Isaiah22
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?
2O thou that art full of shoutings, a tumultuous city, a joyous town; thy slain are not slain with the sword, neither are they dead in battle.
3All thy rulers fled away together, they were bound by the archers; all that were found of thee were bound together; they fled afar off.
4Therefore said I, Look away from me, I will weep bitterly; labor not to comfort me for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
5For it is a day of discomfiture, and of treading down, and of perplexity, from the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, in the valley of vision; a breaking down of the walls, and a crying to the mountains.
6And Elam bare the quiver, with chariots of men and horsemen; and Kir uncovered the shield.
7And it came to pass, that thy choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the horsemen set themselves in array at the gate.
8And he took away the covering of Judah; and thou didst look in that day to the armor in the house of the forest.
9And ye saw the breaches of the city of David, that they were many; and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool;
10and ye numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and ye brake down the houses to fortify the wall;
11ye made also a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But ye looked not unto him that had done this, neither had ye respect unto him that purposed it long ago.
12And in that day did the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:
13and, behold, joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine: Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall die.
14And Jehovah of hosts revealed himself in mine ears, Surely this iniquity shall not be forgiven you till ye die, saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.
15Thus saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, who is over the house, and say,
16What doest thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out here a sepulchre? hewing him out a sepulchre on high, graving a habitation for himself in the rock!
17Behold, Jehovah, like a strong man, will hurl thee away violently; yea, he will wrap thee up closely.
18He will surely wind thee round and round, and toss thee like a ball into a large country; there shalt thou die, and there shall be the chariots of thy glory, thou shame of thy lord’s house.
19And I will thrust thee from thine office; and from thy station shalt thou be pulled down.
20And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:
21and I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand; and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.
22And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; and he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
23And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a throne of glory to his father’s house.
24And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, every small vessel, from the cups even to all the flagons.
25In that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, shall the nail that was fastened in a sure place give way; and it shall be hewn down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off; for Jehovah hath spoken it.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Isaiah 22.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The siege and taking of Jerusalem. (1-7). The wicked conduct of its inhabitants. (8-14). The displacing of Shebna, and the promotion of Eliakim, applied to the Messiah. (15-25).
vv1-7
Why is Jerusalem in such terror? Her slain men are not slain with the sword, but with famine; or, slain with fear, disheartened. Their rulers fled, but were overtaken. The servants of God, who foresee and warn sinners of coming miseries, are affected by the prospect. But all the horrors of a city taken by storm, faintly shadow forth the terrors of the day of wrath.
vv8-14
The weakness of Judah now appeared more than ever. Now also they discovered their carnal confidence and their carnal security. They looked to the fortifications. They made sure of water for the city. But they were regardless of God in all these preparations. They did not care for his glory in what they did. They did not depend upon him for a blessing on their endeavours. For every creature is to us what God makes it to be; and we must bless him for it, and use it for him. There was great contempt of God's wrath and justice, in contending with them. God's design was to humble them, and bring them to repentance. They walked contrary to this. Actual disbelief of another life after this, is at the bottom of the carnal security and brutish sensuality, which are the sin, the shame, and ruin of so great a part of mankind. God was displeased at this. It is a sin against the remedy, and it is not likely they should ever repent of it. Whether this unbelief works by presumption or despair, it produces the same contempt of God, and is a token that a man will perish wilfully.
vv15-25
This message to Shebna is a reproof of his pride, vanity, and security; what vanity is all earthly grandeur, which death will so soon end! What will it avail, whether we are laid in a magnificent tomb, or covered with the green sod? Those who, when in power, turn and toss others, will be justly turned and tossed themselves. Eliakim should be put into Shebna's place. Those called to places of trust and power, should seek to God for grace to enable them to do their duty. Eliakim's advancement is described. Our Lord Jesus describes his own power as Mediator, Rev. 3:7, that he has the key of David. His power in the kingdom of heaven, and in ordering all the affairs of that kingdom, is absolute. Rulers should be fathers to those under their government; and the honour men bring unto their families, by their piety and usefulness, is more to be valued than what they derive from them by their names and titles. The glory of this world gives a man no real worth or excellence; it is but hung upon him, and it will soon drop from him. Eliakim was compared to a nail in a sure place; all his family are said to depend upon him. In eastern houses, rows of large spikes were built up in the walls. Upon these the moveables and utensils were hung. Our Lord Jesus is as a nail in a sure place. That soul cannot perish, nor that concern fall to the ground, which is by faith hung upon Christ. He will set before the believer an open door, which no man can shut, and bring both body and soul to eternal glory. But those who neglect so great salvation will find, that when he shutteth none can open, whether it be shutting out from heaven, or shutting up in hell for ever.
Key Words
מַשָּׂא: a burden; specifically, tribute, or (abstractly) porterage; figuratively, an utterance, chiefly adoom, especially singing; mental, desire
גַּיְא: a gorge (from its lofty sides; hence, narrow, but not a gully or winter-torrent)
חִזָּיוֹן: a revelation, expectation by dream
מָה: properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senses
אֵפוֹ: strictly a demonstrative particle, here; but used of time, now or then
כִּי: (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
עָלָה: to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative
כֹּל: properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
גָּג: a roof; by analogy, the top of an altar
מָלֵא: full (literally or figuratively) or filling (literally); also (concretely) fulness; adverbially, fully
Cross References
Isaiah 22Christ applies the key of David to Himself, exercising absolute authority to open and shut.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Records Hezekiah's actual historical repairs of Jerusalem's breaches and fortifications under siege.
Supported by JFB
Describes Hezekiah's engineering work of blocking and redirecting the waters of the upper pool.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Paul quotes the fatalistic proverb 'let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die'.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Historically links Kir as a subject state of Assyria, demonstrating its role in the invading army.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Shows the fulfillment of the prophecy; Eliakim is promoted over the household while Shebna is scribe.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Contrasts the valleys surrounding Jerusalem with the mountains of divine protection.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallels the custom of going up to the housetops in times of terror and mourning.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Condemns the same carnal security, revelry, and luxury in the face of imminent judgment.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Identifies the house of the forest of Lebanon built by Solomon as Judah's armory.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallels the solemn decree that certain iniquities will not be purged by sacrifice.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Contrasts Shebna's prideful tomb with the rock-hewn tomb borrowed by the humble Messiah.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Illustrates the practice of covering the face of a condemned official destined for ruin.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Uses the architectural metaphor of the 'nail' or peg to represent stable, God-given leadership.
Supported by Matthew Henry