Sennacherib’s Invasion

¹In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, King Sennacherib of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.[#36:1–22 2Kg 18:13,17–37; 2Ch 32:1–16,18]

²Then the king of Assyria sent his royal spokesman, along with a massive army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. The Assyrian stood near the conduit of the upper pool, by the road to Launderer’s Field.[#36:2 Jos 15:20,39; #36:2 Is 7:3]

³Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the court secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the court historian, came out to him.[#36:3 Is 22:15,20–21]

⁴The royal spokesman said to them, “Tell Hezekiah:

¹¹Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the royal spokesman, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew within earshot of the people who are on the wall.”[#36:11 Ezr 4:7; Dn 2:4; #36:11 Lit Judahite , also in v. 13]

¹²But the royal spokesman replied, “Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men who are sitting on the wall, who are destined with you to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine? ”

¹³Then the royal spokesman stood and called out loudly in Hebrew:

²¹But they kept silent; they didn’t say anything, for the king’s command was, “Don’t answer him.”[#36:21 Pr 26:4]

²²Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the court secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the court historian, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and reported to him the words of the royal spokesman.