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.
Then Eliakim (son of Hilkiah, who managed the royal household), Shebna the secretary, and Joah (son of Asaph, the royal recorder) came to King Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and they reported to him everything the Assyrian commander had said.
The king's top officials came to Hezekiah with torn clothes (showing their distress) to report the threatening words of the enemy commander.
📚 Historical Context
In the 8th century BC, during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah, the Assyrian empire under King Sennacherib was threatening to conquer Jerusalem, sending envoys like Rabshakeh to intimidate the people and demand surrender. This verse describes a moment in that crisis when high officials Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah returned from negotiations with their clothes torn as a traditional sign of mourning and distress. The event is part of a larger biblical narrative in Isaiah and 2 Kings that highlights God's deliverance of Judah despite overwhelming odds.
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