King James Version

Isaiah 36:11

Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not to 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…אֶלְיָקִים֩elyaqimEliakimאֶלְיָקִיםnoun, proper name — “Eliakim”H471Eljakim, the name of four IsraelitesEliakim.וְשֶׁבְנָ֨אveshevnaand 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, proper name — “Rabshakeh”H7262Rabshakeh, 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.אֵלֵ֨ינוּ֙eleynvamongאֵלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “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).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,…הַחוֹמָֽהhachomahthe wallחוֹמָהdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the wall”, the ordinary formH2346a wall of protectionwall, walled.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

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

Young’s Literal Translation

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

World English Bible

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

Darby Translation

And Eliakim and Shebna and Joah said to Rab-shakeh, Speak, we pray thee, to thy servants in Syriac, for we understand it; and speak not to us in the Jewish [language] in the ears of the people that are upon the wall.

Douay-Rheims

And Eliacim, and Sobna, and Joahe said to Rabsaces: Speak to thy servants in the Syrian tongue: for we understand it: 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

Then Eliakim and Somnas and Joach said to him, Speak to thy servants in the Syrian tongue; for we understand it : and speak not to us in the Jewish tongue: and wherefore speakest thou in the ears of the men on the wall?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν Ἑλιακεὶμ, καὶ Σομνᾶς, καὶ Ἰωὰχ, λάλησον πρὸς τοὺς παῖδάς σου Συριστί· ἀκούομεν γὰρ ἡμεῖς· καὶ μὴ λάλει πρὸς ἡμᾶς Ἰουδαϊστί· καὶ ἱνατί λαλεῖς εἰς τὰ ὦτα τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπὶ τῷ τείχει;