JERUSALEM REBUKED A severe rebuke of the conduct of the people of Jerusalem in a time of calamity. The crisis refered to cannot be certainly identified. The difficulty in assigning the passage to Sennacherib's invasion (701 b.c.) is that other prophecies relating to it are marked by encouragement,... [ Continue Reading ]
VALLEY OF VISION] This expression in the title is evidently taken from Isaiah 22:5. It is generally understood to signify Jerusalem. HOUSETOPS] the natural place of concourse (Judges 16:27). The city is apparently _en fete_ (Isaiah 22:13).... [ Continue Reading ]
The joy is the forced gaiety of despair (Isaiah 22:13). SLAIN] It is implied that they have died through famine.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Which._. FAR] RV 'they fled afar off.'... [ Continue Reading ]
DAUGHTER] poetical personification of the people (Isaiah 10:32).... [ Continue Reading ]
BY THE LORD] RV 'from the Lord.' VALLEY OF VISION] Jerusalem may be so designated as being the home of prophetic vision.... [ Continue Reading ]
ELAM.. KIR] peoples who furnished auxiliaries to the Assyrian army. UNCOVERED] took off its case in preparation for battle.... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL BE.. SHALL SET] RV 'were.. set.' S. DISCOVERED, etc.] RV 'took away the covering,' which concealed the danger from the people's eyes. THOU DIDST LOOK] The people of Judah are addressed. Instead of looking to Jehovah for help, they rely wholly on their material resources. HOUSE OF THE FOREST]... [ Continue Reading ]
SEEN] i.e. inspected. Isaiah 22:9 refer to hasty measures taken for defence. GATHERED TOGETHER, etc.] to secure a supply during the siege.... [ Continue Reading ]
NUMBERED] to see what material could be spared for strengthening the fortifications.... [ Continue Reading ]
DITCH] RV 'reservoir.' THE OLD POOL] probably the pool of Siloam. THE MAKER THEREOF] RV 'him that hath done this,' i.e. God who has brought this trouble upon them.... [ Continue Reading ]
WEEPING] the outward tokens of national repentance.... [ Continue Reading ]
The reckless enjoyment of the despairing people, who urged the shortness of the time that remained to them as an excuse for their excesses. LET US EAT, etc.] the argument of men who believed in no hereafter (1 Corinthians 15:32).... [ Continue Reading ]
OVER THE HOUSE] i.e. steward of the royal palace, a very high office sometimes held by a king's son (2 Chronicles 26:21).... [ Continue Reading ]
DENUNCIATION OF SHEBNA This section contains Isaiah's only invective against an individual. He denounces Shebna, the king's chief minister, who may have been a leader of the party which favoured alliance with Egypt. The prophecy was delivered before Sennacherib's invasion (701 b.c.), because at tha... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT HAST] RV 'what doest.' Shebna was apparently a foreigner, who ostentatiously presumed to treat Jerusalem as his native place. A SEPULCHRE] Kings and great men in the East used to prepare their tombs in their life-time.... [ Continue Reading ]
CARRY, etc.] RV 'hurl thee away violently as a strong man, yea he will wrap thee up closely.'... [ Continue Reading ]
LARGE COUNTRY] i.e. a broad land, where it may roll on and on and not return. THERE THE CHARIOTS, etc.] RV 'there shall be the chariots of thy glory, thou shame of thy lord's house.' The chariots are another feature of Shebna's ostentation.... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL.. SHALL HE] Though the person is changed, the subject is the same (viz. Jehovah) in both clauses. Such changes of person are common in Hebrew (Isaiah 1:29; Isaiah 10:12).... [ Continue Reading ]
THE KEY] the symbol of the office. The v. shows the powerful influence exercised by this official. He had the right of admitting to, or excluding from, the king's presence. This is symbolically applied to Christ (Revelation 3:7). 24,23. The office of Eliakim is to be firmly established. His family... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BURDEN, etc.] i.e. the vessels hanging upon the nail; figuratively put for the dependents upon a great man. Perhaps the prophet may revert in thought to the fall of Shebna, but the continuation of the figure of the nail seems to point to Eliakim, whose fall, if he abused his power, would involv... [ Continue Reading ]