But the people stayed quiet, and answered him not a word; for the king’s commandment was, “Don’t answer him.”
Parallel Translations
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But the people stayed quiet, and answered him not a word; for the king’s commandment was, “Don’t answer him.”
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But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not.
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But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word; for the king's commandment was, saying: 'Answer him not.'
Cross-references (6)
Passages linked to 2 Kings 18:36 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Psalms 38:13-14 But I, as a deaf man, don’t hear. I am as a mute man who doesn’t open his mouth. Yes, I am as a man who doesn’t hear, in whose mouth are no reproofs.
- Psalms 39:1 I said, “I will watch my ways, so that I don’t sin with my tongue. I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me.”
- Proverbs 9:7 One who corrects a mocker invites insult. One who reproves a wicked man invites abuse.
- Proverbs 26:4 Don’t answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.
- Amos 5:13 Therefore a prudent person keeps silent in such a time, for it is an evil time.
- Matthew 7:6 “Don’t give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (9 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 2Ki 18:36 But the people held their peace, and…
2Ki 18:36 But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not.
Ver. 36. But the people held their peace.] They punished him with silence, as Isaac did Ishmael. Sile, et funestam dedisti plagam, saith Chrysostom. Silence is the best answer to words of scorn and petulancy, saith learned Hooker. Convitia spreta exolescunt, saith Tacitus. It is best to stop an open mouth with saying nothing, saith Basil. {a} "But I as a deaf man heard not: yea, I was as one dumb, in whose mouth there is no reproof." {Psa 38:14} Princes use to punish the indecencies of ambassadors by denying them audience. Rabshakeh could not be more spited than with no answer. This sulphurous flask therefore dieth in his own smoke, only leaving a hateful stench behind it.
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{a} Sιωπη τον ονειδον πνιγειν δει. - Bas., Eph 72.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain The people, i.e. either these three men, this word…
The people, i.e. either these three men, this word being sometimes used of a very few men, as 1Sa 9:24. Or rather, the people that were with then upon the wall, 2Ki 18:26, to whom he spake, and from whom he expected an answer.
Answer him not; which was wisely ordered, partly lest by their words they should either betray their fears, or provoke their enemies to greater injuries or blasphemies, or give them some advantage or direction for their further proceedings; and partly that by this instance of obedience and calmness he might see the resolution of the people to cleave unto their king, and the vanity of his attempts to seduce them to a defection from him.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 36. Answer him not.] The blasphemy is too…
Verse 36. Answer him not.] The blasphemy is too barefaced; Jehovah is insulted, not you; let him avenge his own quarrel. See the succeeding chapter.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain 2Ki 18:36. But the people held their peace —…
2Ki 18:36. But the people held their peace — That is, both these three men, and the people that were with them upon the wall, especially the people to whom he had chiefly spoken, and from whom he expected an answer. For the king’s command was, Answer him not — This was wisely ordered, lest by their words they should betray their fears, or provoke their enemies to greater injuries or blasphemies, or give them some advantage or direction for their further proceedings; as also that by this instance of obedience and calmness, the king of Assyria might see the resolution of the people to cleave unto their king, and the vanity of his attempts to seduce them to a defection from him.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain The people. The three legates, (Calmet) Isaias xxxvi. 21.…
The people. The three legates, (Calmet) Isaias xxxvi. 21. And they held their peace. (Haydock)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 36. The people held their peace — There must…
36. The people held their peace — There must have been an impressive solemnity as well as a noble dignity in that silence of the people, which left the Assyrian ambassadors in complete ignorance of the impression their message and words had made.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 36. the people held their peace] Rab-shakeh had hoped…
36. the people held their peace] Rab-shakeh had hoped to excite the people, at all events, to some expression of discontent, and perhaps had any movement of that kind been displayed, the ‘great host’ of verse 17 would at once have begun the attack, for treason within the city might have opened the gates. But the expectation is utterly disappointed, even the fear of starvation provokes no treachery.
Bp Hall observes here, ‘I do not more wonder at Hezekiah’s wisdom in commanding silence, than at the subjects’ obedience in keeping it. This railer could not be more spited, than with no answer; and if he might be exasperated he could not be reformed. Besides, the rebounding of those multiplied blasphemies might leave some ill impressions in the multitude. This sulphurous flask, therefore, dies in his own smoke; only leaving a hateful stench behind it’.
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The Chronicler, though his account is briefer, yet describes in more terrible terms the blasphemies of the Assyrian envoy. Not only does he mention his language to those who came to hear him, but he adds ‘he wrote also letters to rail on the Lord, the God of Israel, and to speak against Him … and they spake against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth which were the work of the hands of man’. (2Ch_32:17; 2Ch_32:19.) Perhaps he is alluding to the letter mentioned below (2Ki_19:14).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain But the people held their peace, and answered him…
But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word. All Rabshakeh"s efforts to produce open disaffection failed. Whatever impression his arguments may have made, no indication was given that they had produced any. If, then, he had hoped to bring about a mutiny, or even to create a disturbance, he was disappointed. For the king"s commandment was, saying, Answer him not. Hezekiah had either anticipated Rabshakeh"s tactics, and given an order beforehand that no word should be uttered, or he had promptly met them by sending such an order, on learning Rabshakeh"s proceedings, The latter is more probable, since such an outrageous course as that which Rabshakeh had pursued can scarcely have been expected.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 Eliakim ... Shebna ... Joah ... Asaph
Eliakim ... Shebna ... Joah ... Asaph
These are the names of men. (See: How to Translate Names)
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who was over the household
"who managed the king's palace"
the recorder
"the history keeper"
chief commander
and is the translation of the Hebrew; some see this as a personal name, "Rabshakeh"
translationWords
command
Eliakim
household
scribe
report
word
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.