Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which 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.
Then Eliakim (Hilkiah's son, who was in charge of the royal household), Shebna the secretary, and Joah (Asaph's son, the royal historian) came to King Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and they told him what the Rabshakeh had said.
The writer is showing us that Hezekiah's officials were so distressed by the Assyrian commander's threatening words that they tore their clothes and rushed to tell the king what had happened.
📚 Historical Context
In the 8th century BC, King Hezekiah of Judah was confronting a powerful Assyrian invasion led by King Sennacherib, who sought to conquer Jerusalem after having already overtaken much of the surrounding region. Rabshakeh, an Assyrian official, had delivered a provocative speech outside the city walls, mocking Hezekiah and the God of Israel to demoralize the defenders. The officials Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah returned to Hezekiah with their clothes torn as a traditional sign of mourning and distress, reporting the enemy's threatening words.
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