Isaiah 22:6

And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield. ELAM - the country stretching east from the Lower Tigris, answering to what was afterward called Persia (note, Isaiah 21:2). Later, Elam was a province of Persia (Ezra 4:9). In Sennacherib's time Elam was subject to Assyria (2 Kings 18:11), and so furnished a contingent to its invading armies. Famed for the bow (Isaiah 13:18; Jeremiah 49:35), in which the Ethiopians alone excelled them. With chariots of...

6._But Elam carrying the quiver. _Here commentators think that the discourse proceeds without any interruption, and that he makes known to the Jews the same judgment which he formerly proclaimed. But when I examine the whole matter more closely, I am constrained to differ from them. I think that the Prophet reproaches the Jews for their obstinacy and rebellion, because, though the Lord had chastised them, they did not repent, and that he relates the history of a past transaction, in order to remind them how utterly they had failed to derive advantage from the Lord’s chastisements. Such then is the manner in which these statements ought to be separated from what came before. First, he foretold those things which would come on the Jews, and now he shews how justly they are punished, and how richly they deserve those sharp chastisements which the Lord inflicts on them; for the Lord had form...

1-7 Why is Jerusalem in such terror? Her slain men are not slain with the sword, but with famine; or, slain with fear, disheartened. Their rulers fled, but were overtaken. The servants of God, who foresee and warn sinners of coming miseries, are affected by the prospect. But all the horrors of a city taken by storm, faintly shadow forth the terrors of the day of wrath....

Verse Isaiah 22:6. _CHARIOTS OF MEN_ - "The Syriac"] It is not easy to say what רכב אדם _recheb adam_, a _chariot of men_, can mean. It seems by the form of the sentence, which consists of three members, the first and the third mentioning a particular people, that the second should do so likewise. Thus ברכב ארם ופרשים _berecheb aram_ _uparashim_, "with chariots the Syrian, and with horsemen:" the similitude of the letters ד _daleth_ and ר _resh_ is so great, and the mistakes arising from it are so frequent, that I readily adopt the correction of _Houbigant_, ארם aram, _Syria_, instead of אדם _adam, man_; which seems to me extremely probable. The conjunction ו _vau, and_, prefixed to פרשים _parashim, horsemen_, seems necessary in whatever way the sentence may be taken; and it is confirmed by _five_ MSS., (one ancient,) four...

AND ELAM - The southern part of Persia, perhaps used here to denote Persia in general (see the note at Isaiah 21:2). Elam, or Persia, was at this time subject to Assyria, and their forces were united doubtless in the invasion of Judea. BARE THE QUIVER - A ‘quiver’ is a case in which arrows are carried. This was usually hung upon the shoulders, and thus “borne” by the soldier when he entered into battle. By the expression here, is meant that Elam was engaged in the siege, and was distinguished particularly for skill in shooting arrows. That the Elamites were thus distinguished for the use of the bow, is apparent from Ezekiel 32:24, and Jeremiah 49:35

EXPOSITION ISAIAH 22:1 A PROPHECY AGAINST JERUSALEM. The prophet, present in Jerusalem, either actually, or at any rate in spirit, _sees _the inhabitants crowded together upon the housetops, in a state of boisterous merriment (Isaiah 22:1, Isaiah 22:2). Outside the walls is a foreign army threatening the town (Isaiah 22:5). Preparations have been made for resistance, which are described (Isaiah 22:8); but there has been no turning to God. On the contrary, the dange

AND ELAM BARE THE QUIVER WITH CHARIOTS OF MEN [AND] HORSEMEN,.... Or the Elamites, as the Targum and Septuagint, that is, the Persians, who were at this time subject to the Assyrians, and served in Sennacherib's army, which consisted of many nations; see Isaiah 29:7 these bore the quiver, a case for arrows, being expert in the use of the bow, which was the chief of their might, Jeremiah 49:35 and so Strabo o reports, that the Elamites had many archers among them; and along with them went CHARIOTS OF MEN, full of men, of military men; these were chariots for war, and brought men to fight against Jerusalem; [AND] HORSEMEN also, these were the cavalry, as those that carried bows and arrows seem to be the foot soldiers. The Targum is, "and the E

CHAPTER 22 The Burden of the Valley of Vision (Jerusalem) 1. _Jerusalem's deplorable state (Isaiah 22:1)_ 2. _The invading armies (Isaiah 22:5)_ 3. _The siege and the calamity (Isaiah 22:8)_ 4. _Shebna (Isaiah 22:15)_ 5. _Eliakim (Isaiah 22:20)_ This is another intensely interesting prophecy. Jerusalem has passed through many sieges and at last in part the prophecy has been fulfilled. But there is another siege of Jerusalem impending. It will come after the message of the fall of the final Babylon. See...

JERUSALEM'S INEXCUSABLE FRIVOLITY. The prophecy apparently belongs to the time of Sennacherib's invasion. Its menacing tone contrasts with that of some other prophecies of the time. The people had provoked Isaiah's sternest anger by giving themselves up to festivity. Probably this was after the siege had been raised, either temporarily or when Sennacherib's army had been withdrawn after the disaster recorded in Isaiah 37:36. In the reaction caused by this relief the inhabitants recklessly surrendered themselves to riotous merriment, recognising (Isaiah 22:13) that they might still be doomed to die. The valley of vision cannot be Jerusalem itself, for it was no valley, but must be some valley in the neighbourhood. It seems to mean the valley concerning which the vision was seen. The prophet is amazed a

ELAM. KIR. The south and north limits of the Chaldsean forces. QUIVER. Hebrew. _'ashpah._ Occurs only here in "former" portion, and only in Isaiah 49:2 in the "latter" portion. CHARIOTS. See note on Isaiah 21:7. AND. Some codices, with three early printed editions and Vulgate, read this "and "in the text....