Isaiah 36:4

Complete Jewish Bible

Rav-Shakeh addressed them: "Tell Hizkiyahu: ‘Here is what the great king, the king of Ashur, says: "What makes you so confident?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The royal spokesman said to them, “Tell Hezekiah:

Hebrew Names Version
Ravshakeh said to them, Say you now to Hizkiyahu, Thus says the great king, the king of Ashshur, What confidence is this in which you trust?

King James Version
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?

English Standard Version
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 American Standard Bible
And Rabshakeh said to them, "Say now to Hezekiah, 'This is what the great king, the king of Assyria says: "What is this confidence that you have?

New Century Version
The field commander said to them, "Tell Hezekiah this: "‘The great king, the king of Assyria, says: What can you trust in now?

Amplified Bible
Then the Rabshakeh said to them, "Say to Hezekiah, 'This is what the great king, the king of Assyria says, "What is [the reason for] this confidence that you have?

World English Bible
Rabshakeh said to them, Say you now to Hezekiah, Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this in which you trust?

Geneva Bible (1587)
And Rabshakeh sayde vnto them, Tell you Hezekiah, I pray you, Thus sayth the great King, the King of Asshur, What confidence is this, wherein thou trustest?

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Rabshakeh said to them, "Say now to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, "What is this trust that you have?

Berean Standard Bible
The Rab-shakeh 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?

Contemporary English Version
The Assyrian commander told them: I have a message for Hezekiah from the great king of Assyria. Ask Hezekiah why he feels so sure of himself.

Darby Translation
And Rab-shakeh said to them, Say now to Hezekiah, Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: What confidence is this in which thou trustest?

Easy-to-Read Version
The commander told them, "Tell Hezekiah this is what the great king, the king of Assyria says: "‘What are you trusting in to help you?

George Lamsa Translation
And the Rab-shakeh said to them, Say now to Hezekiah, Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: What source of confidence is this wherein you trust?

Good News Translation
The Assyrian official told them that the emperor wanted to know what made King Hezekiah so confident.

Lexham English Bible
And Rabshakeh said to them, "Now say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: "What is this confidence in which you trust?

Literal Translation
And the chief of the cupbearers said to them, Say now to Hezekiah, The great king says this, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this in which you trust?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Rabsaches sayde vnto them: Tel Ezechias, that the greate kinge of Assiria sayeth thus vnto him: What presumpcion is this, that thou trustest vnto?

American Standard Version
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?

Bible in Basic English
And the Rab-shakeh said to them, Say now to Hezekiah, These are the words of the great king, the king of Assyria: In what are you placing your hope?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Rab-shakeh said unto them: 'Say ye now to Hezekiah: Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria: What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?

King James Version (1611)
And Rabshakeh sayd vnto them; Say yee now to Hezekiah; Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria; What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Rabsakeh sayde vnto them, Tell Hezekia that the great kyng saith thus vnto hym: What presumption is this that thou trustest vnto?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Rabsaces said to them, Say to Ezekias, Thus says the great king, the king of the Assyrians, Why art thou secure?

English Revised Version
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?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Rapsases seide to hem, Seie ye to Ezechie, The greet king, the king of Assiriens, seith these thingis, What is the trist, in which thou tristist?

Update Bible Version
And Rabshakeh said to them, Say now to Hezekiah, Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein you trust?

Webster's Bible Translation
And Rabshakeh said to them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence [is] this in which thou trustest?

New English Translation
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?

New King James Version
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?

New Living Translation
Then the Assyrian king's chief of staff told them to give this message to Hezekiah: "This is what the great king of Assyria says: What are you trusting in that makes you so confident?

New Life Bible
Rabshakeh said to them, "Tell Hezekiah, ‘The great king, the king of Syria, says, "What is the reason for this hope you have?

New Revised Standard
The Rabshakeh said to them, "Say to Hezekiah: Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you base this confidence of yours?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Rabshakeh said unto them, Pray you say unto Hezekiah, - Thus, saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What is this trust, wherewith then dost trust?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Rabsaces said to them: Tell Ezechias: Thus saith the great king, the king of the Assyrians: What is this confidence wherein thou trustest?

Revised Standard Version
And the Rab'shakeh said to them, "Say to Hezeki'ah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this confidence of yours?

Young's Literal Translation
And Rabshakeh saith unto them, `Say ye, I pray you, unto Hezekiah, `Thus said the great king, the king of Asshur, What [is] this confidence in which thou hast confided?

THE MESSAGE
The Rabshekah said to them, "Tell Hezekiah that the Great King, the king of Assyria, says this: ‘What kind of backing do you think you have against me? You're bluffing and I'm calling your bluff. Your words are no match for my weapons. What kind of backup do you have now that you've rebelled against me? Egypt? Don't make me laugh. Egypt is a rubber crutch. Lean on Egypt and you'll end up flat on your face. That's all Pharaoh king of Egypt is to anyone who leans on him. And if you try to tell me, "We're leaning on our God ," isn't it a bit late? Hasn't Hezekiah just gotten rid of all the places of worship, telling you, "You've got to worship at this altar"?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Rabshakeh said to them, "Say now to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, "What is this confidence that you have?

Contextual Overview

¹ It was in the fourteenth year of King Hizkiyahu that Sancheriv king of Ashur advanced against all the fortified cities of Y'hudah and captured them. ² From Lakhish the king of Ashur sent Rav-Shakeh to Hizkiyahu in Yerushalayim with a large army. He positioned himself by the aqueduct from the Upper Pool, which is by the road to the Launderers' Field. ³ Elyakim the son of Hilkiyahu, who was in charge of the household, Shevnah the general secretary and Yo'ach the son of Asaf the foreign minister went out to meet him. ⁴ Rav-Shakeh addressed them: "Tell Hizkiyahu: ‘Here is what the great king, the king of Ashur, says: "What makes you so confident? ⁵ I say: do mere words constitute strategy and strength for battle? In whom, then, are you trusting when you rebel against me like this? ⁶ Look! Relying on Egypt is like using a broken stick as a staff — when you lean on it, it punctures your hand. That's what Pharaoh king of Egypt is like for anyone who puts his trust in him. ⁷ But if you tell me, ‘We trust in Adonai our God,' then isn't he the one whose high places and altars Hizkiyahu has removed, telling Y'hudah and Yerushalayim, ‘You must worship before this altar'? ⁸ All right, then, make a wager with my lord the king of Ashur: I will give you two thousand horses if you can find enough riders for them. ⁹ How then can you repulse even one of my master's lowest-ranked army officers? Yet you are relying on Egypt for chariots and riders! ¹⁰ Do you think I have come up to this land to destroy it without Adonai 's approval? Adonai said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it!' " ' "

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Thus saith: Isaiah 10:8-14, Isaiah 37:11-15, Proverbs 16:18, Ezekiel 31:3-18, Daniel 4:30, Acts 12:22, Acts 12:23, Jude 1:16

Assyria: Assyria proper, now Kourdistan, was bounded by Armenia on the north, Media and Persia on the east, Babylonia on the south, and the Tigris, which divides it from Mesopotamia, on the west, between 33 degrees and 38 degrees n lat. and 42 degrees and 46 degrees e long. But the Assyrian empire, the bounds of which were different at different times, in its most flourishing state, according to the descriptions of the Greek and Roman writers, comprehended all the countries and nations between the Mediterranean on the west, and the Indus on the east, and between the deserts of Scythia on the north, and the Indian ocean on the south.

What: 2 Kings 18:5, 2 Kings 18:19-37, 2 Kings 19:10, 2 Chronicles 32:7-10, 2 Chronicles 32:14-16, Psalms 42:3, Psalms 42:10, Psalms 71:10, Psalms 71:11

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 32:10 - Thus saith Isaiah 36:13 - Hear Isaiah 37:10 - Let not Isaiah 37:29 - rage Jeremiah 48:14 - How Ezekiel 29:16 - the confidence Ezekiel 31:5 - his height Ezekiel 31:8 - nor any 2 Corinthians 5:6 - we are always

Cross-References

Exodus 2:18
When they came to Re‘u'el their father, he said, "How come you're back so soon today?"

Numbers 10:29
(S: vi) Moshe said to Hovav the son of Re‘u'el the Midyani, Moshe's father-in-law, "We are traveling to the place about which Adonai said, ‘I will give it to you.' Come with us, and we will treat you well, because Adonai has promised good things to Isra'el."

1 Chronicles 1:35
The sons of ‘Esav: Elifaz, Re‘u'el, Ye‘ush, Ya‘lam and Korach.

Job 2:11
Now when Iyov's three friends heard of all the calamities that had overwhelmed him, they all came. Each came from his own home — Elifaz from Teiman, Bildad from Shuach and Tzofar from Na‘amah. They had agreed to meet together in order to come and offer him sympathy and comfort.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Rabshakeh said unto them,.... The three ministers above mentioned:

say ye now to Hezekiah; tell him what follows; he does not call him king, as he does his own master:

thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria; this he said boastingly of his master, and in order to terrify Hezekiah and his subjects; whom he would represent as little in comparison of him, who had subdued many kingdoms, and aimed at universal monarchy; so the eastern kings used to be called, as now the Grand Signior with the Turks, and the French call their king the great monarch; but the title of a great king suits best with God himself, Psalms 95:3:

what confidence is this wherein thou trustest? meaning, what was the ground and foundation of his confidence? what was it that kept him in high spirits, that he did not at once submit to the king of Assyria, and surrender the city of Jerusalem to him?

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

What 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.