Isaiah 36:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you.

NIV: This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you!

NASB: This is what the king says: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to save you;

CSB: This is what the king says: "Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you, for he cannot rescue you.

NLT: This is what the king says: Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you. He will never be able to rescue you.

KJV: Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you.

NKJV: Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you;

Attacks on the mind and emotions have long been a part of waging war. Propaganda and psychological warfare demoralize the enemy and suggest there's no hope. The goal is to make the enemy less effective, or even better to surrender without a fight. This is what Sennacherib's servant, his Rabshakeh (Isaiah 36:1), seeks to do to the people of Jerusalem. The Rabshakeh had gone to the trouble of speaking the local dialect of Hebrew so he could shout his propaganda in the language of the terrified people inside the walls of Jerusalem.

This military commander began his message by elevating the king of the Assyrians. Now he degrades the king of Judah as a small, dishonest, powerless man. The Rabshakeh shouts to all within the sound of his voice that they cannot trust Hezekiah if he claims they can be saved. The only hope the people have to avoid a horrible siege (Isaiah 36:12) is to submit to Assyrian rule (Isaiah 36:16–17).

Isaiah 36:11–22 records psychological warfare from the commander of the Assyrian army. He shouts in the local dialect so everyone can experience terror. The speech promises horrors of siege and death unless the people surrender now. The Assyrian notes that no other nation's gods have stopped this invasion. Nor has any supernatural force protected the territories of Israel and Judah. Jerusalem seems to have no earthly hope, and Hezekiah's messengers wisely say nothing before returning to the city in grief.

Sennacherib and the Assyrian army conquer all of Judah except for Jerusalem. There, a remnant of the people waits inside the walls. Sennacherib sends a messenger to meet with Hezekiah's officials. The messenger taunts Hezekiah, mocking their attempts at alliances as well as their faith in God. This commander, also called "the Rabshakeh" calls out in the local Hebrew language so everyone will understand. He offers life and prosperity to those who surrender now. In his opinion, none of the gods of any of the nations the Assyrians have defeated were able to stop them. So why will the Lord God of Israel be any different?

Isaiah 36 shifts from poetic prophecies to the historical account of an Assyrian army's threats against Judah. Sennacherib's army conquers everything in Judah other except for Jerusalem. An Assyrian messenger taunts the people and tells them that no gods have stopped Assyria yet, so they shouldn't trust in Judah's God, either. Diplomats return to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem with this news. Hezekiah will seek help from Isaiah, pray to God, and receive a spectacular miraculous rescue (Isaiah 37).

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).

Accessed 4/23/2026 6:45:16 AM