New English Translation
Isaiah 36:4
4The chief adviser said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: ‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: “What is your source of confidence?
Isaiah 36:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?
- New International Version (NIV)The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: “ ‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours?
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the Rabshakeh said to them, "Say to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours?
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: “What confidence is this in which you trust?
Context of Isaiah 36:4
2The king of Assyria sent his chief adviser from Lachish to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem, along with a large army. The chief adviser stood at the conduit of the upper pool which is located on the road to the field where they wash and dry cloth. 3Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace supervisor, accompanied by Shebna the scribe and Joah son of Asaph, the secretary, went out to meet him. The chief adviser said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: ‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: “What is your source of confidence? 5Your claim to have a strategy and military strength is just empty talk. In whom are you trusting, that you would dare to rebel against me? 6Look, you must be trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed staff. If someone leans on it for support, it punctures his hand and wounds him. That is what Pharaoh king of Egypt does to all who trust in him!
Read all of Isaiah 36Isaiah 36:4 word by word
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם֙ רַב־שָׁקֵ֔ה אִמְרוּ־נָ֖א אֶל־חִזְקִיָּ֑הוּ כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ הַגָּדוֹל֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֔וּר מָ֧ה הַבִּטָּח֛וֹן הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּטָֽחְתָּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Rabshakehרַבְשָׁקֵהrabshâqêh · RabshakehH7262
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- ye now to Hezekiahחִזְקִיָּהוּchizqîyâh chizqîyâhû yechizqîyâh yechizqîyâhû · HezekiahH2396
- the greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of Assyriaאַשּׁוּר'ashshûr 'ashshûr · AssyriaH804
- What confidenceבִּטָּחוֹןbiţţâchôn · trustH986
- this wherein thou trustestבָּטַחbâţach · to trustH982
Cross-references for Isaiah 36:4
- Isaiah 10:8Indeed, he says: “Are not my officials all kings?
- Isaiah 37:11Certainly you have heard how the kings of Assyria have annihilated all lands. Do you really think you will be rescued?
- Proverbs 16:18Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
- Ezekiel 31:3Consider Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches, like a forest giving shade, and extremely tall; its top reached into the clouds.
- Daniel 4:30The king uttered these words: “Is this not the great Babylon that I have built for a royal residence by my own mighty strength and for my majestic honor?”
- Acts 12:22But the crowd began to shout, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!”
- Jude 1:16These people are grumblers and fault-finders who go wherever their desires lead them, and they give bombastic speeches, enchanting folks for their own gain.
- 2 Kings 18:5He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; in this regard there was none like him among the kings of Judah either before or after.
- 2 Kings 19:10“Tell King Hezekiah of Judah this: ‘Don’t let your God in whom you trust mislead you when he says, “Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.”
- 2 Chronicles 32:7“Be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic because of the king of Assyria and this huge army that is with him! We have with us one who is stronger than those who are with him.
- Psalms 42:3I cannot eat, I weep day and night; all day long they say to me, “Where is your God?”
- Psalms 71:10For my enemies talk about me; those waiting for a chance to kill me plot my demise.
Commentaries on Isaiah 36:4
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4What confidence - What is the ground of your confidence? on what do you trust? The appellation great king‘ was the customary title of the kings of the Persians and Assyrians.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4The title great king is similar to the title emperor.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. great king--the usual title of the Persian and Assyrian kings, as they had many subordinate princes or kings under them over provinces (Is 10:8).Read the comment
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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries