Isaiah 36:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And there came out to him Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder.

NIV: Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to him.

NASB: Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the secretary, went out to him.

CSB: Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the court secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the court historian, came out to him.

NLT: These are the officials who went out to meet with them: Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian.

KJV: Then came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah's son, which was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph's son, the recorder.

NKJV: And Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came out to him.

The king of the Assyrians, Sennacherib, has conquered all the fortified cities and villages of Judah. His army is camped at Lachish, near Jerusalem. He sends a delegation to negotiate the surrender of Jerusalem. The Assyrians are represented by Sennacherib's "Rabshakeh," which may be another name for his cupbearer and closest personal advisor. He seems to be the primary commander in the area.

From Jerusalem, three representatives of King Hezekiah go out. They meet the Assyrians at an aqueduct—a water supply channel—on the way to the Washer's Field. They include Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, who is over the king's household. Shebna, the secretary to the king, and Joah, recorder, are also present. Isaiah 22 describes how Shebna lost the position of being over the king's household and how Eliakim excelled in it.

Isaiah 36:1–3 introduces delegations from Assyria and Judah who meet just outside of Jerusalem. Hezekiah of Judah rebelled against Sennacherib of Assyria (2 Kings 18:19–21). Faced with invasion, Hezekiah agreed to send ransom, but the army did not stop (2 Kings 18:14–16). The main Assyrian spokesman is identified with the word Rabshaqeh, which seems to describe a royal advisor and military field commander. Two other Assyrians are also there but don't contribute to the incident (2 Kings 18:17).

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 3/10/2026 10:14:43 PM