King James Version

2 Kings 18:26

Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and talk not with us in the Jews’ language in the ears of the people that are on the wall.

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Hebrew

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וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אֶלְיָקִ֣יםelyaqimEliakimאֶלְיָקִיםnoun, proper name — “Eliakim”H471Eljakim, the name of four IsraelitesEliakim.בֶּןbensonבֵּןnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “son”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1121a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)[phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, […חִ֠לְקִיָּהוּchilqiyahvHillkiahחִלְקִיָּהnoun, proper name — “Hillkiah”H2518Chilhijah, the name of eight IsraelitesHillkiah.וְשֶׁבְנָ֨הveshevnahand Shebnaשֶׁבְנָאconjunction, noun, proper name — “and Shebna”H7644Shebna or Shebnah, an IsraeliteShebna, Shebnah.וְיוֹאָ֜חveyoachand Joahיוֹאָחconjunction, noun, proper name — “and Joah”H3098Joach, the name of four IsraelitesJoah.אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).רַבravRabshakehרַבְשָׁקֵהnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “Rabshakeh”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7262Rabshakeh, a Babylonian officialRabshakeh.שָׁקֵ֗הshaqehRabshakehרַבְשָׁקֵהnoun, proper name — “Rabshakeh”H7262Rabshakeh, a Babylonian officialRabshakeh.דַּבֶּרdaberspeakדָבַרverb, piel, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “speak”, a commandH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.נָ֤אnaI beseech theeנָאparticle, exhortation — “I beseech thee”H4994'I pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the Imperative or Future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunctionI beseech (pray) thee (you), go to, now, oh.אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).עֲבָדֶ֨יךָ֙avadeykhaservantעֶבֶדnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “servant”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5650a servant[idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.אֲרָמִ֔יתaramitin the Syrian languageאֲרָמִיתnoun, gentilic, feminine, singular, absolute — “in the Syrian language”, the ordinary formH762(only adverbial) in Arameanin the Syrian language (tongue), in Syriac.כִּ֥יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…שֹׁמְעִ֖יםshomeimhearשָׁמַעverb, qal, participle, absolute — “hear”, a verb used as a describing wordH8085to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)[idiom] attentively, call (gather) together, [idiom] carefully, [idiom] certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, [idiom] diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), [idiom] indeed, listen, make (a) n…אֲנָ֑חְנוּanachenvweאֲנַחְנוּpronoun, personal, 1st person, common, plural — “we”H587weourselves, us, we.וְאַלvealand notאַלconjunction, particle, negative — “and not”H408not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothingnay, neither, [phrase] never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.תְּדַבֵּ֤רtedaberspeakדָבַרverb, piel, jussive, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “speak”, a wish or indirect commandH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.עִמָּ֨נוּ֙imanvwithעִםpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “with”H5973adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then usually unrepresented in English)accompanying, against, and, as ([idiom] long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from (among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-) to, with(-al).יְהוּדִ֔יתyehuditin the Jews' languageיְהוּדִיתnoun, gentilic, feminine, singular, absolute — “in the Jews' language”, the ordinary formH3066the Jewish (used adverbially) languagein the Jews' language.בְּאָזְנֵ֣יbeazenein earאֹזֶןpreposition, noun, common, feminine, dual, construct — “in ear”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH241broadness. i.e. (concrete) the ear (from its form in man)[phrase] advertise, audience, [phrase] displease, ear, hearing, [phrase] show.הָעָ֔םhaamthe peopleעַםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the people”, the ordinary formH5971a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flockfolk, men, nation, people.אֲשֶׁ֖רasherbecauseאֲשֶׁרparticle, relative — “because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…הַחֹמָֽהhachomahthe wallחוֹמָהdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the wall”, the ordinary formH2346a wall of protectionwall, walled.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, unto Rab-shakeh: 'Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Aramean language; for we understand it; and speak not with us in the Jews' language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not with us in the Jews’ language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.

Young’s Literal Translation

And Eliakim son of Hilkiah saith — and Shebna, and Joah — to the chief of the butlers, 'Speak, we pray thee, unto thy servants [in] Aramaean, for we are understanding, and do not speak with us [in] Jewish, in the ears of the people who [are] on the wall.'

World English Bible

Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebnah, and Joah, said to Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in the Syrian language, for we understand it. Don’t speak with us in the Jews’ language, in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”

Darby Translation

And Eliakim the son of Hilkijah, and Shebnah and Joah said to Rab-shakeh, Speak, we pray thee, to thy servants in Syriac, for we understand it, and talk not with us in the Jewish [language] in the ears of the people that are on the wall.

Douay-Rheims

Then Eliacim the son of Helcias, and Sobna, and Joahe said to Rabsaces: We pray thee speak to us thy servants in Syriac: for we understand that tongue: and speak not to us in the Jews’ language, in the hearing of the people that are upon the wall.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And Heliakim the son of Chelkias, and Somnas, and Joas, said to Rapsakes, Speak now to thy servants in the Syrian language, for we understand it; and speak not with us in the Jewish language: and why dost thou speak in the ears of the people that are on the wall?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπεν Ἑλιακὶμ υἱὸς Χελκίου καὶ Σωμνὰς καὶ Ἰωὰς πρὸς Ῥαψάκην, λάλησον δὴ πρὸς τοὺς παῖδάς σου Συριστὶ, ὅτι ἀκούομεν ἡμεῖς· καὶ οὐ λαλήσεις μεθʼ ἡμῶν Ἰουδαϊστὶ· καὶ ἱνατί λαλεῖς ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ ἐπὶ τοῦ τείχους;