Isaiah 22

Isa 22:1-14.

PROPHECY AS TO AN

ATTACK ON

JERUSALEM.

That by Sennacherib, in the fourteenth year of Hezekiah;

Isa 22:8-11,

the preparations for defense and securing of water exactly answer to

those in

2Ch 32:4, 5, 30.

"Shebna," too

(Isa 22:15),

was scribe at this time

(Isa 36:3)

[MAURER]. The language of

Isa 22:12-14,

as to the infidelity and consequent utter ruin of the Jews, seems rather

to foreshadow the destruction by Nebuchadnezzar in Zedekiah's reign, and

cannot be restricted to Hezekiah's time [LOWTH].

1. of . . . valley of vision--rather, "respecting the

valley of visions"; namely, Jerusalem, the seat of divine revelations

and visions, "the nursery of prophets" [JEROME],

(Isa 2:3; 29:1;

Eze 23:4,

Margin;

Lu 13:33).

It lay in a "valley" surrounded by hills higher than Zion and Moriah

(Ps 125:2;

Jer 21:13).

thee--the people of Jerusalem personified.

housetops--Panic-struck, they went up on the flat balustraded roofs

to look forth and see whether the enemy was near, and partly to defend

themselves from the roofs

(Jud 9:51,

&c.).

2. art--rather, "wert"; for it could not now be said to be "a

joyous city"

(Isa 32:13).

The cause of their joy

(Isa 22:13)

may have been because Sennacherib had accepted Hezekiah's offer to renew

the payment of tribute, and they were glad to have peace on any terms,

however humiliating

(2Ki 18:14-16),

or on account of the alliance with Egypt. If the reference be to

Zedekiah's time, the joy and feasting are not inapplicable, for this

recklessness was a general characteristic of the unbelieving Jews

(Isa 56:12).

not slain with the sword--but with the famine and pestilence about

to be caused by the coming siege

(La 4:9).

MAURER refers this to the plague by which

he thinks Sennacherib's army was destroyed, and Hezekiah was made sick

(Isa 37:36; 38:1).

But there is no authority for supposing that the Jews in the city

suffered such extremities of plague at this time, when God

destroyed their foes. BARNES refers it to those

slain in flight, not in open honorable "battle";

Isa 22:3

favors this.

3. rulers--rather, "generals"

(Jos 10:24;

Jud 11:6, 11).

bound--rather, "are taken."

Isa 21:17.

Bowmen were the light troops, whose province it was to skirmish in

front and

(2Ki 6:22)

pursue fugitives

(2Ki 25:5);

this verse applies better to the attack of Nebuchadnezzar than that of

Sennacherib.

all . . . in thee--all found in the city

(Isa 13:15),

not merely the "rulers" or generals.

fled from far--those who had fled from distant parts to Jerusalem

as a place of safety; rather, fled afar.

4. Look . . . from me--Deep grief seeks to be alone; while others

feast joyously, Isaiah mourns in prospect of the disaster coming on

Jerusalem

(Mic 1:8, 9).

daughter, &c.--(see on

Isa 1:8;

La 2:11).

5. trouble . . . by the Lord--that is, sent by or from the Lord

(see on

Isa 19:15;

Lu 21:22-24).

valley of vision--(See on

Isa 22:1).

Some think a valley near Ophel is meant as about to be the scene of

devastation (compare see on

Isa 32:13,14).

breaking . . . walls--that is, "a day of breaking the walls" of

the city.

crying to the mountains--the mournful cry of the townsmen "reaches"

to (MAURER translates, towards) the mountains,

and is echoed back by

them. JOSEPHUS describes in the very same language the scene at the

assault of Jerusalem under Titus. To this the prophecy, probably, refers

ultimately. If, as some think, the "cry" is that of those escaping to the mountains, compare

Mt 13:14; 24:16,

with this.

6. Elam--the country stretching east from the Lower Tigris,

answering to what was afterwards called Persia (see on

Isa 21:2).

Later, Elam was a province of Persia

(Ezr 4:9).

In Sennacherib's time, Elam was subject to Assyria

(2Ki 18:11),

and so furnished a contingent to its invading armies. Famed for the bow

(Isa 13:18;

Jer 49:35),

in which the Ethiopians alone excelled them.

with chariots of men and horsemen--that is, they used the bow

both in chariots and on horseback. "Chariots of men," that is,

chariots in which men are borne, war chariots (compare see on

Isa 21:7;

Isa 21:9).

Kir--another people subject to Assyria

(2Ki 16:9);

the region about the river Kur, between the Caspian and Black Seas.

uncovered--took off for the battle the leather covering of the shield,

intended to protect the embossed figures on it from dust or injury

during the march. "The quiver" and "the shield" express two

classes--light and heavy armed troops.

7. valleys--east, north, and south of Jerusalem: Hinnom on the south

side was the richest valley.

in array at the gate--Rab-shakeh stood at the upper pool close to the

city

(Isa 36:11-13).

8. he discovered the covering--rather, "the veil of Judah shall be

taken off" [HORSLEY]: figuratively for,

exposing to shame as a captive

(Isa 47:3;

Na 3:5).

Sennacherib dismantled all "the defensed cities of Judah"

(Isa 36:1).

thou didst look--rather, "thou shalt look."

house of . . . forest--The house of armory built of cedar from

the forest of Lebanon by Solomon, on a slope of Zion called Ophel

(1Ki 7:2; 10:17;

Ne 3:19).

Isaiah says

(Isa 22:8-13)

his countrymen will look to their own strength to defend

themselves, while others of them will drown their sorrows as to their

country in feasting, but none will look to Jehovah.

9. Ye have seen--rather, "Ye shall see."

city of David--the upper city, on Zion, the south side of Jerusalem

(2Sa 5:7, 9;

1Ki 8:1);

surrounded by a wall of its own; but even in it there shall be

"breaches." Hezekiah's preparations for defense accord with this

(2Ch 32:5).

ye gathered--rather, "ye shall gather."

lower pool--(See on

Isa 22:11).

Ye shall bring together into the city by subterranean passages cut in

the rock of Zion, the fountain from which the lower pool (only

mentioned here) is supplied. See on

Isa 7:3;

2Ki 20:20;

2Ch 32:3-5,

represent Hezekiah as having stopped the fountains to prevent

the Assyrians getting water. But this is consistent with the passage

here. The superfluous waters of the lower pool usually flowed into

Hinnom valley, and so through that of Jehoshaphat to the brook Kedron.

Hezekiah built a wall round it, stopped the outflowing of its

waters to debar the foe from the use of them, and turned them into the

city.

10. numbered--rather, "ye shall number," namely, in order to see

which of them may be pulled down with the least loss to the city, and

with most advantage for the repair of the walls and rearing of towers

(2Ch 32:5).

have ye broken down--rather, "ye shall break down."

11. Ye made . . . a ditch--rather, "Ye shall make a reservoir" for

receiving the water. Hezekiah surrounded Siloah, from which the old

(or king's, or upper) pool took its rise, with a wall joined to the wall

of Zion on both sides; between these two walls he made a new pool, into

which he directed the waters of the former, thus cutting off the foe

from his supply of water also. The opening from which the upper pool

received its water was nearer Zion than the other from which the lower

pool took its rise, so that the water which flowed from the former could

easily be shut in by a wall, whereas that which flowed from the latter

could only be brought in by subterranean conduits (compare

see on

Isa 22:9;

Isa 7:3;

2Ki 20:20;

2Ch 32:3-5, 30;

Ecclesiasticus 48:17). Both were southwest of Jerusalem.

have not looked . . . neither had respect--answering by contrast to

"Thou didst look to the armor, ye have seen

('had respect', or 'regard to') the breaches"

(Isa 22:8, 9).

maker thereof--God, by whose command and aid these defenses were made,

and who gave this fountain "long ago." G. V. SMITH

translates, "Him who

doeth it," that is, has brought this danger on you--"Him who hath

prepared it from afar," that is, planned it even from a distant time.

12. did the Lord God call--Usually the priests gave the summons

to national mourning

(Joe 1:14);

now JEHOVAH Himself shall give it; the "call"

shall consist in the presence of a terrible foe. Translate, "shall

call."

baldness--emblem of grief

(Job 1:20;

Mic 1:16).

13. Notwithstanding Jehovah's "call to mourning"

(Isa 22:12),

many shall make the desperate state of affairs a reason for reckless

revelry

(Isa 5:11, 12, 14;

Jer 18:12;

1Co 15:32).

Isa 22:15-25.

PROPHECY

THAT

SHEBNA

SHOULD

BE

DEPOSED FROM

BEING

PREFECT OF THE

PALACE, AND

ELIAKIM

PROMOTED TO THE

OFFICE.

In

Isa 36:3, 22; 37:2,

we find Shebna "a scribe," and no longer prefect of the palace ("over

the household"), and Eliakim in that office, as is here foretold.

Shebna is singled out as the subject of prophecy (the only instance of

an individual being so in Isaiah), as being one of the

irreligious faction that set at naught the prophet's warnings

(Isa 28:1-33:24);

perhaps it was he who advised the temporary ignominious submission of

Hezekiah to Sennacherib.

15. Go, get thee unto--rather, "Go in to" (that is, into the house to).

treasurer--"him who dwells in the tabernacle"

[JEROME]; namely, in a

room of the temple set apart for the treasurer. Rather, "the king's

friend," or "principal officer of the court"

(1Ki 4:5; 18:3;

1Ch 27:33,

"the king's counsellor") [MAURER]. "This" is

prefixed contemptuously

(Ex 32:1).

unto Shebna--The Hebrew for "unto" indicates an accosting of Shebna

with an unwelcome message.

16. What . . . whom--The prophet accosts Shebna at the very place where

he was building a grand sepulcher for himself and his family (compare

Isa 14:18;

Ge 23:1-20; 49:29; 50:13).

"What (business) hast thou here, and whom hast thou (of

thy family, who is likely to be buried) here, that thou

buildest," &c., seeing that thou art soon to be deposed from

office and carried into captivity? [MAURER].

on high--Sepulchres were made in the highest rocks

(2Ch 32:33,

Margin).

habitation for himself--compare "his own house"

(Isa 14:18).

17. carry . . . away with . . .

captivity--rather, "will cast thee away with a mighty throw"

[MAURER]. "Mighty," literally, "of a man" (so

Job 38:3).

surely cover--namely, with shame, where thou art rearing a monument

to perpetuate thy fame [VITRINGA].

"Rolling will roll thee," that is,

will continually roll thee on, as a ball to be tossed away

[MAURER].

Compare

Isa 22:18.

18. violently turn and toss--literally, "whirling He will whirl thee,"

that is, He will, without intermission, whirl thee

[MAURER]. "He will

whirl thee round and round, and (then) cast thee away," as a stone in a

sling is first whirled round repeatedly, before the string is let go

[LOWTH].

large country--perhaps Assyria.

chariots . . . shall be the shame of thy lord's house--rather, "thy

splendid chariots shall be there, O thou disgrace of thy lord's house"

[NOYES]; "chariots of thy glory" mean "thy magnificent chariots." It is

not meant that he would have these in a distant land, as he had in

Jerusalem, but that he would be borne thither in ignominy instead of in

his magnificent chariots. The Jews say that he was tied to the tails of

horses by the enemy, to whom he had designed to betray Jerusalem, as

they thought he was mocking them; and so he died.

19. state--office.

he--God. A similar change of persons occurs in

Isa 34:16.

20. son of Hilkiah--supposed by KIMCHI to be the same as Azariah, son

of Hilkiah, who perhaps had two names, and who was "over the household"

in Hezekiah's time

(1Ch 6:13).

21. thy robe--of office.

girdle--in which the purse was carried, and to it was attached the

sword; often adorned with gold and jewels.

father--that is, a counsellor and friend.

22. key--emblem of his office over the house; to "open" or "shut";

access rested with him.

upon . . . shoulder--So keys are carried sometimes in the East, hanging

from the kerchief on the shoulder. But the phrase is rather figurative

for sustaining the government on one's shoulders. Eliakim, as his

name implies, is here plainly a type of the God-man Christ, the son of

"David," of whom Isaiah

(Isa 9:6)

uses the same language as the former clause of this verse. In

Re 3:7,

the same language as the latter clause is found (compare

Job 12:14).

23. nail . . . sure place--Large nails or pegs stood

in ancient houses on which were suspended the ornaments of the family.

The sense is: all that is valuable to the nation shall rest securely on

him. In

Ezr 9:8

"nail" is used of the large spike driven into the ground to fasten the

cords of the tent to.

throne--resting-place to his family, as applied to Eliakim; but

"throne," in the strict sense, as applied to Messiah, the antitype

(Lu 1:32, 33).

24. Same image as in

Isa 22:23.

It was customary to "hang" the valuables of a house on nails

(1Ki 10:16, 17, 21;

So 4:4).

offspring and the issue--rather, "the offshoots of the family, high

and low" [VITRINGA].

Eliakim would reflect honor even on the latter.

vessels of cups--of small capacity: answering to the low and

humble offshoots.

vessels of flagons--larger vessels: answering to the

high offshoots.

25. nail . . . fastened--Shebna, who was supposed to be firmly

fixed in his post.

burden . . . upon it--All that were dependent on Shebna, all his

emoluments and rank will fail, as when a peg is suddenly "cut down," the

ornaments on it fall with it. Sin reaches in its effects even to the

family of the guilty

(Ex 20:5).