2 Kings 18:21
in 2 Kings 18Look now, you are trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff that will pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt; whereon 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.
KJV
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.
⋯
This verse in 2 Kings 18
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
This bruised reed - The “tall reed of the Nile bulrush” fitly symbolized the land where it grew. Apparently strong and firm, it was quite unworthy of trust. Let a man lean upon it, and the rotten support instantly gave way, wounding the hand that stayed itself so insecurely. So it was with Egypt throughout the whole period of Jewish history (compare 2Ki 17:4-6). Her actual practice was to pretend friendship, to hold out hopes of support, and then to fail in time of need.
This site's exposition
What is the basis of this confidence
on 2 Kings 18:19-21
The Rabshakeh opens with one word, "confidence," the ground Hezekiah's trust in the LORD claims. The speech is built to attack that word from every side. The taunt fits a real weakness: Egypt in this period could not reliably help the small states that counted on it against Assyria.
This site's exposition
that splintered reed of a staff
Barnes sees the Nile reed as a fit picture of Egypt, tall and firm to look at and rotten under weight. Clarke adds that Assyrian wars had already broken Egypt. Henry notes that Assyria had been such a reed to Ahaz, who leaned on Tiglath-pileser and was afflicted by him.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
As I have already said, Sennacherib is a type of the devil, and this hypothesis is perfectly confirmed by the words that in this passage the Rabshakeh boastfully speaks against God when he makes false promises to the people, trying to take away from [God] …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
What an idol did he make of that prince whose creature he was! God is the great King, but Sennacherib was in his eye a little god, and he would possess them with the same veneration for him that he had, and thereby frighten them into a submission to him. But to those who by faith see the King of kings in his power and glory even the king of Assyria looks mean and little.
So is the king of Egypt, says he; and truly so had the king of Assyria been to Ahaz, who trusted in him, but he distressed him, and strengthened him not, 2 Chron. xxviii. Those that trust to any arm of flesh will find it no better than a broken reed; but God is the rock of ages.
His great piety, which was the more wonderful because his father was very wicked and vile, one of the worst of the kings, yet he was one of the best, which may intimate to us that what good there is in any is not of nature, but of grace, free grace, sovereign grace, which, contrary to nature, grafts into the good olive that which was wild by nature ( Rom. xi.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The staff of this bruised reed - Egypt had already been greatly bruised and broken, through the wars carried on against it by the Assyrians.
The words behind it
25 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עַתָּ֡ה | ʾatah | now | H6258 → | 433 times |
| הִנֵּ֣ה | hineh | there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| בָטַ֣חְתָּ | vatachta | you rely | H982 → | 120 times |
| לְּךָ֡ | lekha | <for> yourself | ||
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מִשְׁעֶנֶת֩ | mishenet | [the] staff of | H4938 → | 12 times |
| הַקָּנֶ֨ה | hakaneh | <the> reed | H7070 → | |
| הָרָצ֤וּץ | haratzutz | <the> crushed | H7533 → | |
| הַזֶּה֙ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מִצְרַ֔יִם | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יִסָּמֵ֥ךְ | yisamekh | he will support himself | H5564 → | |
| אִישׁ֙ | ʾish | anyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| עָלָ֔יו | ʾalav | on it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וּבָ֥א | uva' | and it will go | H935 → | 2568 times |
| בְכַפּ֖וֹ | vekhapo | in palm his | H3709 → | 192 times |
| וּנְקָבָ֑הּ | unekavah | and it will pierce it | H5344 → | |
| כֵּ֚ן | ken | [is] thus | H3651 → | 771 times |
| פַּרְעֹ֣ה | paroh | Pharaoh | H6547 → | 274 times |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | melekh- | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| מִצְרַ֔יִם | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
| לְכָֽל־ | lekhol | to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַבֹּטְחִ֖ים | habotechim | those [who] rely | H982 → | 120 times |
| עָלָֽיו׃ | ʾalav | on him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
עַתָּ֡הnow
ʾatahH6258 →433 times
הִנֵּ֣הthere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
בָטַ֣חְתָּyou rely
vatachtaH982 →120 times
לְּךָ֡<for> yourself
lekha
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
מִשְׁעֶנֶת֩[the] staff of
mishenetH4938 →12 times
הַקָּנֶ֨ה<the> reed
hakanehH7070 →
הָרָצ֤וּץ<the> crushed
haratzutzH7533 →
הַזֶּה֙<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
מִצְרַ֔יִםEgypt
mitzrayimH4714 →641 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יִסָּמֵ֥ךְhe will support himself
yisamekhH5564 →
אִישׁ֙anyone
ʾishH376 →1663 times
עָלָ֔יוon it
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
וּבָ֥אand it will go
uva'H935 →2568 times
בְכַפּ֖וֹin palm his
vekhapoH3709 →192 times
וּנְקָבָ֑הּand it will pierce it
unekavahH5344 →
כֵּ֚ן[is] thus
kenH3651 →771 times
פַּרְעֹ֣הPharaoh
parohH6547 →274 times
מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of
melekh-H4428 →2525 times
מִצְרַ֔יִםEgypt
mitzrayimH4714 →641 times
לְכָֽל־to all
lekholH3605 →5413 times
הַבֹּטְחִ֖יםthose [who] rely
habotechimH982 →120 times
עָלָֽיו׃on him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 36:6Look now, you are trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff that will pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 29:6–7
Then all the people of Egypt will know that I am the LORD. For you were only a staff of reeds to the house of Israel.
- 2 Kings 17:4
But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea had conspired to send envoys to King So of Egypt, and that he had not paid tribute to the king of Assyria as in previous years.…
- Isaiah 31:3
But the Egyptians are men, not God; their horses are flesh, not spirit. When the LORD stretches out His hand, the helper will stumble, and the one he helps will fall; both will perish…
- Ezekiel 29:6–7
Through
Isaiah 30:7Egypt’s help is futile and empty; therefore I have called her Rahab Who Sits Still.
it leads to
- Isaiah 2:22
Put no more trust in man, who has only the breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?
- Lamentations 3:26
It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
- Psalms 118:8–9
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.
- Hosea 5:13
When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah his wound, then Ephraim turned to Assyria and sent to the great king. But he cannot cure you or heal your wound.
- Isaiah 7:4
and say to him: Calm down and be quiet. Do not be afraid or disheartened over these two smoldering stubs of firewood—over the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of…
- Isaiah 2:22
Where this verse is studied
About 2 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 18:19; F. W. Farrar, The Second Book of Kings (Expositor's Bible) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.