Person Old Testament
Rabshakeh
Also known as Rabshakeh =ESV; commander =NIV; Rab-shakeh =KJV
Rabshakeh was a Babylonian official who tried to intimidate Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem into surrendering. Mentioned in 16 verses across 2 books, first at 2 Kings 18:17.
Why it matters. A Babylonian official who taunted Hezekiah and Jerusalem's people
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
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.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
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Appears in Scripture
Named in 16 verses across 2 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.