Then they cried with a loud voice in the Jews' speech unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to affright them, and to trouble them; that they might take the city.

2 CHRONICLES 32:18KJV
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2 Chronicles 32:18 (KJV)

What does 2 Chronicles 32:18 mean?

2 Chronicles 32:18 describes how the Assyrian army shouted loudly in Hebrew to the people defending Jerusalem’s walls, trying to scare and confuse them so they could capture the city. The Assyrians used the local language to make sure everyone heard their threats and felt afraid.

The verse takes place during King Hezekiah’s reign, when the Assyrian king Sennacherib was besieging Jerusalem. The Assyrian messengers spoke directly to the people on the city wall, not just to the leaders, aiming to break their spirit and cause panic. Their goal was to weaken Jerusalem’s resistance by spreading fear and uncertainty among all the inhabitants.

The Hebrew behind 2 Chronicles 32:18

  • "cried" (קָרָא, qara): This word means to call out or proclaim loudly. The Assyrians were not speaking quietly or privately; they wanted everyone to hear.
  • "speech" (יְהוּדִי, yehudi): This refers to the language of Judah, or Hebrew. By using the local language, the Assyrians ensured their threats would be understood by all the people, not just the officials.
  • "affright" (יָרֵא, yare): This word means to cause fear or terror. The Assyrians’ main tactic was psychological warfare, aiming to frighten the defenders into surrender.
  • "trouble" (בָּהַל, bahal): This word carries the idea of causing confusion or panic. The Assyrians hoped to unsettle the people so much that order would break down inside the city.

Why 2 Chronicles 32:18 matters

  • This verse shows that the Assyrians deliberately targeted the morale of ordinary people, not just the leaders, using language everyone could understand.
  • The emphasis on fear and confusion highlights how psychological tactics were used in ancient warfare, not just physical force.
  • Understanding this verse helps explain the tension and fear among Jerusalem’s defenders in the wider story, setting the stage for Hezekiah’s response and God’s deliverance in the following verses.

Where else these words appear

“speech” Hebrew H3066 · used in 6 verses

  • 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.
  • 2 Kings 18:28 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:
  • 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.

“trouble” Hebrew H926 · used in 39 verses

  • Genesis 45:3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.
  • Job 21:6 Even when I remember I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh.
  • Psalms 104:29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.

“take” Hebrew H3920 · used in 112 verses

  • Numbers 21:32 And Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof, and drove out the Amorites that were there.
  • Judges 9:45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.
  • Proverbs 5:22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.

“wall” Hebrew H2346 · used in 123 verses

  • Exodus 14:22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
  • Nehemiah 2:8 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
  • 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.