Isaiah 36:11

Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not to us in the Jews' language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall. SPEAK ... IN THE SYRIAN LANGUAGE - rather, Aramean. The language spoken north and east of Palestine, and understood by the Assyrians as belonging to the same family of languages as their own, nearly akin to Hebrew also, though not intelligible to the multitude (cf. 2 Kings 5:5). Aram means a high land, and includes parts of Assyria as well as Syria. SPEAK ... THE JEWS' LANGUAGE. The men of Judah, since the disruption of Israel, claimed the Hebrew as their own peculiarly, being now the only true representative of the whole Hebrew Twelve tribes. In the ears of the people that ...

11._Then said Eliakim. _This circumstance again shews how deeply Hezekiah was depressed, when by his ambassador he entreats so humbly the servant of his enemy. It shews also with what pride Rabshakeh was puffed up, when he rejected so insolently all entreaties; and the refusal was the more shameful, because what was requested was not of great value. From these matters we learn that it was not owing to Hezekiah that he did not pacify the rage of the enemy; for forgetful almost of his royal rank, Hezekiah endearours with all possible modesty to soothe him. If at any time we happen to be oppressed by unjust violence, let us not be ashamed to yield up our rights and to supplicate with humility. Now, when Hezekiah was so submissive, because he saw that he was unable to resist the king of Assyria, this tends powerfully to magnify the glory of God in preserving a nation which was nearly ruined....

SPEAK, I PRAY THEE, UNTO THY SERVANTS IN THE SYRIAN LANGUAGE - Hebrew, ארמית _'ărâmı̂yt_ - ‘Aramean.’ Aram, or Aramea, properly meaning a high region, or the highlands, was of wider extent than Syria Proper, and comprehended not only Syria, but Mesopotamia. It usually denotes however, Syria Proper, of which the capital was Damascus. The language of all this country was probably the same - the Syrian or Aramean, a language of the same family as the Hebrew, and having a strong resemblance to that and to the Chaldee. This was not properly the language of Assyria, where probably a dialect composed of the language of the Medes and Persians was employed. But the Syriac language was spoken in different parts of Assyria. It was spoken in Mesopotamia, and doubtless in some of the provinces of the Assyrian empire, and might be presumed to be understood by Rabshakeh, and those with him. The Jews...

PART II. HISTORICAL SKETCH OF EVENTS IN THE REIGN OF HEZEKIAH (CH. 36-39.). SECTION I. SENNACHERIB'S ATTEMPTS TO REDUCE JUDAEA, AND HIS OVERTHROW (Isaiah 36:1; Isaiah 37:1.). EXPOSITION IF the Book of Isaiah be regarded as the result of a gradual accretion (see the General Introduction), whether that accretion is to be ascribed to the action of the prophet himself or to that of later editors, we may equally consi

THEN SAID ELIAKIM AND SHEBAH AND JOAH UNTO RABSHAKEH,.... That is, one of them addressed him in the name of the rest; for the verb is singular; and what follows confirms it; perhaps Eliakim was the speaker: SPEAK, I PRAY THEE, UNTO THY SERVANTS IN THE SYRIAC LANGUAGE; which was somewhat different from the Hebrew, in which he spoke, and which was not understood by the common people, and for that reason desired: FOR WE UNDERSTAND IT; or hear it; could hear it, so as to understand it; it being common in all courts, as the French tongue now; the Assyrian empire being very large, and so had been learned by these courtiers, for the sake of negotiation or commerce, when the common people had no concern with it: AND SPEAK NOT TO US IN THE JEWS' LANGUAGE, IN THE EARS OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE WALL; the wall of the city, where the commissioners were, who would not venture themselves out of...

THE HISTORICAL PARENTHESIS (36-39) The center of the book of Isaiah is a brief but deeply interesting historical account of events during the reign of King Hezekiah. His name is mentioned not less than thirty-one times in these Chapter s. His great works in reformation and otherwise are recorded in 2 Kings 18:4, 2 Chronicles 29:1; 2Ch 30:5-22, 2 Kings 20:20. From Proverbs 25:1 we learn that he was a great lover of the Word of God, for he had it copied, perhaps by many scribes. He was 25 years old when he ascended the throne and reigned 29 years, 727-699 B.C. No doubt he was one of the greatest kings of Judah. T

ISAIAH 36-39. This section has been extracted from 2 Kings 18:13 to 2 Kings 20:19, and the Song of Hezekiah has been added. For an exposition see the notes on 2 K.; here we have simply to deal with the Song of Hezekiah. ISAIAH 38:10. THANKSGIVING FOR DELIVERANCE FROM IMMINENT DEATH. This is now generally regarded as a post-exilic psalm. Its absence in the parallel narratine in Kings is significant. Apparently it was inserted here by an editor who thought it suitable to Hezekiah's circumstances. If, as seems likely, it has been influenced by the Book of Job, it must be post-exilic. The title cannot, any more than the Psalm titles, weigh against internal evidence. Hezekiah's writing after his recov

THEN SAID, &C. This led only to grosser insults. JEWS. The name by which the People were known of old, to foreigners. See note on Isaiah 36:2. No proof of. later authorship. "Hebrew" is the later word for the _language_ (Compare Isaiah 19:18)....

_the Syrian_(or ARAMEAN R.V. marg.) _language_ was the medium of international communication in Western Asia, more especially of commerce. Assyrian on the other hand was a barbarous tongue to the Hebrews (ch. Isaiah 28:11; Isaiah 33:19). _the Jews" language_ Hebrew is so called only in one other (post-Exilic) passage, Nehemiah 13:24....

VI. CHASTENING THROUGH CAPTIVITY Chapter S 36-39 A. PRESSURE, CHAPTER 36 1. PREDICAMENT TEXT: Isaiah 36:1-12 1 Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib, king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah, and took them. 2 And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field. 3 Then came forth unto him Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder. 4 And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trusteth? 5 I say, thy counsel and strength for the war are but vain words: n