References (9)
and they called for the king. Then [the following three men from Hezekiah's palace] came:
Eljakim, son of Hilkiah (Hebr. Chilqijaho) [], who was in charge of the palace (literally: 'was over the house') [the royal palace in Jerusalem],
and the scribe Shebna []
and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, to them.
Then Eljakim, Hilkiah's (Hebr. Chilqijahos) son, and Shebna and Joah said to the [Assyrian] commander (Hebr. ravshake): "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in Hebrew, within earshot of the people standing on the wall."
Then [the three men]
Eljakim, son of Hilkiah (Hebr. Chilqijaho), who was in charge of the palace (literally: 'was over the house') [in Jerusalem],
and the scribe Shebna
and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder,
to Hezekiah with their clothes torn [as an outward sign of mourning] and told him the words of the commander (Hebr. ravshakes).
And he sent Eljakim, who was in charge of the palace (literally: 'was over the house') [had the highest position in the royal house in Jerusalem], and the scribe Shebna and the elders among the priests, clothed in sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz [Hebr. – not the same person as the prophet Amos from Tekoa ()].
Thus says the Lord, the Lord of hosts (Adonai Yahweh Tzevaot):
"Go! Take yourself [personally] to this servant (literally: 'someone who is to be of use' – Hebr. sachan) [but who proved to be of no use], to Shebna, who is over the house [the administrator responsible for the palace and/or temple in Jerusalem].
[The phrase "who was over the house" (Hebr. asher al habayit) describes a high-ranking position. The word house can mean anything from an ordinary household to a royal palace or a temple. During the divided kingdom, the phrase is used for a high position in both the southern and northern kingdoms, see ; . It was often the highest position in the palace, see ; . The position was sometimes held by the king's son, see . The position corresponds to the French title maior domus, which can be translated as steward or housekeeper. At the end of the 19th century, French archaeologist Charles Clermont-Ganneau found a tomb on the outskirts of the City of David at Siloam with the inscription: "the tomb of ... jahu asher al habayit". The beginning of the name had been removed. The tomb is dated to the 6th century BC. As recently as 2019, excavations in Jerusalem uncovered a stamp with the inscription: Adonai asher al habayit, which means "the Lord who is over the house."
Shevna was one of King Hezekiah's servants. He served both as secretary (, ) and in the position of "over the house." The medieval rabbi Rashi interprets the house as the temple, in which case he is the high priest, but it is more likely that he is in charge of the palace and the royal family. Isaiah would go and confront Shevna's pride, vanity, and false security with the following questions:]
Then [the following three men from Hezekiah's palace] came:
Eljakim, son of Hilkiah (Hebr. Chilqijaho) [], who was over [in charge of the palace in Jerusalem],
and the scribe Shebna []
and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder,
came to him.
Then Eljakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the [Assyrian] commander (Hebr. ravshake): "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in Hebrew, within earshot of the people standing on the wall."
Then [the three men]
Eljakim, son of Hilkiah (Hebr. Chilqijaho), who was in charge of the palace (literally: 'was over the house') [in Jerusalem],
and the scribe Shebna
and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder,
to Hezekiah with their clothes torn [as an outward sign of mourning] and told him the words of the commander (Hebr. ravshakes).
And he sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace (literally: 'over the house') [in Jerusalem], and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz.
