Isaiah 22

A Prophesy that the land of Juda should spoiled by the Assyrians: Anguish thence arising, vers.1,2, etc. How the Assyrians should demean themselves in the land of Juda, 5. Etc. What the Jews should do, 9. Wherefore God should punish them so. 12 Sebna is reproved, and threatened for his pride. 15. Eliakim is put in his place, 20. Whose glory is related 21, etc.

1. The burden [See above chap.13.on vers.1.] of the valley of vision [the land of Juda is called a valley, because it lieth between many mountains, and likewise hath many mountains round about it, Psal.125.2.] And Jerusalem is called a valley of vision, because there were many Seers, that is, many Prophets in that city, unto whom God was wont to reveal himself in or by visions. So that the prophet doth here chiefly speak unto those of Jerusalem, foretelling them what misery was approaching unto them] what aileth thee now, that thou wholly goest up to the rooms? [to wit, out of fear and astonishment, to lament and mourn there. See above chap.15.3. and Jerem.48.38. Some apply this prophecy to the times of King Hezekiah, when Sennacherib invaded the land of Juda. Others understand it of the besieging of the two Kings, Pekah and Rezim. See above chap.7.]

2. Thou that wast full of great noise, thou stirring city, thou city skipping for joy: [that is, thou city, wherein there was wont be a great noise, bruit, and stir, and a great rushing of mirth and jollity, of singing and piping, of dancing and leaping, and all manner of stir and tumult] thy slain ones [others wounded ones] are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle [as if he said, how is the business thus altered? Ye that were wont heretofore to be valiant and courageous in battle, and to stand against your enemies; now ye are all fugitives and cowards, or suffer your selves to be carried away captive, as followeth. Others thus, (namely because) thy slain ones are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle; and so in the next verse. As if he said, do ye rejoice in this, that many of your fellow-citizens did not die by the edge of the sword, as honourable and valiant souldiers are wont to do, but suffered themselves to be carried away captive by their enemies, who abused them not heinously.? See the next verse.]

3. All thy Rulers are fled away together; [Not knowing whether to turn or wind themselves, or what to take in hand] they are bound by the archers, [Heb. Bow, that is, bow-shooters, or men of the bow. Others, they are bound by the how; that is, as if their hands were bound, so that they could not bend the bow] all that are found in thee, [Heb. All thy found ones, that is, all those that are found of thine] are bound together, they have fled afar off [that is, while the enemy was yet far from them, yea even before they spied the enemy, Others, they are fled are far away.]

4. Therefore I say Turn (your) sight away from me, [To wit, all ye that desire to comfort me] let me weep bitterly: [Heb. Let me embitter with weeping, and press not on to comfort me, [or, trouble your selves no further, take no more pains to comfort me] for the destruction of the daughter of my people. [that is, of every small city in the land of Juda, whereof Jerusalem was as it were the Metropolis, or mother city.]

5. For it is a day of trouble, [or, of tumult, of noise, or, of vexation: That is, a time wherein my people are vexed and troubled by their enemies. See 2 Kings 19:3.] and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord, the LORD of hosts, [that is, which God as a righteous Judge (by astonishment because of the enemies invasion) shall cause to come upon them] in the valley of vision, [See above ver.1. [(a day) of unwilling the wall, [That is, a day that shall break down the walls, (of unwilling the wall) or, the walls; that is, the fenced cities in Juda, 2 Kings 18 10.] and of crying towards the mountains, [as if he said, the Jews shall make an hideous cry, running to the mountains, to hide themselves there from their enemies.]

6. For Elam [understand here by Elam the Persians, as above chap.21.2.] took the quiver, the man is in the charet, there are horsemen: and Kir, [That is, the Medes. Kir was a famous city in Media, which is here put for the whole land of Media, or inhabitants thereof. See above chap.15.on verse 1. Uncovereth the shield [the meaning of this verse is, that the Persians and Medes, with other Nations, were ready & in arms, to assail, invade, and lay waste the land of Juda; (the man is in the charet, there are horsemen) Others, the horses are wholly of the mans charets. Understand here the army-charets, or fighting-charets of the Assyrians (and Kir uncovereth the shield) that is, produceth, or bringeth the shield (under which all other weapons are to be understood and comprehended) to light, and prepareth it self for war or battle.]

7. And it shall come to pass, that thy [O thou valley of vision] choice valleys[Heb. The choice of thy valleys, that is, the best and fruitfullest low grounds] shall be full of charets, [in the Hebrew this and some other verses are put in the preter-perfect tense, according to the manner or custom of the Prophets] and that the horsemen shall set themselves in array) [Heb. Setting they did set] at the gates: [By the gates must be understood the fenced cities.]

8. And be [to wit, King Sennacherib] Shall uncover the covering of Juda: [the prophet speaketh in the Hebrew tongue as of a thing that was already done, although the thing whereof he speaketh was yet to be done, or was to be done afterward. Others, and they uncovered the covering of Juda: So the Prophet calleth the forts or strong holds that were in the borders of the land of Juda. So that to uncover the covering of Juda, signifieth, to take the strong places in Juda] and in that day shall thou [to wit, thou people of Jerusalem] look to the arms in the house of the forest [that is, thou shalt look to get arms or weapons out of the armoury, to defend thy self, in hopes that thou shalt be able to free thy self, in hopes that thou shalt be able to free thy self out of trouble and danger. Understand rightly, but it shall be all in vain. But the house of the Forrest is conceived to be meant the Magazine or armoury of the Kingdom. Compare 1 Kings 7:2. with the Annotat.]

9. And ye shall view [Or, provide for, that is, men repair] the breaches of the city of David, [of the city of David, see 2 Sam.5.7. and 9. [because they are many: and he shall gather together the waters of the lower pool [so called in respect of the upper pool, whereof mention is made, 2 Kings 18:17. and above chap.7.3.]

10. Ye shall also number the houses of Hierusalem: [That is, ye men in the houses, to know how strong ye are in people, or men, for to oppose and resist the enemy, and how much provision ye shall need, Or, according to the letter, ye shall not onely view, but also number the houses that stand at or near to the city-walls, and set down in writing, what houses, and how many shall need to be pulled down, when the city walls shall be repaired or amended, as is hinted in the following words.] and ye shall break down houses to fortify the walls.

11. Ye shall also make a ditch [Heb. A gathering; to wit of waters, as Gen.1.9.] between both walls, for the waters of the old pool: [to wit, bring the water of Gion from the upper pool. Compare 2 Kings 20:20. and 2 Chron.32.30. of the old pool see above chap.7. vers.3.] but ye shall not look up unto him that hath done it, neither have respect unto him that hath formed it from remote times (or long ago) [the meaning of the words of this verse, and of those words ver.8. (and is that day etc.) hitherto, is this, ye shall diligently heed and observe all and singular points, and ye shall repair in the cities all that is amiss, all that was fallen to decay, and was neglected in the times of your Ancestors: but ye shall not look up &c. As if the prophet said, ye shall wholly rely upon humane aid and means, and in the mean while forget the LORD your helper in time of need. (but ye shall not look up etc.) to wit, unto God in heaven: by whom these judgements are determined and sent upon you, and to whom ye ought to have returned, if ye would be helped by him.]

12. And in that day [See on ver.1.] shall the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, call [to wit, by some one of his Prophets] to weeping and to mourning, and to baldness, [others to making bald. This was wont to be an evidence of heart grief and sorrow. See Mich.1.16.] and to girding on of a sack.

13. But behold there is joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine, [Compare below chap.56.12.] (and saying) let us eat and drink, [Hebr. Eat and drink; to wit, we will] for tomorrow we shall die [this the wicked speak in a scoffing manner; as if they had said, our prophets tell us, that we shall soon be slain, let us then be jovial and merry, as long as we may. See 1 Cor.15.32.]

14. But the Lord of hosts revealed himself revealed himself before mine ears, [Others, it is revealed before mine ears, I that am the Lord of hosts] (saying) if this iniquity be remitted to you, [It is a kind of oath. See the Annotat. Gen.14.on vers.2. The meaning is, this offence, or this wickedness shall not be covered, that is, not forgiven unto you] till ye die, [That is, all your life long, or never. See Genesis 28:15. understand withal, unless you do in time cease from sinning] saith the LORD, the Lord of host.

15. Thus saith the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, go thy ways, go in unto that Treasurer, [Or, steward of the house. Others helping master, or, helper; that is, favourer of these wicked ones] Sebna the steward, [this same Sebna came afterward from steward to be secretary, as appeareth 2 Kings 18:18. Heb. Who is over the house, to wit, over the Kings house. See the Annotat. 1 Kings 4. On vers.6. (and say.)

16. What hast thou here? [To wit, at Jerusalem] or whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out, [that is, hast caused to be hewed out] a Sepulchre here? (as) he that heweth out a Sepulchre in an high place, that causeth an habitation to be portrayed for himself on a rock. [As if he said, thou hast neither estate of inheritance nor kindred here at Hierusalem, but thou art a stranger here, therefore thou oughtest not to carry thy self so stately and proudly here.]

17. Behold, the Lord will cast thee away, with a mansull casting away: and he will cover thee quite over. [Heb. Covering over cover thee over. To wit, with ignominy, or disgrace. But others expound this whole verse thus, Behold the Lord covereth thee with a covering of a valiant man, and he covereth thee over gloriously; so that it is a relation of the mercies which God had shewed him.]

18. He [to wit, the Lord] shall surely roll thee forward, as they roll a ball, [Heb. He shall rolling roll thee, (with) the rolling of a ball] into a land large in compass; [As Gen.34.21.] there shalt thou die, and there shall thy glorious charets [Heb. The charets of thy glory] be, O thou reproach of thy Lords house, [or, (for) a reproach of thy Lords house.]

19. And I [To wit, I the Lord] will thrust thee down from thy state, and from thy station will be [to wit, King Hezekiah thy Lord] disturb thee [or, remove thee, thrust thee away, pull thee away, pull thee down. This was done before Sennacherib besieged Hierisalem, 2 King.18.18.]

20. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah. Compare 2 Kings chap.18.vers.18,26,37.]

21. And I will cloth him with thy robe, [To wit, with that robe or coat, which thou as steward to the King wearest, that is, I will give thy office. The robe or garment was formerly in Kings Courts a discovery or manifestation of the office which they bare at Court. See above chap.3.6.] and I will strengthen him [others, install him, to wit, into his office] with thy girdle. [Understand here the girdle or belt whereby the honour and dignity of a person was shewed,] and I will delivered thy government [command, authority, power] into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Juda.

22. And I will lay [Heb. Give] the key of the house of David upon his shoulders; [When in Kings Courts, the key is delivered to any one, it signifieth, that authority and power is given unto him in his ministry or service. In Isa.chap.9. ver.5. the like phrase is used of Christ, whose type this Eliakim was. See likewise Revel.3.7. where these words of the prophet are also applied unto Christ] and he shall open and none shall shut, and be shall shut and none shall open. [See Job 12:14. the Annotat.]

23. And I will knock him in (as) a nail in a sure place: [Here Eliakim is promised, that God will confirm and established him in his government, by a similitude borrowed from all a nail, which being knock fast and deep into a wall or into wood, cannot easily be plucked out. See this phrase also, Ezra 9:8.] and he shall be for a chair of honour unto his fathers house. [As thou Sebna on the contrary wast a shame and reproach unto thy Lords house. See ver.18.]

24. And they shall hang upon him [Or, upon it, to wit, upon it, to wit, upon that nail] all the glory of his fathers house, of the off-spring, [compare the Annotat. Job.5.on vers.25.] and of the issue, [other Translators have for those two immediately foregoing words, sons and daughters, others, children and grandchildren. It cometh to all one sense] (also) all small vessels, [or, all the mean furniture or instruments; that is, vessels of small use] from the vessels of cups even to all the vessels of flagons. [others retain the Hebrew word Nebalim, rendered here flagons. The meaning of this 24. Verse is, that all great and small matters should be committed to that nail, namely unto Eliakim: As also that all, both great and small persons, should address themselves unto him for refuge an succour, and should find help and comfort by him.]

25. In that day saith the Lord of hosts, shall that nail, [to wit, Sebna] that was stuck in a sure place, [this is the antithesis or contrary part of the 23. Verse] be taken away, and it shall be cut down, and it shall fall; and the burden that is upon it, [or, that hangeth upon it; that is, that was laid upon it] shall be cut off: Compare 2 Kings 24:13. with the Annotat. [In all mens judgement, Sebna was in so great authority, as that he could never fall, nor come to shame: but God can remove the great and high ones from ones from the throne, and pull out the nail, though it seem to be knock in never so fast] for the Lord hath spoken it.