Lexical Definition

‎רַבְשָׁקֵה‎ Rabshâqêh (rab-shaw-kay') Rabshakeh ^N:N-M-P
from ‎רַב‎ and ‎שָׁקָה‎; chief butler

Rabshakeh.

• Rabshakeh, a Babylonian official

1) chief cupbearer, chief of the officers?
1a) Rabshakeh

Extended Information

• A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.18.17

Brown-Driver-Briggs

Also see: רַב־מָג | שָׁקָה

II. ‎רַב‎₄₉ noun masculine chief (Assyrian-Babylonian influence, compare rab Dl^{HWB 609 b}; Biblical Aramic ‎רַב‎); — construct ‎׳‎‎ר‎ Jer 39:9+; plural construct ‎רַבֵּי‎ Jer 39:13; Jer 41:1 (but see below); — especially ‎רַבֿ‎ ‎טַבָּחִים‎ chief of guardsmen (see ‎טַבָּח‎), only as title of Babylonian officer Jer 30:9; Jer 30:10 + 15 t. Jeremiah, 7 t || 2Kgs 25 (compare ‎׳‎‎שַׁר הַט‎ in Gen [J](/btb/not_created.html) E]); also ‎רַב הַחֹבֵל‎ Jonah 1:6 chief of the sailors, i.e. captain; in general ‎כָּלרַֿב‎ ‎בֵּיתוֺ‎ Esth 1:8, ‎רַבמָֿרִיסָיו‎ Dan 1:3 (see ‎סָרִיס‎ ), and so ‎רַבֵּי‎ ‎מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל‎ Jer 39:13, ‎רַבֵּי הַמֶּלֶךְ‎ Jer 41:1 (late gloss; omitted by ᵐ5 and || 2Kgs 25:25, so Hi Gf Gie). The following titles of Assyrian -Babylonian officers are probably loan-words in Hebrew: ‎רַבמָֿ֑ג‎ Jer 39:3; Jer 39:13 usually chief soothsayer (see ‎מָ֑ג‎), but = rab-mugi [? chief of princes] Pinches^{Hast. DB. BAB-MAG}; ‎רַבסָֿרִיס‎ (compare Old Aramaic [Nineveh] ‎רב סרס‎ Lzb³⁸⁶), 2Kgs 18:17 (Assyrian; not in || Isa 36:2), Jer 39:8; Jer 39:13 (Babylonian ), usually chief eunuch, but = rabû-ša-rêši, chief of the heads (the principal men) Wkl^{Unters. x.altor.Geschichte.1889, Excurs. v, p. 138} (actually found as rubû-ša-ri-ešu Pinches^{Acad June 25,1892, 618}), Pinches^{Hast.DB.RAB-SARIS}; ‎רַבשָֿׁקֵה‎ (van d. H. ‎רַבְשָׁקֵה‎) chief of the officers (?) (so probably Assyrian rab-ŠA†; ša‡kû = high one; COT^{2Kgs 18:17} KB^ii.23 Dl^{HWB 685 a} Tiele^{Bab.-As. Geschichte.497.513} Pinches^{Hast.DB.iv 191}), 2Kgs 18:17; 2Kgs 18:19; 2Kgs 18:26; 2Kgs 18:27; 2Kgs 18:37; 2Kgs 19:4; 2Kgs 19:8 = Isa 36:2; Isa 36:4; Isa 36:11; Isa 36:13 (twice in verse); Isa 36:22; Isa 37:4; Isa 37:8

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Male • Babylonian official • A Babylonian official who taunted Hezekiah and Jerusalem's people

Man living at the time of Divided Monarchy

Rabshakeh was a Babylonian official who tried to intimidate Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem into surrendering.

• A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.18.17;
• only referred to as Rabshakeh רַבְשָׁקֵה.

Rabshakeh was a high-ranking Assyrian official who served as the spokesman for King Sennacherib during his campaign against Judah (2 Kings 18-19; Isaiah 36-37). He was sent, along with Tartan and Rab-saris, to intimidate King Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem. Rabshakeh delivered a threatening message, urging them to surrender and not trust in Hezekiah or God to deliver them. He spoke in Hebrew, intending to frighten the people on the city wall. Hezekiah's representatives, Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah, asked Rabshakeh to speak in Aramaic, but he refused and continued to speak in Hebrew to undermine the people's morale. Rabshakeh mocked Hezekiah's faith in God and boasted of Assyria's power. When Hezekiah heard the report, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went to the temple to pray. Isaiah the prophet reassured Hezekiah that God would protect Jerusalem. Rabshakeh returned to Sennacherib, who had left Lachish to fight against Libnah. Despite Rabshakeh's threats and Sennacherib's letter, Hezekiah trusted in God, and the Assyrian army was ultimately defeated by divine intervention.

All entries for Rabshakeh: רַבְשָׁקֵה