דברי הימים ב, פרק ל״ב, פסוק ט׳

Upon discovering that Hezekiah is actively preparing to rebel against him, Sennacherib decides to respond. He sends Rabshakeh along with other messengers to Jerusalem [מלבי ם]. At this time, the King of Assyria is fully occupied waging war and laying siege to the city of Lachish, accompanied by his entire army [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Because he is tied down in battle, he relies on this delegation to confront the leadership in Jerusalem.

The messengers are sent directly to King Hezekiah [מצודת דוד]. However, their mission goes beyond merely speaking to the royal leadership. The delegation is instructed to simultaneously address all the people of Judah who are besieged in the city. This creates a twofold strategy. While officially delivering a message to the king, the messengers aim to speak directly to the trapped population in order to crush their morale, break their confidence, and demand their surrender [ביאור שטיינזלץ].