Isaiah — Chapter 22
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1This is the burden against the Valley of Vision: What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the rooftops,
2O city of commotion, O town of revelry? Your slain did not die by the sword, nor were they killed in battle.
3All your rulers have fled together, captured without a bow. All your fugitives were captured together, having fled to a distant place.
4Therefore I said, “Turn away from me, let me weep bitterly! Do not try to console me over the destruction of the daughter of my people.”
5For the Lord GOD of Hosts has set a day of tumult and trampling and confusion in the Valley of Vision—of breaking down the walls and crying to the mountains.
6Elam takes up a quiver, with chariots and horsemen, and Kir uncovers the shield.
7Your choicest valleys are full of chariots, and horsemen are posted at the gates.
8He has uncovered the defenses of Judah. On that day you looked to the weapons in the House of the Forest.
9You saw that there were many breaches in the walls of the City of David. You collected water from the lower pool.
10You counted the houses of Jerusalem and tore them down to strengthen the wall.
11You built a reservoir between the walls for the waters of the ancient pool, but you did not look to the One who made it, or consider Him who planned it long ago.
12On that day the Lord GOD of Hosts called for weeping and wailing, for shaven heads and the wearing of sackcloth.
13But look, there is joy and gladness, butchering of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”
14The LORD of Hosts has revealed in my hearing: “Until your dying day, this sin of yours will never be atoned for,” says the Lord GOD of Hosts.
15This is what the Lord GOD of Hosts says: “Go, say to Shebna, the steward in charge of the palace:
16What are you doing here, and who authorized you to carve out a tomb for yourself here—to chisel your tomb in the height and cut your resting place in the rock?
17Look, O mighty man! The LORD is about to shake you violently. He will take hold of you,
18roll you into a ball, and sling you into a wide land. There you will die, and there your glorious chariots will remain—a disgrace to the house of your master.
19I will remove you from office, and you will be ousted from your position.
20On that day I will summon My servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah.
21I will clothe him with your robe and tie your sash around him. I will put your authority in his hand, and he will be a father to the dwellers of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.
22I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
23I will drive him like a peg into a firm place, and he will be a throne of glory for the house of his father.
24So they will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house: the descendants and the offshoots—all the lesser vessels, from bowls to every kind of jar.
25In that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, the peg driven into a firm place will give way; it will be sheared off and fall, and the load upon it will be cut down.” Indeed, the LORD has spoken.
1The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?
2Thou that art full of stirs, a tumultuous city, a joyous city: thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.
3All thy rulers are fled together, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, which have fled from far.
4Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people.
5For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord GOD of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.
6And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield.
7And it shall come to pass, that thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.
8And he discovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest.
9Ye have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many: and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool.
10And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall.
11Ye made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool: but ye have not looked unto the maker thereof, neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago.
12And in that day did the Lord GOD 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 it was revealed in mine ears by the LORD of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.
15Thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say,
16What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock?
17Behold, the LORD will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee.
18He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large country: there shalt thou die, and there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy lord’s house.
19And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee 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; so 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 glorious throne to his father’s house.
24And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons.
25In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the LORD hath spoken it.
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 has 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 cloth 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.
1This is an oracle about the Valley of Vision: What is the reason that all of you go up to the rooftops?
2The noisy city is full of raucous sounds; the town is filled with revelry. Your slain were not cut down by the sword; they did not die in battle.
3All your leaders ran away together— they fled to a distant place; all your refugees were captured together— they were captured without a single arrow being shot.
4So I say: “Don’t look at me! I am weeping bitterly. Don’t try to console me concerning the destruction of my defenseless people.”
5For the Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies has planned a day of panic, defeat, and confusion. In the Valley of Vision people shout and cry out to the hill.
6The Elamites picked up the quiver and came with chariots and horsemen; the men of Kir prepared the shield.
7Your very best valleys were full of chariots; horsemen confidently took their positions at the gate.
8They removed the defenses of Judah. At that time you looked for the weapons in the House of the Forest.
9You saw the many breaks in the walls of the City of David; you stored up water in the lower pool.
10You counted the houses in Jerusalem and demolished houses so you could have material to reinforce the wall.
11You made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool— but you did not trust in the one who made it; you did not depend on the one who formed it long ago.
12At that time the Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies called for weeping and mourning, for shaved heads and sackcloth.
13But look, there is outright celebration! You say, “Kill the ox and slaughter the sheep, eat meat and drink wine. Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”
14The Lord of Heaven’s Armies told me this: “Certainly this sin will not be forgiven as long as you live,” says the Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
15This is what the Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “Go visit this administrator, Shebna, who supervises the palace, and tell him:
16‘What right do you have to be here? What relatives do you have buried here? Why do you chisel out a tomb for yourself here? He chisels out his burial site in an elevated place, he carves out his tomb on a cliff.
17Look, the Lord will throw you far away, you mere man! He will wrap you up tightly.
18He will wind you up tightly into a ball and throw you into a wide, open land. There you will die, and there with you will be your impressive chariots, which bring disgrace to the house of your master.
19I will remove you from your office; you will be thrown down from your position.
20“‘At that time I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah.
21I will put your robe on him, tie your belt around him, and transfer your authority to him. He will become a protector of the residents of Jerusalem and of the people of Judah.
22I will place the key to the house of David on his shoulder. When he opens the door, no one can close it; when he closes the door, no one can open it.
23I will fasten him like a peg into a solid place; he will bring honor and respect to his father’s family.
24His father’s family will gain increasing prominence because of him, including the offspring and the offshoots. All the small containers, including the bowls and all the jars, will hang from this peg.’
25“At that time,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “the peg fastened into a solid place will come loose. It will be cut off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off.” Indeed, the Lord has spoken.
1The burden of the valley of vision. What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops?
2You that are full of shouting, a tumultuous city, a joyous town; your slain are not slain with the sword, neither are they dead in battle.
3All your rulers fled away together. They were bound by the archers. All who were found by you were bound together. They fled far away.
4Therefore I said, “Look away from me. I will weep bitterly. Don’t labor to comfort me for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
5For it is a day of confusion, and of treading down, and of perplexity, from the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, in the valley of vision; a breaking down of the walls, and a crying to the mountains.”
6Elam carried his quiver, with chariots of men and horsemen; and Kir uncovered the shield.
7Your choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the horsemen set themselves in array at the gate.
8He took away the covering of Judah; and you looked in that day to the armor in the house of the forest.
9You saw the breaches of David’s city, that they were many; and you gathered together the waters of the lower pool.
10You counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall.
11You also made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you didn’t look to him who had done this, neither did you have respect for him who purposed it long ago.
12In that day, the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, called to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to dressing in sackcloth:
13and behold, joy and gladness, killing cattle and killing sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die.”
14Yahweh of Armies revealed himself in my ears, “Surely this iniquity will not be forgiven you until you die,” says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies.
15Thus says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, “Go, get yourself to this treasurer, even to Shebna, who is over the house, and say,
16‘What are you doing here? Who has you here, that you have dug out a tomb here?’ Cutting himself out a tomb on high, chiseling a habitation for himself in the rock!”
17Behold, Yahweh will overcome you and hurl you away violently. Yes, he will grasp you firmly.
18He will surely wind you around and around, and throw you like a ball into a large country. There you will die, and there the chariots of your glory will be, you shame of your lord’s house.
19I will thrust you from your office. You will be pulled down from your station.
20It will happen in that day that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,
21and I will clothe him with your robe, and strengthen him with your belt. I will commit your government into his hand; and he will be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.
22I will lay the key of David’s house on his shoulder. He will open, and no one will shut. He will shut, and no one will open.
23I will fasten him like a nail in a sure place. He will be for a throne of glory to his father’s house.
24They will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, every small vessel, from the cups even to all the pitchers.
25“In that day,” says Yahweh of Armies, “the nail that was fastened in a sure place will give way. It will be cut down, and fall. The burden that was on it will be cut off, for Yahweh has spoken it.”
Summary
Isaiah addresses Jerusalem itself, calling it the Valley of Vision, and rebukes the city for throwing a rooftop party and getting drunk on false confidence instead of weeping and repenting as disaster approaches (vv. 1-5). He weeps bitterly over the coming destruction and warns that self-reliant preparations, like checking the armory or building reservoirs, mean nothing without turning to God (vv. 8-13). The oracle then turns personal: Shebna, a royal steward who has built himself an impressive tomb, will be thrown out of office and hauled off into exile (vv. 15-19). In his place God will raise up Eliakim, a faithful servant given the key of David's house, a position of trust later understood as a picture of Christ's authority (vv. 20-25).
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Jerusalem (v.10, v.21): Capital of Judah; the holy city where the Temple stood.
Places on this map
- JerusalemJerusalemA hill town about 2,500 feet up in the central spine of Judah, roughly 35 miles inland from the Mediterranean and 15 miles west of the Jordan. It sits on no trade route and has no river, which is why it mattered as a fortress and a sanctuary rather than as a market. Wikipedia
Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- BibleProject: bibleproject.com On the whole book: the promised king who runs through Isaiah from beginning to end.
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Isaiah -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- Weeping the City Refuses (v.4) — Isaiah asks to be left alone to weep bitterly over his people's coming ruin while the city around him celebrates. Are you able to feel genuine grief over something wrong, even when the people around you are too distracted to notice it?
- The Wrong Response to Deliverance (v.13) — Instead of repenting after God spared them, Jerusalem throws a party, deciding to eat and drink because tomorrow they may die anyway. When God rescues you from something, does your response turn toward Him or toward your own comfort?
- A Monument to Self (v.16) — Shebna spends his position carving himself an elaborate tomb, a monument to his own importance. How are you using whatever authority or influence you've been given: to build something for God, or a monument to yourself?
- The Key That Cannot Be Overridden (v.22) — Eliakim is given the key of David, opening and shutting doors with final authority, a picture later fulfilled in Christ. Are you resisting a door God has already closed, or hesitating in front of one He's opened?