New Living Translation
2 Kings 18:27
27But Sennacherib’s chief of staff replied, “Do you think my master sent this message only to you and your master? He wants all the people to hear it, for when we put this city under siege, they will suffer along with you. They will be so hungry and thirsty that they will eat their own dung and drink their own urine.”
2 Kings 18:27 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But Rab–shakeh said unto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?
- New International Version (NIV)But the commander replied, “Was it only to your master and you that my master sent me to say these things, and not to the people sitting on the wall—who, like you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?”
- English Standard Version (ESV)But the Rabshakeh said to them, "Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and to drink their own urine?"
- New King James Version (NKJV)But the Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, who will eat and drink their own waste with you?”
Context of 2 Kings 18:27
25What’s more, do you think we have invaded your land without the Lord’s direction? The Lord himself told us, ‘Attack this land and destroy it!’” 26Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebna, and Joah said to the Assyrian chief of staff, “Please speak to us in Aramaic, for we understand it well. Don’t speak in Hebrew, for the people on the wall will hear.” But Sennacherib’s chief of staff replied, “Do you think my master sent this message only to you and your master? He wants all the people to hear it, for when we put this city under siege, they will suffer along with you. They will be so hungry and thirsty that they will eat their own dung and drink their own urine.” 28Then the chief of staff stood and shouted in Hebrew to the people on the wall, “Listen to this message from the great king of Assyria! 29This is what the king says: Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you. He will never be able to rescue you from my power.
Read all of 2 Kings 182 Kings 18:27 word by word
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם רַב־שָׁקֵ֗ה הַעַ֨ל אֲדֹנֶ֤יךָ וְאֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ שְׁלָחַ֣נִי אֲדֹנִ֔י לְדַבֵּ֖ר אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה הֲלֹ֣א עַל־הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים הַיֹּֽשְׁבִים֙ עַל־הַ֣חֹמָ֔ה לֶאֱכֹ֣ל אֶת צוֹאָתָ֗ם וְלִשְׁתּ֛וֹת אֶת־מימֵ֥י רַגְלֵיהֶ֖ם עִמָּכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- But Rab–shakehרַבְשָׁקֵהrabshâqêh · RabshakehH7262
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto them, Hath my masterאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
- sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
- and to thee, to speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- these wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- to the menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- which sitיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- on the wallחוֹמָהchômâh · wallH2346
- that they may eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- their own dungחֲרֵי־יוֹנִיםchărêy-yônîym chărâ'yôn · dove-dungH2755
- their own dungצֹאָהtsô'âh tsô'âh · filthH6675
- and drinkשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
- their own pissשַׁ֫יִןshayin · urineH7890
- their own pissרֶ֫גֶלregel · footH7272
- their own pissמַיmayim · waterH4325
Cross-references for 2 Kings 18:27
- 2 Kings 6:25As a result, there was a great famine in the city. The siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty pieces of silver, and a cup of dove’s dung sold for five pieces of silver.
- Deuteronomy 28:53“The siege and terrible distress of the enemy’s attack will be so severe that you will eat the flesh of your own sons and daughters, whom the Lord your God has given you.
- Psalms 73:8They scoff and speak only evil; in their pride they seek to crush others.
- Lamentations 4:5The people who once ate the richest foods now beg in the streets for anything they can get. Those who once wore the finest clothes now search the garbage dumps for food.
- Ezekiel 4:13Then the Lord said, “This is how Israel will eat defiled bread in the Gentile lands to which I will banish them!”
Commentaries on 2 Kings 18:27
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 27That they may eat their own dung - That they may be duly apprised, if they hold on Hezekiah's side, Jerusalem shall be most straitly besieged, and they be reduced to such a state of famine as to be obliged to eat their own excrements.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 27That they may eat - “My master hath sent me,” the Rab-shakeh seems to say, “to these men, whom I see stationed on the wall to defend the place and bear the last extremities of a prolonged siege - these men on whom its worst evils will fall, and who have therefore the greatest interest in avoiding it by a timely surrender.” He expresses the evils by a strong coarse phrase, suited to the rude soldiery, and well calculated to rouse their feelings. The…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-37Verses 17-37 Rabshakeh tries to convince the Jews, that it was to no purpose for them to stand it out. What confidence is this wherein thou trustest? It were well if sinners would submit to the force of this argument, in seeking peace with God. It is, therefore, our wisdom to yield to him, because it is in vain to contend with him: what confidence is that which those trust in who stand out against him? A great deal of art there is in this speech of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 27my master sent me to speak … to the men sitting on the wall: The Assyrian officials spoke in the local language so everyone in the city could understand. This was a way to spread fear and weaken the people’s resolve, a form of psychological warfare.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2727. that they may eat, &c.--This was designed to show the dreadful extremities to which, in the threatened siege, the people of Jerusalem would be reduced.Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 18:27
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Kings 18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- 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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