And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field.

ISAIAH 36:2KJV
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Isaiah 36:2 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 36:2 mean?

Isaiah 36:2 describes how the king of Assyria sent his official, Rabshakeh, from the city of Lachish to Jerusalem with a large army to confront King Hezekiah. Rabshakeh stood by the water channel of the upper pool, along the road to the fuller's field, as a strategic place to deliver his message.

This verse sets the scene for a tense moment in Jerusalem’s history, when the powerful Assyrian empire threatened the city. The king of Assyria is not speaking directly; instead, he sends Rabshakeh as his spokesman. The location mentioned—the conduit of the upper pool by the fuller's field—was a public and important spot, likely chosen to make sure the message would be heard by many and to show the seriousness of the threat.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 36:2

  • רַבְשָׁקֵה (Rabshakeh): This is a title, not a personal name, and likely means "chief cupbearer" or a high-ranking official. The use of a titled official shows the seriousness and formality of the Assyrian message.
  • לָכִישׁ (Lachish): Lachish was a major fortified city in Judah, and its mention shows that the Assyrians had already captured a key stronghold before coming to Jerusalem.
  • תְּעָלָה (te'alah, "conduit"): This word refers to a water channel or aqueduct. The mention of the conduit highlights the importance of water supply in a siege situation, making this a symbolic and strategic place for the confrontation.
  • שְׂדֵה כוֹבֵס (sedeh koves, "fuller's field"): This was a place where cloth was washed and bleached. It was likely a well-known landmark outside the city, making it a public stage for Rabshakeh’s message.

Why Isaiah 36:2 matters

  • This verse shows the Assyrian threat was not just military but psychological, choosing a public place to intimidate Jerusalem’s people and leaders.
  • The details about the location connect back to earlier events in Isaiah (see Isaiah 7:3), suggesting a repeated moment of crisis and decision for Jerusalem.
  • Understanding the setting helps readers see how the Assyrian empire used both force and fear, setting the stage for the dramatic negotiations and speeches that follow in the chapter.

Where else these words appear

“army” Hebrew H2426 · used in 10 verses

  • 2 Samuel 20:15 And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.
  • Psalms 10:10 He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.
  • Lamentations 2:8 The LORD hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion: he hath stretched out a line, he hath not withdrawn his hand from destroying: therefore he made the rampart and the wall to lament; they languished together.

“conduit” Hebrew H8585 · used in 11 verses

  • 1 Kings 18:32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
  • 2 Kings 18:17 And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller's field.
  • Isaiah 7:3 Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field;

“pool” Hebrew H1295 · used in 15 verses

  • 2 Samuel 2:13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met together by the pool of Gibeon: and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool.
  • 2 Kings 20:20 And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
  • Song of Solomon 7:4 Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus.

“Rabshakeh” Hebrew H7262 · used in 16 verses

  • 2 Kings 18:17 And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller's field.
  • 2 Kings 18:37 Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.
  • Isaiah 36:12 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?