The Meaning of 2 Kings 18:28 Explained

2 Kings 18:28

KJV: Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and spake, saying, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria:

YLT: And the chief of the butlers standeth and calleth with a great voice in Jewish, and speaketh and saith, 'Hear ye a word of the great king, the king of Asshur:

Darby: And Rab-shakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jewish language, and spoke and said, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria!

ASV: Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews language, and spake, saying, Hear ye the word of the great king, the king of Assyria.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then Rabshakeh  stood  and cried  with a loud  voice  in the Jews' language,  and spake,  saying,  Hear  the word  of the great  king,  the king  of Assyria: 

What does 2 Kings 18:28 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 18:26-37 - Silent Before The Boaster
The Jews met the taunts of Rabshakeh with silence. It was wise policy. It is infinitely better to hand over our cause to God, and leave Him to answer for us and avenge our wrongs. He will undertake our case, if we will but leave it unreservedly in His hands. The only exception is when some simple explanation will relieve the cause we love from any evil imputation. Rabshakeh could not have been made to understand the attitude of king and people. See Isaiah 37:22. Men of the world cannot read the secrets of the heart that is stayed upon Jehovah. God's hidden ones are as great a mystery as was our Lord. Their life is hid with Christ in God, but some day He will be manifested, and they shall be manifested with Him in glory.
When our Lord was threatened, He remained calm and quiet. "As a sheep that before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth," Isaiah 53:7, r.v. We are bidden to follow His steps and to do as He did, silently committing our cause to Him who never fails to vindicate those who put their trust in Him. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 18

1  Hezekiah's good reign
4  He destroys idolatry, and prospers
9  The inhabitants of Samaria are carried captive for their sins
13  Sennacherib invading Judah, is pacified by a tribute
17  Rabshakeh, by blasphemous persuasions, solicits the people to revolt

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 18:28 mean?

And stood - the Rabshakeh and called out with a voice loud in Hebrew and spoke and saying Hear the word of the king great the king of Assyria
וַֽיַּעֲמֹד֙ רַב־ שָׁקֵ֔ה וַיִּקְרָ֥א בְקוֹל־ גָּד֖וֹל יְהוּדִ֑ית וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר וַיֹּ֔אמֶר שִׁמְע֛וּ דְּבַר־ הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ הַגָּד֖וֹל מֶ֥לֶךְ אַשּֽׁוּר

וַֽיַּעֲמֹד֙  And  stood 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
רַב־  - 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
שָׁקֵ֔ה  the  Rabshakeh 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רַב־שָׁקֵה  
Sense: chief cupbearer, chief of the officers?.
וַיִּקְרָ֥א  and  called  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
בְקוֹל־  with  a  voice 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
גָּד֖וֹל  loud 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
יְהוּדִ֑ית  in  Hebrew 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְהוּדִית  
Sense: in the Jewish language, in Hebrew.
וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר  and  spoke 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
וַיֹּ֔אמֶר  and  saying 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
שִׁמְע֛וּ  Hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
דְּבַר־  the  word 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
הַגָּד֖וֹל  great 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
מֶ֥לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אַשּֽׁוּר  of  Assyria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַשּׁוּר  
Sense: the second son of Shem, eponymous ancestor of the Assyrians.