EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Isaiah 36:11
11Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to the leader of the Assyrian army, ‘Please sir, speak to us in the Aramaic language. We can understand it. Do not speak to us in the Hebrew language, because all the people who are on the wall of the city will understand it.’
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
9You cannot refuse what I offer to you! And I am only an unimportant officer who serves my master. You are hoping that Egypt will give you chariots and men to ride on horses. But you will never be strong enough to win a battle against us. 10You should also understand this: It was the Lord himself who commanded me to bring my army here and attack Jerusalem. He said to me, “Attack this country and destroy it!” ’ Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to the leader of the Assyrian army, ‘Please sir, speak to us in the Aramaic language. We can understand it. Do not speak to us in the Hebrew language, because all the people who are on the wall of the city will understand it.’ 12But the Assyrian army leader replied, ‘My master did not send me here to give this message only to your king and to you. The men who are sitting on the city wall also need to hear my master's message. Like you, they will soon have to eat their own dung and drink their own urine.’ 13Then the Assyrian army leader stood there and he shouted in the Hebrew language, ‘Listen to this message from 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 Hilkiah's son Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to the leader of the Assyrian army, ‘Please sir, speak to us in the Aramaic language. We can understand it. Do not speak to us in the Hebrew language because all the people who are on the wall of the city will understand it.’
- Ezra 4:7Later, when Artaxerxes was king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and their friends wrote a letter to him. They wrote it in the Aramaic language. People translated it for the king to understand.
- Daniel 2:4Then the wise men answered the king. (This is in the Aramaic language. ) They said, ‘King, live for ever! We are your servants. Tell us the dream. Then we will tell you what it means.’
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
EasyEnglish Bible 2018 — Copyright © MissionAssist 2018
Commentaries