ISAIAH CHAPTER 22 The anguish of Judah: the prophet much grieved, ISAIAH 22:1, by the Persians, Medes, and Assyrians, ISAIAH 22:6,7. He reproveth their human wisdom, ISAIAH 22:8, and profane joy, ISAIAH 22:12,13; which God would certainly punish, ISAIAH 22:14. Shebnah's deprivation for his pride, IS... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU ART FULL OF STIRS; or, thou who wast full of stirs, or noises, to wit, of joyful shouts, as the following words limit it, and as this word is used, MALACHI 4:7, though elsewhere it be taken for doleful cries. TUMULTUOUS; or, _streperous_; full of noise and clamour, through revelling and jollity... [ Continue Reading ]
THY RULERS; Zedekiah and his chief commanders, whose flight he foretells. THEY ARE BOUND BY THE ARCHERS, Heb. _from the bow_, i.e. so as they were disenabled from using the bow; which is a usual Hebraism; as from a king is put for _from being a king_, 1 SAMUEL 15:23; and _from seeing_, PSALMS 69:23,... [ Continue Reading ]
LOOK AWAY FROM ME; take off your eyes and thoughts from me, and leave me alone, that I may take my fill of sorrows. LABOUR NOT TO COMFORT ME; for all your labour will be lost, I neither can nor will receive any consolation. OF THE DAUGHTER OF MY PEOPLE; of that city and nation whereof I am a member.... [ Continue Reading ]
OF TREADING DOWN; in which my people are trodden under foot by their insolent enemies. OF PERPLEXITY BY THE LORD GOD OF HOSTS: this is added, partly to show that this did not happen without God's providence; and partly to aggravate their calamity, because not only men, but God himself, fought agains... [ Continue Reading ]
ELAM; the Persians, who now, and for a long time after. were subject to the Assyrian and Chaldean emperors, and were employed by them in their Wars. BARE THE QUIVER, being expert bow-men, as appears from JEREMIAH 49:35, and from Strabo's testimony. WITH CHARIOTS OF MEN AND HORSEMEN; as some of them... [ Continue Reading ]
THY CHOICEST VALLEYS SHALL BE FULL OF CHARIOTS: valleys were the most proper places for the use of chariots: see JOSHUA 17:16. THE HORSEMEN SHALL SET THEMSELVES IN ARRAY AT THE GATE, to assist and defend the footmen whilst they made their assault, and withal to prevent and take those who endeavoured... [ Continue Reading ]
HE; the enemy, Sennacherib, of whose invasion he seems to speak. THE COVERING OF JUDAH: he took those fenced cities, which were a covering or safeguard both to the people of Judah, who fled to them, and to Jerusalem, which was begirt and defended by them. THOU DIDST LOOK IN THAT DAY TO THE ARMOUR; t... [ Continue Reading ]
YE HAVE SEEN, i.e. observed or considered, as this word is used, EXODUS 32:9, and elsewhere, in order to the reparation of them, and to fortify the city, as the next words manifest. YE GATHERED TOGETHER THE WATERS OF THE LOWER POOL, that you might both deprive the enemy of water, and supply the city... [ Continue Reading ]
YE HAVE NUMBERED THE HOUSES OF JERUSALEM; that they might exactly know their own strength, and the number of their people, and so lay the burdens more equally upon them, and make sufficient provisions for them. THE HOUSES which stood upon or without the walls of their city, and so gave their enemies... [ Continue Reading ]
THE TWO WALLS; either those 2 KINGS 25:4, or those 2 CHRONICLES 32:5, in both which places we read of two walls. FOR THE WATER OF THE OLD POOL; to receive the waters conveyed into it by pipes from the old pool. THE MAKER THEREOF; either, 1. Of the water; for both the springs and the rain which fill... [ Continue Reading ]
CALL; invite and oblige them by the course of his providence, and require this by the precepts requiring these things in such times and conditions. TO BALDNESS; to make themselves bald, by plucking or shaving off the hair of their heads, as was usual in great sorrows, as EZRA 9:3 JOB 1:20 MICAH 1:16... [ Continue Reading ]
EATING FLESH; not only for necessity, but to excess and luxury, as _eating and drinking_ are taken, MATTHEW 24:38. LET US EAT AND DRINK; FOR TO-MORROW WE SHALL DIE: the prophets tell us that we shall certainly and suddenly be destroyed; it concerns us therefore to make our best of the present time,... [ Continue Reading ]
IT WAS REVEALED IN MINE EARS; what I am saying is not my own invention, nor uncertain reports, but what I heard with these ears of mine. The like phrase we have 1 SAMUEL 9:15, _the Lord had told Samuel in his ear. This iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die_; you shall feel the sad effect... [ Continue Reading ]
GET THEE UNTO THIS TREASURER; which the prophet might boldly do, because he had the protection not only of God, who sent him upon this errand, but probably of Hezekiah also, who at the time of this prophecy was either king, or his father's viceroy, or at least heir-apparent to the crown. SHEBNA; who... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT HAST THOU HERE? or, _What dost thou here_ ? what right hast thou to this place and office? _Whom_; either, 1. What friends, in whom thou canst confide? Thou hast so ill managed thyself and thy affairs, that thou art universally hated. Or, 2. What kindred or relations? For the Jews say he was... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL CARRY THEE AWAY WITH A MIGHTY CAPTIVITY; will cause thee to be carried into captivity by a strong hand, or by the hand of a mighty man, from which therefore thou shalt not be able to escape. Or, _will cast thee away with the casting of a mighty man_, i.e. with great force; or, _in casting wil... [ Continue Reading ]
HE WILL SURELY VIOLENTLY TURN AND TOSS THEE LIKE A BALL, Heb. _wrapping he will wrap thee up like a ball_, which consists of materials wrapped and bound together, that it may be tossed far away. Or, _Rolling he will roll thee with the rolling of a ball. Into a large country_; like a ball which is ca... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I; the Lord, whose words these are, ISAIAH 22:15, as is manifest from the following verses. SHALL HE; the Lord; such sudden changes of persons being very usual in these writings.... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL CALL, by my Spirit fitting him, and by my powerful providence moving Hezekiah's heart to call him.... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL CLOTHE HIM WITH THY ROBE, AND STRENGTHEN HIM WITH THY GIRDLE: there was a peculiar sort of robe and girdle which was the badge of his office, which should be taken from him, and given to Eliakim. HE SHALL BE A FATHER; he shall not only have the authority of a father, which thou now hast, in w... [ Continue Reading ]
THE KEY; the government, the power of opening and shutting, of letting men into it or putting them out of it, whereof _a key_ is a fit emblem; whence the delivering of the keys of a house or city into the hands of another, is a sign to signify and confirm the giving him the power and possession of i... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL FASTEN HIM; I will establish the power in his hands. IN A SURE PLACE; in the strong walls, or solid timber, in the house; which is opposed to Shebna's instability, signified by a ball, ISAIAH 22:18. HE SHALL BE FOR A GLORIOUS THRONE TO HIS FATHER'S HOUSE; by his prudent and righteous governme... [ Continue Reading ]
OF HIS FATHER'S HOUSE; of his own kindred and family, who shall all depend upon him, and receive glory from him; of the house of David, which is called HIS FATHER'S HOUSE, either because kings are called the fathers of all their subjects, both in Scripture, as 1 SAMUEL 24:11 2 KINGS 5:13, 2 KINGS 16... [ Continue Reading ]
THE NAIL THAT IS FASTENED IN THE SURE PLACE; Shebna, who seemed to be so, both in his own eyes, and in the eyes of others. The burden that was upon it; all those wicked officers that were advanced and supported by his power.... [ Continue Reading ]