What does Isaias Chapter 36 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The account retains the chapter’s particular images, requests and conditions. The speaker’s claims and the edition’s interpretations remain attributed. Unstated motives and general guarantees are not supplied as source facts.

Chapter breakdown

Isaias 36 places Sennacherib's capture of Juda's fenced cities in Ezechias's fourteenth year. Rabsaces comes from Lachis with a great army to Jerusalem, standing by the upper pool on the fuller's field road. Eliacim, son of Helcias and ruler of the house, Sobna the scribe and Joahe, son of Asaph and recorder, meet him.

Rabsaces questions Ezechias's confidence, counsel and strength. He calls Egypt a broken reed piercing the hand. He counters trust in the Lord by invoking Ezechias's removal of high places and altars and instruction to worship at one altar; this remains the envoy's argument, without a supplied verdict on those sites. He proposes delivery to his master and two thousand horses if riders can be provided, challenges reliance on Egyptian cavalry, and claims the Lord told him to attack.

The officials ask him to speak Syrian rather than the Jews' language within hearing of people on the wall. He refuses, invoking their own dung and urine, and shouts publicly. He warns against Ezechias and trust in the Lord, invites people out with promised vine, fig tree and cistern use until removal to a land of corn, wine, bread and vineyards, and cites Emath, Arphad, Sepharvaim and Samaria against deliverance. The people remain silent under the king's order. The three officials return in rent garments and report his words. The account does not explain the king's motive or certify the envoy's claimed authorization and guarantees.

The story inside

Opening: The account retains the chapter’s particular images, requests and conditions. Development: The speaker’s claims and the edition’s interpretations remain attributed. Conclusion: Unstated motives and general guarantees are not supplied as source facts.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The account retains the chapter’s particular images, requests and conditions.
2
The speaker’s claims and the edition’s interpretations remain attributed.
3
Unstated motives and general guarantees are not supplied as source facts.

Test your recall

Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 81404–81406
36:1. And it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Ezechias, that Sennacherib king of the Assyrians came up against all the fenced cities of Juda, and took them.
Lines 81408–81414
36:2. And the king of the Assyrians sent Rabsaces from Lachis to Jerusalem, to king Ezechias with a great army, and he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the way of the fuller’s field. 36:3. And there went out to him Eliacim the son of Helcias, who was over the house, and Sobna the scribe, and Joahe the son of Asaph the recorder.
Lines 81423–81425
36:6. Lo thou trustest upon this broken staff of a reed, upon Egypt: upon which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharao king of Egypt to all that trust in him.
Lines 81443–81446
36:11. And Eliacim, and Sobna, and Joahe said to Rabsaces: Speak to thy servants in the Syrian tongue: for we understand it: speak not to us in the Jews’ language in the hearing of the people, that are upon the wall.
Lines 81472–81481
36:18. Neither let Ezechias trouble you, saying: The Lord will deliver us. Have any of the gods of the nations delivered their land out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians? 36:19. Where is the god of Emath and of Arphad? where is the god of Sepharvaim? have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? 36:20. Who is there among all the gods of these lands, that hath delivered his country out of my hand, that the Lord may deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?
Lines 81483–81488
36:21. And they held their peace, and answered him not a word. For the king had commanded, saying: Answer him not. 36:22. 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 to Ezechias with their garments rent, and told him the words of Rabsaces.