2 Kings 18:37 Then Hilkiah's son Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and Asaph's son Joah the recorder came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and they relayed to him the words of the Rabshakeh.

◄ 2 Kings 18:37 ►

New International Version
Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn, and told him what the field commander had said.

New Living Translation
Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian, went back to Hezekiah. They tore their clothes in despair, and they went in to see the king and told him what the Assyrian chief of staff had said.

English Standard Version
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.

Berean Standard Bible
Then Hilkiah’s son Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and Asaph’s son Joah the recorder came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and they relayed to him the words of the Rabshakeh.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.

New American Standard Bible
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the household, and Shebna the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph, the secretary, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and they reported to him the words of Rabshakeh.

NASB 1995
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of Rabshakeh.

NASB 1977
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of Rabshakeh.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of Rabshakeh.

Amplified Bible
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the [royal] household, and Shebna the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph the secretary, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn [in grief and despair] and told him what the Rabshakeh had said.

Christian Standard Bible
Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the court secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the court historian, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and reported to him the words of the royal spokesman.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the court secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the court historian, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and reported to him the words of the Rabshakeh.

American Standard Version
Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who 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.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace and was the son of Hilkiah, Shebna the scribe, and Joah, who was the royal historian and the son of Asaph, went to Hezekiah with their clothes torn in grief. They told him the message from the field commander.

Good News Translation
Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah tore their clothes in grief, and went and reported to the king what the Assyrian official had said.

International Standard Version
But Hilkiah's son Eliakim, who managed the household, Shebna the scribe, and Asaph's son Joah the recorder came back to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him what Rab-shakeh had said.

Majority Standard Bible
Then Hilkiah’s son Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and Asaph’s son Joah the recorder came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and they relayed to him the words of the Rabshakeh.

NET Bible
Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace supervisor, accompanied by Shebna the scribe and Joah son of Asaph, the secretary, went to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and reported to him what the chief adviser had said.

New Heart English Bible
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, came with Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who 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 Rab-shakeh.

World English Bible
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, came with Shebna the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him Rabshakeh’s words.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who [is] over the house, comes in, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph, the remembrancer, to Hezekiah, with torn garments, and they declare to him the words of the chief of the butlers.

Young's Literal Translation
And Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who is over the house, cometh in, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph the remembrancer, unto Hezekiah, with rent garments, and they declare to him the words of the chief of the butlers.

Smith's Literal Translation
And there came Eliakim, son of Hilkiah, who was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph reminding, to Hezekiah, their garments rent; and they will announce to him the words of Rabshakeh.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Eliacim the son of Helcias, who was over the house, and Sobna the scribe, and Joahe the son of Asaph the recorder, came to Ezechias, with their garments rent, and told him the words of Rabsaces.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, the first ruler of the house, and Shebnah, the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the keeper of records, went to Hezekiah with their garments torn. And they reported to him the words of Rabshakeh.

New American Bible
Then the master of the palace, Eliakim, son of Hilkiah, Shebnah the scribe, and the chancellor Joah, son of Asaph, came to Hezekiah with their garments torn, and reported to him the words of the commander.

New Revised Standard Version
Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, the steward of the household, and Shebna the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of the Rab-shakeh.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Eliakim son of Khelqia the Steward came, and Shebna the Scribe and Yuakh son of Asaph the Chronicler to Hezekiah while their clothes were torn, and they told him the words of Rab Shakeh.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who 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 Rab-shakeh.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Heliakim the son of Chelcias, the steward, and Somnas the scribe, and Joas the son of Saphat the recorder came in to Ezekias, having rent their garments; and they reported to him the words of Rapsakes.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem
…36But the people remained silent and did not answer a word, for Hezekiah had commanded, “Do not answer him.” 37Then Hilkiah’s son Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and Asaph’s son Joah the recorder came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and they relayed to him the words of the Rabshakeh.

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Isaiah 36:22
Then Hilkiah’s son Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and Asaph’s son Joah the recorder came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and they relayed to him the words of the Rabshakeh.

2 Kings 19:1
On hearing this report, King Hezekiah tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and entered the house of the LORD.

Isaiah 37:1
On hearing this report, King Hezekiah tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and entered the house of the LORD.

2 Chronicles 32:9-20
Later, as Sennacherib king of Assyria and all his forces besieged Lachish, he sent his servants to Jerusalem with a message for King Hezekiah of Judah and all the people of Judah who were in Jerusalem: / “This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: What is the basis of your confidence, that you remain in Jerusalem under siege? / Is not Hezekiah misleading you to give you over to death by famine and thirst when he says, ‘The LORD our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria?’ ...

Isaiah 36:1-3
In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked and captured all the fortified cities of Judah. / And the king of Assyria sent the Rabshakeh, with a great army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And he stopped by the aqueduct of the upper pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field. / Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder, went out to him.

2 Kings 18:13-16
In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked and captured all the fortified cities of Judah. / So Hezekiah king of Judah sent word to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand from me.” And the king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. / Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace. ...

2 Kings 19:2-4
And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz / to tell him, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace; for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them. / Perhaps the LORD your God will hear all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to defy the living God, and He will rebuke him for the words that the LORD your God has heard. Therefore lift up a prayer for the remnant that still survives.”

Isaiah 37:2-4
And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz / to tell him, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace; for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them. / Perhaps the LORD your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to defy the living God, and He will rebuke him for the words that the LORD your God has heard. Therefore lift up a prayer for the remnant that still survives.”

2 Kings 18:17-25
Nevertheless, the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and the Rabshakeh, along with a great army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They advanced up to Jerusalem and stationed themselves by the aqueduct of the upper pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field. / Then they called for the king. And Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebnah the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder, went out to them. / The Rabshakeh said to them, “Tell Hezekiah that this is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: What is the basis of this confidence of yours? ...

Isaiah 36:4-10
The Rabshakeh said to them, “Tell Hezekiah that this is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: What is the basis of this confidence of yours? / You claim to have a strategy and strength for war, but these are empty words. In whom are you now trusting, that you have rebelled against me? / Look now, you are trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff that will pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. ...

2 Kings 19:5-7
So the servants of King Hezekiah went to Isaiah, / who replied, “Tell your master that this is what the LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid of the words you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. / Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land, where I will cause him to fall by the sword.’”

Isaiah 37:5-7
So the servants of King Hezekiah went to Isaiah, / who replied, “Tell your master that this is what the LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid of the words you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. / Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land, where I will cause him to fall by the sword.’”

2 Kings 19:8-13
When the Rabshakeh heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah. / Now Sennacherib had been warned about Tirhakah king of Cush: “Look, he has set out to fight against you.” So Sennacherib again sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, / “Give this message to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you by saying that Jerusalem will not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. ...

Isaiah 37:8-13
When the Rabshakeh heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah. / Now Sennacherib had been warned about Tirhakah king of Cush: “He has set out to fight against you.” On hearing this, Sennacherib sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, / “Give this message to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you by saying that Jerusalem will not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. ...

2 Kings 19:14-19
So Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers, read it, and went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. / And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD: “O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth. / Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see. Listen to the words that Sennacherib has sent to defy the living God. ...

Treasury of Scripture

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.

with their clothes rent.

2 Kings 5:7
And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.

2 Kings 22:11,19
And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes…

Genesis 37:29,34
And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes…

Jump to Previous

Administrator Asaph Clothes Clothing Eliakim Eli'akim Field Garments Grief Hezekiah Hezeki'ah Hilkiah Hilki'ah Hilkijah House Household Joah Jo'ah Palace Parted Rabshakeh Rab-Shakeh Recorder Remembrancer Rent Scribe Secretary Shebna Sign Torn Words

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2 Kings 18

1. Hezekiah's good reign
4. He destroys idolatry, and prospers
9. The inhabitants of Samaria are carried captive for their sins
13. Sennacherib invading Judah, is pacified by a tribute
17. Rabshakeh, by blasphemous persuasions, solicits the people to revolt

Berean Study Bible

Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator
Eliakim, whose name means "God will establish," was a significant figure in the court of King Hezekiah. As the son of Hilkiah, he held the esteemed position of palace administrator, a role that involved managing the king's household and affairs. This position required wisdom and integrity, reflecting Eliakim's trustworthiness and capability. Historically, the role of a palace administrator was crucial in maintaining the order and function of the royal court, and Eliakim's presence in this narrative underscores the gravity of the situation with the Assyrian threat.

Shebna the scribe
Shebna, serving as the scribe, was responsible for recording and managing official documents and communications. The Hebrew term for scribe, "sopher," indicates a learned individual skilled in writing and record-keeping. In the context of ancient Israel, scribes were vital for maintaining the continuity of legal and historical records. Shebna's involvement in this delegation highlights the importance of accurate communication and documentation during times of crisis.

and Joah son of Asaph the recorder
Joah, whose name means "Yahweh is brother," was the son of Asaph and served as the recorder. The recorder, or "mazkir" in Hebrew, was tasked with chronicling events and maintaining the annals of the kingdom. This role was essential for preserving the history and decisions of the monarchy. Joah's lineage, being the son of Asaph, suggests a heritage of service and dedication to the temple and the king, as Asaph was a prominent figure associated with temple worship and music.

went to Hezekiah
The delegation's approach to King Hezekiah signifies the urgency and seriousness of the situation. Hezekiah, known for his faithfulness to God and reforms in Judah, was faced with a dire threat from the Assyrian empire. The act of going to Hezekiah indicates their reliance on his leadership and decision-making in this critical moment.

with their clothes torn
Tearing one's clothes was a traditional expression of mourning, distress, or repentance in ancient Israel. This act symbolized the depth of their anguish and the gravity of the message they bore. The torn garments of Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah visually communicated the dire circumstances and the emotional weight of the Assyrian threat.

and reported to him the words of the Rabshakeh
The Rabshakeh, an Assyrian official, had delivered a message of intimidation and blasphemy against the God of Israel. By reporting these words to Hezekiah, the officials were not only conveying the Assyrian demands but also highlighting the spiritual challenge posed by the Rabshakeh's defiance of God. This moment set the stage for Hezekiah's response, which would ultimately demonstrate his faith and reliance on divine intervention.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 37. - 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. They had rent their clothes, not so much in grief or in alarm, as in horror at Rabshakeh's blasphemies. They were blasphemies, no doubt, arising from "invincible ignorance," and not intended as insults to the one Almighty Being who rules the earth, of whose existence Rabshakeh had probably no conception; but they struck on Jewish ears as insults to Jehovah, and therefore as dreadful and horrible (comp. Genesis 37:29; 1 Samuel 4:12; 2 Samuel 1:2; Ezra 9:3, etc.). And told him the words of Rabshakeh; reported to him, i.e. as nearly as they could, all that Rabshakeh had said. The three envoys would supplement, and perhaps correct, one another; and Hezekiah would have conveyed to him a full and, on the whole, exact account of the message sent to him through Rabshakeh by the Assyrian king, and of Rabshakeh's method of enforcing it. The crisis of Hezekiah's life was reached. As he acted under it would be fixed his own fate, his character in the judgment of all future time, and the fate of his own country.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Then Hilkiah's
חִלְקִיָּ֣ה (ḥil·qî·yāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2518: Hilkiah -- 'my portion is Yah', the name of several Israelites

son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

Eliakim
אֶלְיָקִ֣ים (’el·yā·qîm)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 471: Eliakim -- 'God sets up', three Israelites

the palace
הַ֠בַּיִת (hab·ba·yiṯ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

administrator,
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

Shebna
וְשֶׁבְנָ֨א (wə·šeḇ·nā)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7644: Shebna -- secretary and majordomo of Hezekiah

the scribe,
הַסֹּפֵ֜ר (has·sō·p̄êr)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5608: To count, recount, relate

and Asaph's
אָסָ֧ף (’ā·sāp̄)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 623: Asaph -- 'gatherer', the name of several Israelites

son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

Joah
וְיוֹאָ֨ח (wə·yō·w·’āḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3098: Joah -- 'the LORD is brother', the name of several Israelites

the recorder,
הַמַּזְכִּ֛יר (ham·maz·kîr)
Article | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 2142: To mark, to remember, to mention, to be male

came
וַיָּבֹ֣א (way·yā·ḇō)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Hezekiah
חִזְקִיָּ֖הוּ (ḥiz·qî·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2396: Hezekiah -- 'Yah has strengthened', a king of Judah, also several other Israelites

with their clothes
בְגָדִ֑ים (ḇə·ḡā·ḏîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 899: A covering, clothing, treachery, pillage

torn,
קְרוּעֵ֣י (qə·rū·‘ê)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural construct
Strong's 7167: To rend

and they relayed
וַיַּגִּ֣דוּ (way·yag·gi·ḏū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5046: To be conspicuous

to him
ל֔וֹ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

the words
דִּבְרֵ֖י (diḇ·rê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

of
רַב־ (raḇ-)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

[the] Rab-shakeh.
שָׁקֵֽה׃ (šā·qêh)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7262: Rabshakeh -- perhaps 'chief of the officers', an Assyrian military leader

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OT History: 2 Kings 18:37 Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)