Shebna
The royal steward of Hezekiah's court, one of the three officials who met the Assyrian envoy at the wall of Jerusalem and asked him to speak Aramaic so the people would not understand. Isaiah denounced him for cutting himself a tomb on the height as though he were a prince, and prophesied that he would be hurled away and his office given to Eliakim, on whose shoulder the key of the house of David would be laid. A rock-cut tomb inscription found in the Kidron valley may belong to him.
What we know — and how we know it
Where in scripture
2 KingsIsaiahWhen they had called to the king, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder came out to them.
2 Kings 18:18
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebnah, and Joah, said to Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in the Syrian language, for we understand it. Don’t speak with us in the Jews’ language, in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”
2 Kings 18:26
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, came with Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him Rabshakeh’s words.
2 Kings 18:37
He sent Eliakim, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.
2 Kings 19:2
Thus says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, “Go, get yourself to this treasurer, even to Shebna, who is over the house, and say,
Isaiah 22:15 — Rebuked for his tomb
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder came out to him.
Isaiah 36:3
Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; and don’t speak to us in the Jews’ language in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”
Isaiah 36:11
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.
Isaiah 36:22
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
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Photo: Godot13 — CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)