The Chosen Key Word in this Chapter is “Confidence” it comes from the Hebrew Word “bittachon” which means “confidence, trust.”
Isaiah records the Assyrian king’s terrifying threats against Jerusalem’s remaining defenses. Welcome to Bible Life Basics Chapter Reviews, I am Chris and this is Isaiah 36.
Isaiah records that in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the defenced cities of Judah, and took them, sending Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem with a great army, standing by the conduit of the upper pool, where Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah went out to meet him, Rabshakeh asking what “confidence,” “bittachon” in Hebrew, this is in which Hezekiah trusts.
Rabshakeh mocks Hezekiah’s trust, asking whether he trusts in the staff of this broken reed, Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it, or whether they trust in the Lord their God, mocking that Hezekiah has taken away the very high places and altars that this same Lord commanded Judah to worship before, offering to give them two thousand horses if they can put riders on them, since how could they turn away even one captain of the least of his master’s servants.
Rabshakeh speaks loudly in the Jews’ language, to the ears of the people on the wall, urging them not to let Hezekiah deceive them, since he shall not be able to deliver them, nor let Hezekiah make them trust in the Lord, mocking every god of every nation that has failed to deliver its people from Assyria’s hand, but the people held their peace, and answered him not a word, for the king’s commandment was, do not answer him, Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah coming to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and telling him the words of Rabshakeh, this chapter’s dramatic, tense confrontation setting the stage for Hezekiah’s response in the chapter that follows.
Rabshakeh’s psychological warfare, mocking both Egypt and Israel’s own God with equal contempt, demonstrates how intimidating rhetoric often precedes actual military conflict, aiming to break morale before any battle even begins. The people’s disciplined silence, refusing to respond despite such provocative taunting, models genuine restraint under pressure, trusting leadership’s wisdom rather than reacting impulsively to deliberate provocation.
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