Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and talk not with us in the Jews’ language in the ears of the people that are on the wall.
Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, 'Please speak to us in the Aramaic language, because we understand it. Don't speak to us in Hebrew where the people on the wall can hear you.'
The Jewish officials are asking the Assyrian commander to switch from Hebrew to Aramaic so the common people listening on the city wall won't understand the threatening conversation.
📚 Historical Context
This takes place during the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem around 701 BC, when the powerful Assyrian empire was threatening to destroy the city. The Rabshakeh was an Assyrian military commander sent to demand Jerusalem's surrender. Hebrew was the common language of the Jewish people, while Aramaic was the diplomatic language used by educated officials in international negotiations.
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