וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶלְיָקִ֣ים בֶּן־חִ֠לְקִיָּהוּ וְשֶׁבְנָ֨ה וְיוֹאָ֜ח אֶל־רַב־שָׁקֵ֗ה דַּבֶּר־נָ֤א אֶל־עֲבָדֶ֙יךָ֙ אֲרָמִ֔ית כִּ֥י שֹׁמְעִ֖ים אֲנָ֑חְנוּ וְאַל־תְּדַבֵּ֤ר עִמָּ֙נוּ֙ יְהוּדִ֔ית בְּאָזְנֵ֣י הָעָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־הַחֹמָֽה׃
希勒家的兒子以利亞敬、舍伯那和約亞對拉伯沙基說：«請用亞蘭話對你的僕人說，因為我們聽得懂；不要用猶大話對我們說，讓城牆上的百姓聽見。»
Rashi
For we understand it. We are residents of the palace, and understand Aramaic and other languages. But do not speak Hebrew to us, which all the people understand,18They were concerned about the morale of the people and therefore wanted to keep the conversation private. and we do not want them to hear.19It is not proper to reveal matters of war to the general public.—Metzudas Dovid