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Who was Rabshakeh in the Bible?

Lived during the divided monarchy

Rabshakeh was a high-ranking Assyrian official who served as the spokesman for King Sennacherib during his campaign against Judah (2Kings 18-19; Isaiah 36-37). Rabshakeh appears in 12 verses across 2 books of the Bible.

What does the Bible say about Rabshakeh?

Rabshakeh was a high-ranking Assyrian official who served as the spokesman for King Sennacherib during his campaign against Judah (2Kings 18-19; Isaiah 36-37). He was sent, along with Tartan and Rab-saris, to intimidate King Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem. Rabshakeh delivered a threatening message, urging them to surrender and not trust in Hezekiah or God to deliver them. He spoke in Hebrew, intending to frighten the people on the city wall. Hezekiah's representatives, Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah, asked Rabshakeh to speak in Aramaic, but he refused and continued to speak in Hebrew to undermine the people's morale. Rabshakeh mocked Hezekiah's faith in God and boasted of Assyria's power. When Hezekiah heard the report, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went to the temple to pray. Isaiah the prophet reassured Hezekiah that God would protect Jerusalem. Rabshakeh returned to Sennacherib, who had left Lachish to fight against Libnah. Despite Rabshakeh's threats and Sennacherib's letter, Hezekiah trusted in God, and the Assyrian army was ultimately defeated by divine intervention.

Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.

Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.

Where does Rabshakeh appear in the Bible?

Rabshakeh is referenced in 12 verses across 2 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.

2 Kings 6Isaiah 6

What else appears in these passages?

These turn up in the same passages as Rabshakeh.

AssyriaLachishHezekiahWall

Common questions

How many times does the Bible mention Rabshakeh?

Rabshakeh appears in 12 verses across 2 books, most often in 2 Kings, which accounts for 6 of them.

Which books of the Bible mention Rabshakeh?

2 Kings, Isaiah.

Where can I read every verse about Rabshakeh?

This page lists 12 of them. Protos carries all 12, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.

Read it in context

Read 2 Kings with Rabshakeh explained on the verse.

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