Isaiah 36:12
New International Version
But the commander replied, “Was it only to your master and you that my master sent me to say these things, and not to the people sitting on the wall—who, like you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?”

New Living Translation
But Sennacherib’s chief of staff replied, “Do you think my master sent this message only to you and your master? He wants all the people to hear it, for when we put this city under siege, they will suffer along with you. They will be so hungry and thirsty that they will eat their own dung and drink their own urine.”

English Standard Version
But the Rabshakeh said, “Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?”

Berean Standard Bible
But the Rabshakeh replied, “Has my master sent me to speak these words only to you and your master, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are destined with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?”

King James Bible
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?

New King James Version
But the Rabshakeh said, “Has my master sent me to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, who will eat and drink their own waste with you?”

New American Standard Bible
But Rabshakeh said, “Has my master sent me only to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, doomed to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?”

NASB 1995
But Rabshakeh said, “Has my master sent me only to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, doomed to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?”

NASB 1977
But Rabshakeh said, “Has my master sent me only to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, doomed to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?”

Legacy Standard Bible
But Rabshakeh said, “Has my master sent me only to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, doomed to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?”

Amplified Bible
But the Rabshakeh said, “Has my master sent me to speak these words only to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall, doomed to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?”

Christian Standard Bible
But the royal spokesman replied, “Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men who are sitting on the wall, who are destined with you to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But the Rabshakeh replied, “Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men who are sitting on the wall, who are destined with you to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?”

American Standard Version
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, to eat their own dung, and to drink their own water with you?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Rabshaqeh said to them: “It was not to you and to your Lord my Lord has sent me saying these words, but to the men sitting on the wall, lest they would eat their dung and drink their urine with you!”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Rabsaces said to them, Has my lord sent me to your lord or to you, to speak these words? has he not sent me to the men that sit on the wall, that they may eat dung, and drink their water together with you?

Contemporary English Version
The Assyrian army commander answered, "My king sent me to speak to everyone, not just to you leaders. These people will soon have to eat their own body waste and drink their own urine! And so will the three of you!"

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Rabsaces said to them: Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee, to speak all these words; and not rather to the men that sit on the wall; that they may eat their own dung, and drink their urine with you?

English Revised Version
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, to eat their own dung, and to drink their own water with you?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But the field commander asked, "Did my master send me to tell these things only to you and your master? Didn't he send me to the men sitting on the wall who will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine with you?"

Good News Translation
He replied, "Do you think you and the king are the only ones the emperor sent me to say all these things to? No, I am also talking to the people who are sitting on the wall, who will have to eat their excrement and drink their urine, just as you will."

International Standard Version
But the field commander asked, "Was it only to all of you and to your master that my master sent me to speak these things? Wasn't it also to the men sitting on the wall—who, like you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?"

JPS Tanakh 1917
But Rab-shakeh 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, to eat their own dung, and to drink their own water with you?'

Literal Standard Version
And Rabshakeh says, “To your lord, and to you, has my lord sent me to speak these words? Is it not for the men—those sitting on the wall to eat their own dung and to drink their own water with you?”

Majority Standard Bible
But the Rabshakeh replied, “Has my master sent me to speak these words only to you and your master, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are destined with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?”

New American Bible
But the commander replied, “Was it to your lord and to you that my lord sent me to speak these words? Was it not rather to those sitting on the wall, who, with you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?”

NET Bible
But the chief adviser said, "My master did not send me to speak these words only to your master and to you. His message is also for the men who sit on the wall, for they will eat their own excrement and drink their own urine along with you!"

New Revised Standard Version
But the Rabshakeh said, “Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the people sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?”

New Heart English Bible
But Rabshakeh said, "Has my master sent me only to your master and to you, to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, who will eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?"

Webster's Bible Translation
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 devour their vilest excretions with you?

World English Bible
But Rabshakeh said, “Has my master sent me only to your master and to you, to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, who will eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?”

Young's Literal Translation
And Rabshakeh saith, 'Unto thy lord, and unto thee, hath my lord sent me to speak these words? is it not for the men -- those sitting on the wall to eat their own dung and to drink their own water with you?'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem
11Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Do not speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.” 12 But the Rabshakeh replied, “Has my master sent me to speak these words only to you and your master, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are destined with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?” 13Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out loudly in Hebrew: “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria!…

Cross References
2 Kings 18:27
But the Rabshakeh replied, "Has my master sent me to speak these words only to you and your master, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are destined with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?"

Isaiah 36:11
Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Do not speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall."

Isaiah 36:13
Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out loudly in Hebrew: "Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria!

Ezekiel 4:12
And you shall eat the food as you would a barley cake, after you bake it over dried human excrement in the sight of the people."


Treasury of Scripture

But Rabshakeh said, Has my master sent me to your master and to you to speak these words? has he not sent me to the men that sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own urine with you?

that they may

Isaiah 9:20
And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm:

Leviticus 26:29
And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat.

Deuteronomy 28:53-57
And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee: …

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Commander Devour Doomed Drink Dung Eat Excretions Filth Food Master Piss Rabshakeh Rab'shakeh Rab-Shakeh Seated Short Shut Sit Sitting Speak Urine Vilest Wall Water Words
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Commander Devour Doomed Drink Dung Eat Excretions Filth Food Master Piss Rabshakeh Rab'shakeh Rab-Shakeh Seated Short Shut Sit Sitting Speak Urine Vilest Wall Water Words
Isaiah 36
1. Sennacherib invades Judah
2. Rabshakeh, sent by Sennacherib, solicits the people to revolt
22. His words are told to Hezekiah














(12) Hath he not sent me to the men that sit upon the wall . . .?--The words, which in their brutal coarseness have hardly a parallel in history, till we come to Bismarck's telling the Parisians that they may "stew in their own gravy," imply that the Assyrians were in a position to cut off the supplies both of food and water.

Verse 12. - Hath he not sent me to the men that sit upon the wall? Rabshakeh was contravening all diplomatic usage, and no doubt was conscious of it. But the pride and arrogance of the Assyrians rendered them as careless of diplomatic etiquette as, at a later date, were the Romans (see Polybius, 29:11, § 6; Liv., 45:12). That they may eat, etc.; rather, to eat. That is, with no other result than that of being reduced, together with you, to the last extremity of famine, when the siege comes.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But the Rab-shakeh
שָׁקֵ֗ה (šā·qêh)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7262: Rabshakeh -- perhaps 'chief of the officers', an Assyrian military leader

replied,
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Has my master
אֲדֹנֶ֤יךָ (’ă·ḏō·ne·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 113: Sovereign, controller

sent
שְׁלָחַ֣נִי (šə·lā·ḥa·nî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

me to speak
לְדַבֵּ֖ר (lə·ḏab·bêr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

these
הָאֵ֑לֶּה (hā·’êl·leh)
Article | Pronoun - common plural
Strong's 428: These, those

words
הַדְּבָרִ֣ים (had·də·ḇā·rîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

only to
הַאֶ֨ל (ha·’el)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

you and
וְאֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ (wə·’ê·le·ḵā)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

your master,
אֲדֹנִ֔י (’ă·ḏō·nî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 113: Sovereign, controller

and not
הֲלֹ֣א (hă·lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

to
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the men
הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים (hā·’ă·nā·šîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

sitting
הַיֹּֽשְׁבִים֙ (hay·yō·šə·ḇîm)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the wall,
הַ֣חוֹמָ֔ה (ha·ḥō·w·māh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2346: A wall of protection

who are destined with you
עִמָּכֶֽם׃ (‘im·mā·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

to eat
לֶאֱכֹ֣ל (le·’ĕ·ḵōl)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 398: To eat

their own dung
צוֹאָתָ֗ם (ṣō·w·’ā·ṯām)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 2716: Excrement

and drink
וְלִשְׁתּ֛וֹת (wə·liš·tō·wṯ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 8354: To imbibe

their own urine?�
רַגְלֵיהֶ֖ם (raḡ·lê·hem)
Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 7890: Urine


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 36:12 But Rabshakeh said Has my master sent (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 36:11
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