Christian Standard Bible
Isaiah 36:11
11Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the royal spokesman, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew within earshot of the people who are on the wall.”
Isaiah 36:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not to us in the Jews’ language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.
- New International Version (NIV)Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to the field commander, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; and do not speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”
Context of Isaiah 36:11
9How then can you drive back a single officer among the least of my master’s servants? How can you rely on Egypt for chariots and horsemen? 10Have I attacked this land to destroy it without the Lord’s approval? The Lord said to me, ‘Attack this land and destroy it.’” Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the royal spokesman, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew within earshot of the people who are on the wall.” 12But the royal spokesman replied, “Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men who are sitting on the wall, who are destined with you to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?” 13Then the royal spokesman stood and called out loudly in Hebrew: Listen to the words of the great king, the king of Assyria!
Read all of Isaiah 36Isaiah 36:11 word by word
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶלְיָקִים֩ וְשֶׁבְנָ֨א וְיוֹאָ֜ח אֶל־רַב־שָׁקֵ֗ה דַּבֶּר־נָ֤א אֶל־עֲבָדֶ֙יךָ֙ אֲרָמִ֔ית כִּ֥י שֹׁמְעִ֖ים אֲנָ֑חְנוּ וְאַל־תְּדַבֵּ֤ר אֵלֵ֙ינוּ֙ יְהוּדִ֔ית בְּאָזְנֵ֣י הָעָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־הַחוֹמָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Eliakimאֶלְיָקִים'elyâqîym · EliakimH471
- and Shebnaשֶׁבְנָאshebnâ' shebnâh · ShebnaH7644
- and Joahיוֹאָחyô'âch · JoahH3098
- unto Rabshakehרַבְשָׁקֵהrabshâqêh · RabshakehH7262
- Speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- I pray thee, unto thy servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- in the Syrian languageאֲרָמִית'ărâmîyth · AramaicH762
- for we understandשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: understandH8085
- not to us in the Jews’ languageיְהוּדִיתyehûdîyth · JewishH3066
- in the earsאֹ֫זֶן'ôzen · ear: hearingH241
- of the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- on the wallחוֹמָהchômâh · wallH2346
Cross-references for Isaiah 36:11
- 2 Kings 18:26Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebnah, and Joah said to the royal spokesman, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Don’t speak with us in Hebrew within earshot of the people on the wall.”
- Ezra 4:7During the time of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his colleagues wrote to King Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated.
- Daniel 2:4The Chaldeans spoke to the king (Aramaic begins here): “May the king live forever. Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”
Commentaries on Isaiah 36:11
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language - Hebrew, ארמית 'ărâmı̂yt - Aramean.‘ Aram, or Aramea, properly meaning a high region, or the highlands, was of wider extent than Syria Proper, and comprehended not only Syria, but Mesopotamia. It usually denotes however, Syria Proper, of which the capital was Damascus. The language of all this country was probably the same - the Syrian or Aramean, a language of the same family as the Hebrew…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11Aramaic was the common language of the Assyrian Empire. The elite understood it, but the common people of Judah did not.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. Syrian--rather, "Aramean": the language spoken north and east of Palestine, and understood by the Assyrians as belonging to the same family of languages as their own: nearly akin to Hebrew also, though not intelligible to the multitude (compare 2Ki 5:5-7). "Aram" means a "high land," and includes parts of Assyria as well as Syria. Jews' language--The men of Judah since the disruption of Israel, claimed the Hebrew as their own peculiarly, as if they…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 36:11
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 36
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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