Isaiah 36:22
in Isaiah 36Then Hilkiah’s son Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and Asaph’s son Joah the recorder came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and they relayed to him the words of the Rabshakeh.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, that was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.
KJV
Then came Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, that was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.
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This verse in Isaiah 36
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
With their clothes rent - This was a common mark of grief among the Jews (see 2Sa 3:21; 1Ki 21:27; Ezr 9:3; Job 1:20; Job 2:12; Jer 36:24; and the notes at Mat 26:65; notes at Act 14:14). The causes of their griefs were the insolence and arrogance of Rabshakeh; the proposal to surrender the city; the threatening of the siege on the one hand, and of the removal on the other, and the blasphemy of the name of their God, and the reproach of the king.
This site's exposition
But the people remained silent
on Isaiah 36:21-22
The scene closes in silence, the people remained silent and did not answer a word, for Hezekiah had commanded, Do not answer him. Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah come to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, the customary sign of grief and alarm. The chapter ends with the blasphemy before the king.
This site's exposition
came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn
Barnes counts the causes of this grief: the Rabshakeh's insolence to Hezekiah, the demand to give up the city, and the blasphemy against the LORD. Eliakim, Shebna and Joah tear their clothes as mourners do. They relay every word to the king unchanged.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
And Eliacim the son of Helcias, that was over the house, and Sobna the scribe, and Joahe the son of Asaph the recorder, went in. Here the departure of the messengers from each other is set out. And first, the return of the Jews to …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
The history related here, and in the three following chapters, is, almost in the same words contained 2 Kings 18, 19, 20. It is inserted here, to explain and confirm some of the foregoing predictions.
7 But if thou say to me, We trust in the L ORD 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?
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:95%@v7
Then came Eliakim, that was over the household,....
The words behind it
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּבֹ֣א | vaiyavo' | and he went | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶלְיָקִ֣ים | ʾelyakim | Eliakim | H471 → | 12 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| חִלְקִיָּ֣הוּ | chilkiyahu | Hilkiah | H2518 → | 34 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [was] over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַ֠בַּיִת | habayit | the house | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| וְשֶׁבְנָ֨א | veshevna' | and Shebna | H7644 → | 9 times |
| הַסּוֹפֵ֜ר | hasofer | the scribe | H5608 → | 159 times |
| וְיוֹאָ֨ח | veyoach | and Joah | H3098 → | 11 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אָסָ֧ף | ʾasaf | Asaph | H623 → | |
| הַמַּזְכִּ֛יר | hamazkir | the recorder | H2142 → | 230 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| חִזְקִיָּ֖הוּ | chizkiyahu | Hezekiah | H2396 → | 127 times |
| קְרוּעֵ֣י | keruei | torn of | H7167 → | 63 times |
| בְגָדִ֑ים | vegadim | garments | H899 → | 217 times |
| וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ | vaiyagidu | and they told | H5046 → | 370 times |
| ל֔וֹ | lo | to him | ||
| אֵ֖ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דִּבְרֵ֥י | divrei | [the] words of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| רַב־ | rav- | [the] chief | H7262 → | 32 times |
| שָׁקֵֽה׃ ס | shakeh | commander | H7262 → | 32 times |
וַיָּבֹ֣אand he went
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
אֶלְיָקִ֣יםEliakim
ʾelyakimH471 →12 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
חִלְקִיָּ֣הוּHilkiah
chilkiyahuH2518 →34 times
אֲשֶׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
עַל־[was] over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַ֠בַּיִתthe house
habayitH1004 →2046 times
וְשֶׁבְנָ֨אand Shebna
veshevna'H7644 →9 times
הַסּוֹפֵ֜רthe scribe
hasoferH5608 →159 times
וְיוֹאָ֨חand Joah
veyoachH3098 →11 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
אָסָ֧ףAsaph
ʾasafH623 →
הַמַּזְכִּ֛ירthe recorder
hamazkirH2142 →230 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
חִזְקִיָּ֖הוּHezekiah
chizkiyahuH2396 →127 times
קְרוּעֵ֣יtorn of
kerueiH7167 →63 times
בְגָדִ֑יםgarments
vegadimH899 →217 times
וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּand they told
vaiyagiduH5046 →370 times
ל֔וֹto him
lo
אֵ֖ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
דִּבְרֵ֥י[the] words of
divreiH1697 →1440 times
רַב־[the] chief
rav-H7262 →32 times
שָׁקֵֽה׃ סcommander
shakehH7262 →32 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
2 Kings 5:7When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and asked, “Am I God, killing and giving life, that this man expects me to cure a leper? Surely you can see…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 2:6
The LORD brings death and gives life; He brings down to Sheol and raises up.
- 1 Kings 20:7
Then the king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said, “Please take note and see that this man is looking for trouble, for when he demanded my wives, my children,…
- Genesis 30:2
Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld children from you?”
- Deuteronomy 32:39
See now that I am He; there is no God besides Me. I bring death and I give life; I wound and I heal, and there is no one who can deliver from My…
- 1 Samuel 2:6
Through
Isaiah 36:11Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Do not speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on…
it leads to
- Ezra 4:7
And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. It was written in Aramaic and then translated.
- Daniel 2:4
Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, may you live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”
- 2 Kings 18:26–27
Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, along with Shebnah and Joah, said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Do not speak with us in Hebrew in the…
- Ezra 4:7
Through
Ezra 9:3When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled out some hair from my head and beard, and sat down in horror.
it leads to
- Nehemiah 1:4
When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
- Nehemiah 1:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Isaiah
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); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.