But the Rabshakeh said …: The Assyrian ambassador’s response is blunt. He speaks in the language of the people, because he wants everyone in the city to understand perfectly what the consequences will be for all of them if they continue the rebellion. The verb said is better rendered “replied,” since the ambassador is responding to the request of King Hezekiah’s delegates.

Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall…?: The ambassador uses another rhetorical question to emphasize that his words are for all in the city to hear, so it may be rendered as a strong statement. This long question may also be divided into two or more sentences (so Good News Translation; see also the examples below). The first half of the question is literally “To your master and to you has my master sent me to speak these words [and] not concerning the people sitting on the wall…?” This emphasizes the contrast between the two groups of those listening to the Assyrian’s message. This contrast can be kept in translation by saying “Is it only to your master and to you that my master has sent me to say these words, and not also to the people sitting on the wall…?”

Those sitting on the city wall are referred to as men here, but as “people” in the previous verse. However, it is better to say “people” here also, since it is unlikely that only male members of the community were listening to the conversation.

Who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine is literally “to eat their own dung and to drink their own urine with you.” Revised Standard Version adds who are doomed (Good News Translation “who will have”) to make the reading smoother. The Assyrian ambassador is probably using hyperbole here to exaggerate the terrible fate of people living in the besieged city of Jerusalem (compare 2 Kgs 6.24-29). He uses crude expressions for dung and urine to shock the people and encourage Hezekiah’s surrender. The Hebrew text provides euphemistic expressions in the margin, which are to be read instead of what is written in the text. Its euphemism for their own dung is “what comes out of them,” and for their own urine it is “water of their feet.” Some translators will not feel comfortable using crude expressions and will look for euphemistic terms. However, they should remember that the Assyrian ambassador did not use polite forms when he attempted to sway the minds of the rebels. Fairly crude language should be kept if at all possible.

Some translation examples for this verse are:

• But the Assyrian ambassador replied, “Was it only to your master [Hezekiah] and to you that my master sent me with this message? Does it not also concern the people on the city wall? They, like you, will eat their own excrement [or, body waste] and drink their own urine [or, body water]!”

• But the Rabshakeh replied that it was not only to their master [Hezekiah] and to them that his master had sent him with this message. Rather, it also concerned the people on the city wall. They would all be reduced to eating their own dung and drinking their own urine.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .