him a present of two thousand horses, if he (Hezekiah) can find two…
This isn't just a boast; it's a taunt rooted in a specific cultural and military reality. Rabshakeh is mocking Judah's likely lack of trained cavalry, a core strength of the Assyrian army, suggesting they couldn't even find enough skilled riders for a mere two thousand horses.
Rabshakeh, the Assyrian envoy, is delivering a message of intimidation to King Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem. He's already taunted their reliance on Egypt and questioned Hezekiah's reforms, and now he escalates his mockery by challenging Jerusalem's military capabilities. This specific taunt suggests that Judah, having fewer horses and likely less experience with cavalry, wouldn't even be able to find enough skilled riders for the horses the Assyrians could provide.
Rabshakeh, the Assyrian envoy, is delivering a message of intimidation to King Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem. He's already taunted their reliance on Egypt and questioned Hezekiah's reforms, and now he escalates his mockery by challenging Jerusalem's military capabilities. This specific taunt suggests that Judah, having fewer horses and likely less experience with cavalry, wouldn't even be able to find enough skilled riders for the horses the Assyrians could provide.
"Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them." — This isn't just a boast; it's a taunt rooted in a specific cultural and military reality. Rabshakeh is mocking Judah's likely lack of trained cavalry, a core strength of the Assyrian army, suggesting…
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Last reviewed October 2026