KJV King James Version
And Rabshakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence [is] this wherein thou trustest?
VERSE STUDY • KJV
2 Kings 18:19
And Rabshakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence [is] this wherein thou trustest?
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
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?
WEB World English Bible
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?
ASV 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?
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
And the chief of the butlers saith unto them, ‘Say, I pray you, unto Hezekiah, Thus said the great king, the king of Asshur, What is this confidence in which thou hast confided?
Surrounding context — 2 Kings 18
16 At that time did Hezekiah cut off [the gold from] the doors of the temple of the LORD, and [from] the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
17 And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh 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.
19 And Rabshakeh 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.
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?
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרH559 · a.marto sayאֲלֵהֶם֙H413 · elto(wards)רַב־H7262 · rav.sha.qehRabshakehשָׁקֵ֔הH7262 · rav.sha.qehRabshakehאִמְרוּ־H559 · a.marto sayנָ֖אH4994 · napleaseאֶל־H413 · elto(wards)חִזְקִיָּ֑הוּH2396 · chiz.qiy.yahHezekiahכֹּֽה־H3541 · kohthusאָמַ֞רH559 · a.marto sayהַמֶּ֤לֶךְH4428 · me.lekhkingהַגָּדוֹל֙H1419 · ga.dolgreat: largeמֶ֣לֶךְH4428 · me.lekhkingאַשּׁ֔וּרH804 · ash.shurAssyriaמָ֧הH4100 · mahwhat?הַבִּטָּח֛וֹןH986 · bit.ta.chontrustהַזֶּ֖הH2088 · zehthisאֲשֶׁ֥רH834 · a.sherwhichבָּטָֽחְתָּ׃H982 · ba.tachto trust
Cross-references
Isaiah 36:4And 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?2 Kings 19:10Thus 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.Isaiah 10:8-14For he saith, [Are] not my princes altogether kings?Psalm 4:2O ye sons of men, how long [will ye turn] my glory into shame? [how long] will ye love vanity, [and] seek after leasing? Selah.2 Kings 18:29-30Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand:2 Chronicles 32:7-8Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that [is] with him: for [there be] more with us than with him:Isaiah 37:10Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God, in whom thou trustest, deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.Isaiah 36:7But if thou say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: [is it] not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?2 Chronicles 32:10-11Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem?Daniel 4:30The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?2 Chronicles 32:14-16Who [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?2 Kings 18:22But 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?Isaiah 37:13Where [is] the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
Compare classic commentaries on 2 Kings 18:19
Put Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Calvin, Wesley, Barnes, Jamieson–Fausset–Brown, Aquinas’ Catena and other public-domain sources beside the passage.
Compare commentaries →