Isaiah 22
PATOur English interpreters have very much mistook the de- - sign of the following prophecy,- telling us, in the contents, that the former patt of the chapter relates to the * invasion of Jewry by the Persians: an occurrence mentioned neither in sacred nor profane history, and not at all probable, whether we consider the distance of Persia from Jewry, or that the Persians were at this time subject to the king of Assyria, and upon that account are mentioned (ver. 6.) as part of Sennacherib’s army, with which he invaded Judea, and besieged Jerusalem; to which juncture of time the former part of the chapter relates, as will appear upon the notes of the ninth and tenth verses. The latter part of it is a denunciation against Shebna, a man of authority in Hezekiah’s court. Ver.l. JL HE burden of the valley of vision.’] By the valley of vision is meant Jerusalem, which was surrounded with hills, (Psal. exxv. 2.) and is called by that name, because this and many other prophecies are directed to it. Wliat aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the house-tops?] To discover the motions of the enemy, or to look out for assistance. (Compare xv. 3.) this verse. Ilezckiah made a conveyance to bring down the waters from the upper pool into this lower. (2 Chron. xxxii. 30.). Vcr. 10. And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, &c] Or marked out what houses should be pulled down for the better fortifying the walls of the city.’.. Vcr. 11. Ye also made a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool.’] The ditch was a channel to carry off the waters from the upper to the lower pool. (Seo vcr. 9.) The outer wall of these two seems to have been built now, to fortify the city against the siege which they expected. (See 2 Chron. xxxii. 5. Jcr. xxxix. 4.) [Ye gathered together the waters of the lower pools.] Gihon and Siloam were both one fountain, which had two streams issuing out of it, called the upper and lower pool. These two streams run in two contrary courses, one castward, the other westward. See Dr. Lightfoot, vol. i. p. CG7.andhis Chorographical Table, at the end of the second volume.], But ye have not looked unto the Maker thereof neither liad respect unto him that fashioned it long ago.] In your adversity you have not looked up to God, by whose blessing upon David this city was built, where he promised to place his name, and to continue his especial protection over it. God is said to make and to build cities, as well as to destroy them. (See xxxvii. 2G. Jer. xxxi. 4. 28.) And in that day did the Lord God of hosts call to weeping; and to mourning, &c.] God’s judgments did loudly call upon mento humble themselves before him, and try to avert his anger by fasting, and other acts of humiliation.. And to baldness.] See note on xv. 2.
Isaiah 22:2
Thou art full of stirs, a tumultuous city, a joyous city. This may be better understood of the time past, as if the prophet had said, Thou hast been full of noise and multitudes, mirth, and jollity: (compare xxiii. 7. xxxii. 13.) but now a deep and melancholy silence hath seized thee. Tliy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.] But are dead with fear.
Isaiah 22:3
TJiey are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, which have’ fled from far. This part of the verse may be rendered more clearly thus, All that are found in thee have conspired together, for fear of the archers, they have conspired together, [and] have fled a great way off. The adverb merachok doth not only signify from far, but likewise to a plate a great way off. (See xvii. 13. xxiii. 7. Ivii. 9.)
Isaiah 22:4
Therefore said I, Look awayfromme; Iwillweep bitterly, &c. The Hebre^v Verb shdngah is rendered byour interpreters depart, or turn atioay from me, Job Yii. 19. xiv. 6. i. e. let me alone to myself, that 1 may indulge my grief. The prophet here sympathizes with the afflictions of his people. (Compare Jer. iv. 19. ix. 1.)
Isaiah 22:5
For it is a day Of trouble. Compare xxxvii. 3. Breaking dowti the walls, and of crying to the mountains.] Some are breaking down the walls of the houses in the suburbs; (see ver. 10.) whilst others are giving continual alarms to those that guard the passes of the mountains, and calling to them stoutly to maintain their posts: (see Psal. exxi. 1. Jer. iii. 23.) the latter part of the verse may be understood of those who encourage one another to flee to th6 mountains for refuge. (Compare Jer. xiii. 16. xvi. 16.)
Isaiah 22:6
AndElam bare the quiver. The Persians were famous archers: (see Jer. xlix. 35.) and were at this time subjects to the king of Assyria, and made up part of the army wherewith Sennacherib besieged Jerusalem, that army consisting of several sorts of nations. (See xxix. 7.)’ With chariots of men and horsemen.] Or horses; for so the word parashim often signifies. (See xxi. 7. 9. xxviii. 28. 1 Sam. viii. 11.) And Kir uncovered the shield.] This Kir is a city, in Media: (see 2 Kings xvi. 9. Amos’i. 51) the Medes were at that time subjects to the king of Assyria. (See 2 Kings xvii. 6.) There was another city of the same name iii Moab. (See xv. 1.)
Isaiah 22:8
And he discovered the covering ofJudah, and thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest. Mr. White hath given the best sense of this verse, translating it thus, And he (v. e. the enemy) shall dismantle the fortified cities ofJudah, and in that day shalt thou look to the armour of the house of the forest; i. e. when you see the army of the enemy approach, you will think it high time to provide for your defence: or else, retaining the common translation, we may explain the words to this sense: AVhen the enemy hath discovered the weakness of those fortresses in which you placed your trust, then you -will bethink yourselves of providing arms for your defence. The house of the forest was an armoury within the city of Jerusalem, as appears from hence; because the golden shields, which word carried before Solomon \yhen he went to the temple, were laid up in this place. (See 1 Kings x. 17. compared with 2 Chron. xii. 9 — 11.) It was called the house of the forest, or the house of the forest of Lebanon, (1 Kings viii. 2.) as some think, because of its stately groves and walks, whicli resembled the forest of Lebanon.
Isaiah 22:9
Ye have seen also the breaches of the city of Da vid, that they are many.* At the same time yoii will view the walls of Jerusalem, and repair the breaches of it. (See 2 Chron. xxxii. 5.) The city of David was that part of Jerusalem, which was properly called Zion, whicli David won from the Jebusites, and called it by his own name. (See 2 Sam. v. 7: 0. 1 Kings viii. 1.) And ye gathered together the waters rof the loiver pool] There were two pools or lakes which supplied Jerusalem with water;.the upper pool, (see Yii. 9.xxxvi. 2.) called Gihon, 2 Chron. xxxii. 30. called likewise the old pool, ver. 11. of this chapter: and the lov^r pool, mentioned In
Isaiah 22:13
Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow ive shall die. The words of desperate persons, expecting nothing but, death, who thought it in vain to call upon God, because they looked upon their case as incapable of relief, and therefore resolved to spend that little time they had to live as merrily as they could: such a story is told by Livy, of the senators of Capua; who having revolted from the Romans to Hannibal, and despairing of mercy when the city was retaken, made a feast together, and poisoned themselves at the end of the entertainment, (lib. xxvi. cap. 14.)'
Isaiah 22:14
Surely this iniquity shall not be purged away from you till you die. This your despair of God’s mercy, ^nd hardening your hearts against his judgments, shall never be forgiven you: (compare 1 Sam. xv. 35. 2 Sam. vi. 23. Job xxvii. 5.) but whatever respite you may have at present, you shall at length die in your iniquity., Vcr. J 5. Go, get thee to this treasurer, to Shebna, ivhois over the house.] Shebna had the chief management of the king’s household and family; he was removed afterward to be scribe,, or secretary, a place of less honour and dignity, and Eliakim was put into his place, (xxxvi. 4. 22.)
Isaiah 22:16
Within a year, according to the years of a hire’ ling. AVithin that precise time. (See xvi. 14.) This de^ scription of a year is used to distinguish it frotn a propheticalyear, which consists of three hundred and sixty-five years, reckoning every day for a year: (see Numb. xiv. 34. Ezek. iv. 6.) or from some remarkable time in general; in which sense we reiid of the acceptable year of the Lord, (Isa. lxi. 2.) and the year of recompence, (xxxiv. 8.) • Wfiat hast thou here?] Or, What hast thou to do here? Compare the expression here with Jcr. ii. 18. This Shebna scams to have been a foreigner, and not wellaffected to the Jewish religion. Or whom hast thou. here, that thou hast hewed tlmmt a sepulchre?] What relations or family hast thou here, that thou art ambitious of raising thee a stately sepulchre, or burial-place, for thyself and thine heirs? And* that graveth a liabitation for himself in a rock.] A monument that should preserve his memory to all succeeding times; tho expression denotes security: (see Numb, xxiv. 21.) sepulchres were commonly hewn out in rocks. (See Matt, xxvii. GO.) Vcr. 17. The Lord will carry thee away with a mighty captivity.] Seo the following verse. And will surely cover thee.] Persons under disgrace or condemnation had their heads covered. (See 2 Sam. xv. 30. Esth. vii. 8. Jer. xiv. 3.) But if we follow bur marginal reading, that refers both the sentences of this verse to that robe of state which belonged to Shebna, as ruler of the king’s household. (Compare ver. 21.) Vcr. 18. He will surely violently turn thee and toss thee like a ball into a large country.] Some interpret the words thus; He will wrap thee up close like a ball or bundle, and carry thee captive into a large or wide country: but I am apt to think the Septuagint, with whom the Chaldee paraphrase agrees, have given the best sense of this place, who join tho latter part of the foregoing verse with this, and translate both verses to this purpose: Behold, the Lord shall carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and shall divest thee of thy robe; he shall strip thee of thy glorious coronet, and shall cast thee out like a ball into a wide country. The grammarians observe, that many verbs in Hebrew have two contrary significations: so slwesh signifies to take root, and to pluck tip byihe roots; chata to sin, and to make an atonement for sin; berek to bless, and^to curse; nephesh] a soul or living creature, and a dead carcass: (see Dr. Pocock’s Not. Miscellan. cap. 2.) and by the same reason the words used here, natah and tsanaph, may signify both to adorn and to disrobe: we may farther observe, that the verb tsanaph, and the noun derived from it, are in all other places used only for adorning the head with a. mitre. Like a ball.] According to the interpretation just now given, the expression here is elliptical, and runs thus in the Hebrew, He shall strip thee of thy coronet, like a ball into a large country; which ellipsis is to be supplied thus; and shall cast thee like a ball, &c. See a like instance, Psal. Ixxxix. 39. “Thou hast profaned the crown of thy servant, by casting it to the ground;” so our interpreters do rightly supply the sense. (Sec likewise Pools Synopsis upon Isa. vii; G.) - Into a large country: there shalt thou die.] Where thou shalt live and die in obscurity. And there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy lord’s house.] The honours thou didst arrive to, shall turn to the reproach of thy lord who preferred thee. Ver. VJ. And from thy state shall he pull thee down.] That is, thou shalt be pulled down, the active being put for the impersonal, by a usual Hebraism. Thus Exod. vii. 13. our translation reads, He hardened Pharaoh’s heart; but ix. 35. the same words are better translated, The heart of Pharaoh was hardened. (Sec xliv. 18.)
Isaiah 22:17
And the residue of the number of archers, of the mighty Men ofKedar, shall be diminished. The prophet extends this judgment to another division of the Arabians, which descended from Kedar, Ishmael’s son, (Gen. xxv. 13) who were famous for the use of the bow, at which weapon.their ancestor Ishmael was very expert. (See Gen. xxi. 20.) The same people are said to dwell in the tents of Kedar, (Psal. cxx. 5. Cant. i. 5.) and were remarkable for their swarthiness (the word Kedar signifying black or tawny), according to that description the church gives of herself in that place of the Canticles, I am as black as the tents ofKedar, but comely as the curtains of Solomon: for that is the true order of the words.
Isaiah 22:21
And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle. A girdle was a mark of dignity, and therefore worn both by priests, (Exod. xxviii. 40.) and princes, (1 Sam. xviii. 4.) and designed for both strength and honour. (See notes on v. 27. xi. 5.) He shall be afatlier to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.] This denotes his tender care of those who were under his government. Princes themselves sometimes style their chief ministers by the name of parents: