ישעיהו, פרק ל״ו, פסוק כ״א

Following the insulting speech delivered by the Assyrian army commander, the Judean representatives stand before him without uttering a single word. Their reaction is simply one of complete silence [מצודת ציון]. This is a highly dignified silence. Given the severe insults hurled at them, a forceful response to defend their honor and avenge the blasphemy is fully expected. The representatives are certainly capable of answering back, yet they hold their tongues out of strict obedience to an explicit command from their king [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Commentators offer several reasons for this strict order. One approach suggests the king wants to maintain proper royal protocol. Furthermore, by forbidding his representatives to engage in conversation, he ensures they will not be tempted by any practical offers the Assyrian commander might propose [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Additionally, since the king has no way of knowing beforehand what the commander will say, he cannot prepare his men with the right words. Therefore, ordering them to remain quiet is the only logical choice [שד״ל]. Taking a completely different approach, some suggest that the command to remain silent does not actually come from King Hezekiah at all. Instead, it refers to the ancient wisdom of King Solomon, who instructed in the Book of Proverbs not to answer a fool according to his foolishness [חומת אנך].

A broader view of the event emerges when comparing this account to its parallel in the Book of Kings. Here, the silence is attributed specifically to the royal ministers, whereas the Book of Kings notes that the people were silent. This difference stems from the fact that Hezekiah originally commanded only his ministers to stay quiet, never imagining that the Assyrian commander would bypass the officials and speak directly to the common people gathered on the city wall. The Assyrian only turns his attention to the public because the ministers had previously made the mistake of asking him to speak in Aramaic, a request that only inflated his pride. Consequently, the account recorded here is understood to be the original, precise description written by Isaiah himself as the events unfolded. The version in the Book of Kings was copied and edited at a later time, at which point the reaction of the common people was added to the record [שד״ל].