Why did Hezekiah strip silver and gold from the temple and palace?

Hezekiah was under intense pressure from Sennacherib, who had already taken many of Judah’s fortified cities. Hoping to stop the advance and avoid a siege on Jerusalem, Hezekiah admitted he had offended the Assyrian king and agreed to pay a heavy tribute. To meet this demand, he took all the silver from the temple and palace and even removed gold from the temple doors and pillars. This shows how afraid he was of Assyria and how he tried to buy safety instead of first looking fully to God for help.

Who is Rabshakeh in this passage and what is his role?

Rabshakeh is one of the top officers sent by the king of Assyria to Jerusalem with a large army. His main job in this scene is not to fight but to speak. He stands by the water supply of the city and gives a long speech aimed at breaking the courage of Hezekiah and the people. He mocks their trust, belittles Egypt as a weak helper, twists Hezekiah’s reforms, and openly speaks against the Lord. His words are meant to scare the people into surrender without a battle.

What does Rabshakeh mean by calling Egypt a bruised reed?

When Rabshakeh calls Egypt a “bruised reed,” he is saying Egypt is like a broken stick that cannot support anyone. If a person leans on such a reed, it will pierce his hand instead of helping him. This picture is meant to warn Judah that if they rely on Egypt for military help, it will only hurt them. While his goal is to push them toward surrender to Assyria, the image itself shows how weak human allies can be compared to trusting in the Lord.

Why does Rabshakeh attack Hezekiah’s removal of high places and altars?

Rabshakeh misunderstands or twists what Hezekiah has done. Hezekiah had removed high places and altars in order to call Judah back to worship at the one altar in Jerusalem, as God had commanded. Rabshakeh claims this means Hezekiah has offended the Lord and left the people with less access to God. By saying this, he is trying to make the people doubt both their king’s reforms and God’s favor. His words show how enemies can distort obedience and make it sound like a mistake.

What is the meaning of Rabshakeh’s promise of vines, fig trees, and a good land?

Rabshakeh promises that if the people surrender, they will eat from their own vines and fig trees and later be taken to a land like their own, full of grain, wine, oil, and honey. He makes surrender sound safe and pleasant. But this offer hides the truth that they would still be exiled and under Assyrian control. His speech shows how temptation often dresses disobedience in attractive language, offering comfort while leading away from trusting the Lord and staying where God has placed his people.

Why did Hezekiah command the people not to answer Rabshakeh?

Hezekiah told the people, “Answer him not,” and they obeyed. This silence was wise. Rabshakeh’s speech was not a fair discussion but an attempt to stir fear, doubt, and anger. Arguing back would likely have given him more room to twist words and weaken the people further. Staying silent kept them from falling into a shouting match and showed they were still following their king’s lead. It reflects the idea that some hostile words are better met with quiet trust than with debate.

What does this passage teach about trusting human power versus trusting God?

The passage sets a clear contrast. On one side, Hezekiah first tries to deal with Assyria by money, stripping the temple to pay tribute. On the other side, Rabshakeh urges the people to give up any hope in Egypt or in the Lord and to trust only in Assyria’s strength and promises. The speech mocks faith and points to the fall of other nations’ gods. The story as a whole warns that human power, money, and clever words cannot replace trust in the living God, who is greater than any empire.

How does Rabshakeh’s speech picture spiritual attack on faith today?

Rabshakeh uses several tactics that still show up in spiritual battles today. He mixes truth and lies, mocks trust in God, points to past losses, and makes obedience look foolish. He also offers comfort if people will just give in, saying they will be safe and well fed. His goal is to make God’s people doubt that the Lord can or will save them. This passage helps readers see that such voices should not always be argued with but met with steady trust and patience before God.

2Kgs.18.13

2 Kings 18:13

KJV

¶ Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them.

Sennacherib Invades Judah

¶ Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them.

And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.

And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king’s house.

At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.

¶ And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field.

And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder.

And Rabshakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?

Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.

But if ye say unto me, We trust in the Lord our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?

Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.

How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

Am I now come up without the Lord against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.

Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and talk not with us in the Jews’ language in the ears of the people that are on the wall.

But Rabshakeh said unto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?

Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, and spake, saying, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria:

Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand:

Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.

Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his cistern:

Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and of honey, that ye may live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The Lord will deliver us.

Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand?

Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?

But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which 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.

Cross References

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