2 Kings 18:26

Further insolence of Rab-shakeh. He addresses the people that stand on the wall. Despair of hezekiah's ministers (2 Chronicles 32:13-19; Isaiah 35:1-2)

26. Speak, I pray thee … in the Syrian language The language intended is more properly named, as in the margin of R.V. -Aramæan" This was the language of Mesopotamia and Babylon. It was of the same family as Hebrew, but yet not commonly understood by the people of Judæa. The court officials would of necessity have to speak it for the purposes of political intercourse. -Syriac" is a later dialect of Aramæan. For -talk not" R.V. has speak not. The original word is the same as in the previous clause. By their request Eliakim and his companions at once put themselves at Rabshakeh's mercy, and he shewed them none. -Lewd men are the worse for admonitions. Rab-shakeh had not so strained his throat to corrupt the citizens of Jerusalem, had it not been for the humble obtestation of Eliakim. Now he rears up his voice and holds up his sides, and roars out his double blasphemies" (Bp Hall).

the people thatare on the wall There had gathered a crowd around Hezekiah's ministers to hear the issue of the conference, and these from their previous sufferings in the siege would be ready enough to put a favourable construction on Rab-shakeh's argument. The Chronicler (2 Chronicles 32:11) represents him as employing the powerful argument to starving men -Doth not Hezekiah persuade you to give yourselves over to die by famine and by thirst"? This is the fearful extremity which is so coarsely alluded to in the words of the next verse. That such food had been used by persons reduced to extremity in a siege, see above chap. 2 Kings 6:25 and the note there.