Isaiah 36:21
◄  Isaiah 36:21  ►
New International Version (©2011)
But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, "Do not answer him."

New Living Translation (©2007)
But the people were silent and did not utter a word because Hezekiah had commanded them, "Do not answer him."

English Standard Version (©2001)
But they were silent and answered him not a word, for the king’s command was, “Do not answer him.”

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
But they were silent and answered him not a word; for the king's commandment was, "Do not answer him."

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
But they kept silent; they didn't say anything, for the king's command was, "Don't answer him."

International Standard Version (©2012)
But the people remained silent and didn't respond to him with so much as a single word, because the king had commanded, "Don't answer him."

NET Bible (©2006)
They were silent and did not respond, for the king had ordered, "Don't respond to him."

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
They were silent and didn't say anything to him because the king commanded them not to answer him.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

American King James Version
But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

American Standard Version
But they held their peace, and answered him not a word; for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they held their peace, and answered him not a word. For the king had commanded, saying: answer him not.

Darby Bible Translation
And they were silent, and answered him not a word; for the king's command was, saying, Answer him not.

English Revised Version
But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

Webster's Bible Translation
But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

World English Bible
But they remained silent, and said nothing in reply, for the king's commandment was, "Don't answer him."

Young's Literal Translation
And they keep silent, and have not answered him a word, for a command of the king is, saying, 'Do not answer him.'

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

36:1-22:See 2Ki 18:17-37, and the commentary thereon.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 21. - They (i.e. the people, as in 2 Kings 18:36) held their peace. Rabshakeh's attempt to shake their fidelity had, at any rate, no manifest effect. For the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not. Hezekiah can scarcely have anticipated that Rabshakeh would so far depart from ordinary usage as to make a speech to "the men on the wall." But he may have been in the immediate neighbourhood, and, when apprised of the envoy's proceedings, may have sent the order. We are not to suppose that the Jewish king was at a loss for an answer. He did not choose to bandy words with an envoy who had behaved himself so outrageously.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

But they held their peace, and answered him not a word,.... The three ministers of Hezekiah; not as confounded, and unable to return an answer: they were capable of saying many things in proof that the Lord God was greater than the gods of the nations, and in favour of their king, Hezekiah, whom he had treated in a scurrilous manner; and could have objected to him the king of Assyria's breach of faith and honour, but these things they waved, and said nothing of; no doubt they said something to him, had some conference with him, or otherwise what were they sent as commissioners about? but they made no answer to his blasphemies and menaces:

for the king's commandment was, saying, answer him not: with respect to the above things; when he sent them, he might be aware that he would behave in such a rude, insolent, and blaspheming manner, and therefore the king gave them instructions how to conduct themselves, should this be the case. Musculus thinks the king was on the wall, and heard all himself, and gave orders to his ministers to make no reply; but this does not seem likely; what is here said of the ministers is also said of the people, 2 Kings 18:36.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

21. not a word—so as not to enter into a war of words with the blasphemer (Ex 14:14; Jude 9).

Isaiah 36:21 Parallel Commentaries

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Sennacherib Invades Judah
…20Who are they among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand? 21But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not. 22Then came Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, that 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.

Proverbs 9:7 Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults; whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse.
Proverbs 9:8 Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you.
Proverbs 26:4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him.