1 Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, that Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the defensed cities of Judah, and took them.
Assyria has at this time destroyed Israel so she will never exist again, carrying all her people (except the very poorest) into other countries. Now they are marching south, conquering all the cities of Judah on the way.
2 And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field.
King Sennacherib sent his general to lay siege to Jerusalem, Judah’s capital city.
3 Then came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah's son, which was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph's son, the recorder.
These are three of King Hezekiah’s head men.
4 And Rabshakeh said unto them, “Say ye now to Hezekiah, ‘Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trust?
“Send a message to your boss. ‘Who exactly are you trusting for protection, Hezekiah?’
5 “’I say, "say thou, (but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for war:" now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebel against me?
“I’m destroying everyone around you.”
6 “Lo, thou trust in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him.
“Don’t trust Egypt to rescue you because it will end up hurting you.
7 “But if thou say to me, ‘We trust in the Lord our God:’ is it not He, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?’
In most countries it was believed that their local patron gods wanted to be worshipped everywhere. The more altars the better.
However, the true God had told Israel to only have one altar, and that in Jerusalem (symbolic of the One True God, One Way to Salvation).
Over time, the Jews had copied their neighbors and built many, many altars, but when Hezekiah took the throne he destroyed all these and commanded them to return to only sacrificing to God at the Temple.
Rabshakeh, not understanding the commands of God, is saying that their God won’t protect them from Assyria because Hezekiah has insulted Him by removing all the extra altars.
8 “Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.
Rabshakeh offers Hezekiah the tools he needs to build a bigger army if he will submit to Assyria.
9 “How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
“Egypt can’t help you like this.”
10 “And am I now come up without the Lord against this land to destroy it? The Lord said unto me, ‘Go up against this land, and destroy it.’”
Rabshakeh is trying to convince them that God is on his side.
11 Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, “Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not to us in the Jews' language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.”
Up until now, Rabshakeh has been speaking Hebrew. The men Hezekiah sent to talk to the Assyrians ask him to speak in Syrian so the people can’t understand him.
12 But Rabshakeh said, “Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee to speak these words? Hath he not sent me to the men that sit upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?”
Rabshakeh is intentionally trying to scare the common people. A siege would result in severe famine where people would be desperate enough to eat waste. He is trying to pressure Hezekiah into just giving up.
13 Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and said, “Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.
Rabshakeh intentionally ignored the officials and addressed the common people directly.
14 “Thus saith the king, ‘Let not Hezekiah deceive you:’ for he shall not be able to deliver you.
“You are going to lose.”
15 “’Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, “The Lord will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.”
“Don’t let Hezekiah fool you into trusting your God, either.”
16 “Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, ‘Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me: and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern;
“If you make a peace treaty with me, you can go on living peaceful, prosperous lives…”
17 “’Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards.’
“…Until we come to relocate you.”
The Assyrians commonly moved entire populations to new places. This broke their allegiance to their land and their local gods, making them easier to control.
18 “Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, ‘the Lord will deliver us.’ Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
“No other gods have been able to defeat us so your won’t either.”
19 “Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
“We destroyed Israel, didn’t we?”
20 “Who are they among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?”
“Your God is not better than theirs.”
21 But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, “Answer him not.”
Hezekiah had told everyone to not even talk to the Assyrians.
22 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.
The officials delivered their message. They were upset about it.