Isaiah 22:2

full of stirs R.V. full of shoutings. joyous city jubilant city, as ch. Isaiah 32:13. A festive disposition seems to have characterised the inhabitants of Jerusalem in Isaiah's time; cf. also ch. Isaiah 5:14. That their gladness on this occasion was "the forced gaiety of despair" is indicated by nothing in the passage; it was due to the sense of relief from imminent peril.

thy slain … battle Jerusalem's warriors have not met a glorious death on the battle-field, but have been taken prisoners and ignominiously executed (see Isaiah 22:3). Some critics, however, take this clause and the next verse as the description of a vision which the prophet has of the future. On that view, which is plausible enough, it would be more natural to think of deaths from famine and pestilence (Lamentations 4:9).