Assyrian title of "chief captain," which repeatedly occurs on the monuments, and probably

represents the second in command, or chief of the staff.* We mark that appropriately the

spokesman in summoning the city to surrender was not the general-in-chief, nor the chief eunuch

(possibly the political officer), but the Rabh-Shakeh, or second in command.

* Comp. Schrader, u.s. pp. 319, 320. The Hebrew form, "Rabh-Shakeh," means "chief butler;" but

there is no record on the monuments of such a high state official.

The wisdom of Hezekiah's preparations, especially in depriving the Assyrians of the water supply,

was soon apparent. For it was at that very place - the north-western angle of the city - that the

strength of the Assyrian attack was delivered, and it was h ere, "by the conduit of the upper pool,

which is in the highway of the fuller's field," that the three Assyrian leaders met the

representatives of King Hezekiah, whom they had summoned to conference. Even had their

spiritual preparation been less decisive, all must have felt there was something specially

significant in the fact that a speech, such as that which the Rabh-Shakeh made, should have been

delivered on the very spot where Isaiah had uttered God's message to Ahaz (Isaiah 7:3). It is

impossible to d etermine at what period of the siege the conference between the two parties took

place. But it was probably not long after the arrival of the besieging army. For, although the Rabh-

Shakeh refers to the horrors of a protracted siege (2 Kings 18:27), his coarse language sounds

rather like a threat of future than an indication of present straits. Besides, Jerusalem may have

been shut up for some time before the actual siege, while in any case that free communication with

the country must have been interrupted which was necessary for the supply of provisions to the

capital. On the other hand, it was of the utmost importance to the Assyrians to gain possession of

Jerusalem without delay, and so to set the besieging army free to operate against Egypt. Of two

among the three representatives of Hezekiah - no doubt mentioned in the order of their rank (2

Kings 18:18) - we have some characteristic notices in Isaiah 22:15-22. From these we are led to

conjecture that Shebna, "the scribe," or secretary - probably the chie f private adviser of the king,*

and who may possibly have been of Syrian descent** -was a man actuated by ambition and

selfish motives, to whom the mistaken policy of Hezekiah's anti-Assyrian alliance may have been

* The absence of any mention of h is father seems to point to a low origin. On the office comp. 1

Kings 4:5. He seems to have combined it with that of major domo, or steward of the palace (Isaiah

22:15, with which comp. 2 Chronicles 26:21; Isaiah 36:3; 37:2).

** Comp. Cheyne, u.s. 1., p. 130.

On the other hand, we derive a correspondingly high impression concerning the first and chief

representative of the king, Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah. He seems to have succeeded Shebna

(comp. Isaiah 22:20, 21) in the office of major domo, which may be compared to that of the

modern chef du cabinet, and as such probably stood nearest to the king. Possibly this transference

of office may have been consequent on a change of political and religious views. Of Joab, the son

of Asaph, the recorder or analyst, we know not anything farther, nor does he appear afterwards

among them whom Hezekiah sent to the prophet Isaiah (2 Kings 19:1; Isaiah 37:2). His attendance

on the present occasion was probably in his capacity of secretary of state.

Such were the repre sentatives on the one side and the other, who on that eventful day met to set it

clearly before Israel and before all men with whom was the might: whether with the arm of flesh,

or with Jehovah; and whether or not the people had been right in resting thems elves upon the

words of Hezekiah, king of Judah (2 Chronicles 32:8).