2 Kings 18:19
17 And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rab-shakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field.
18 And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder.
And Rab-shakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?
20 Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?
21 Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- 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?
- KJV
- And Rab-shakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?
- WEB
- Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘The great king, the king of Assyria, says, “What confidence is this in which you trust?
- ASV
- 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?
- DARBY
- And Rab-shakeh said to them, Say now to Hezekiah, Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?
- BLB
- And the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah: Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: What [is] this confidence in which you trust?
- ÅB
- Og Rabsake sa til dem: Si til Hiskia: Så sier den store konge, kongen i Assyria: Hva er det for en trygghet som er kommet over deg?
- OTB
- Da sa Rabsjake til dem, “Si nå til Hiskia, ‘Dette sier den store kongen, kongen av Assyria: Hva er denne tilliten du har?
- B1930
- Og Rabsake sa til dem: Si til Esekias: Så sier den store konge, kongen i Assyria: Hvad er det for en trygghet som er kommet over dig?
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Isaiah 36:4
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?
Read in contextIsaiah 10:8–14
For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings?
Read in context2 Kings 19:10
Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.
Read in context2 Kings 18:29–30
Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand:
Read in context2 Chronicles 32:10–11
Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem?
Read in context2 Chronicles 32:14–16
Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of mine hand?
Read in context2 Kings 18:22
But if ye say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?
Read in contextIsaiah 37:13
Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?
Read in context