C. F. Keil and Franz Delitzsch on 2 Kings 18:18

2Ki 18:18

Hezekiah considered it beneath his dignity to negotiate personally with the generals of Sennacherib. He sent three of his leading ministers out to the front of the city: Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, the captain of the castle, who had only received the appointment to this office a short time before in Shebna’s place (Isa 22:20-21); Shebna, who was still secretary of state (ספר: see at 2Sa 8:17); and Joach the son of Asaph, the chancellor (מזכּיר: see at 2Sa 8:16).

Rabshakeh made a speech to these three (2Ki 18:19-25), in which he tried to show that Hezekiah’s confidence that he would be able to resist the might of the king of Assyria was perfectly vain, since neither Egypt (2Ki 18:21), nor his God (2Ki 18:22), nor his forces (2Ki 18:23), would be able to defend him.