5 For it is a day H3117 of trouble, H4103 and of treading down, H4001 and of perplexity H3998 by the Lord H136 GOD H3069 of hosts H6635 in the valley H1516 of vision, H2384 breaking H6979 down the walls, H7023 and of crying H7771 to the mountains. H2022
The best H2896 of them is as a brier: H2312 the most upright H3477 is sharper than a thorn hedge: H4534 the day H3117 of thy watchmen H6822 and thy visitation H6486 cometh; H935 now shall be their perplexity. H3998
Her adversaries H6862 are the chief, H7218 her enemies H341 prosper; H7951 for the LORD H3068 hath afflicted H3013 her for the multitude H7230 of her transgressions: H6588 her children H5768 are gone H1980 into captivity H7628 before H6440 the enemy. H6862
I will send H7971 him against an hypocritical H2611 nation, H1471 and against the people H5971 of my wrath H5678 will I give him a charge, H6680 to take H7997 the spoil, H7998 and to take H962 the prey, H957 and to tread them down H7760 H4823 like the mire H2563 of the streets. H2351
The Lord H136 hath swallowed up H1104 all the habitations H4999 of Jacob, H3290 and hath not pitied: H2550 he hath thrown down H2040 in his wrath H5678 the strong holds H4013 of the daughter H1323 of Judah; H3063 he hath brought them down H5060 to the ground: H776 he hath polluted H2490 the kingdom H4467 and the princes H8269 thereof.
Woe H1945 unto you that desire H183 the day H3117 of the LORD! H3068 to what end H4100 is it for you? the day H3117 of the LORD H3068 is darkness, H2822 and not light. H216 As if a man H376 did flee H5127 from H6440 a lion, H738 and a bear H1677 met H6293 him; or went H935 into the house, H1004 and leaned H5564 his hand H3027 on the wall, H7023 and a serpent H5175 bit H5391 him. Shall not the day H3117 of the LORD H3068 be darkness, H2822 and not light? H216 even very dark, H651 and no brightness H5051 in it?
And G2532 said G3004 to the mountains G3735 and G2532 rocks, G4073 Fall G4098 on G1909 us, G2248 and G2532 hide G2928 us G2248 from G575 the face G4383 of him that sitteth G2521 on G1909 the throne, G2362 and G2532 from G575 the wrath G3709 of the Lamb: G721 For G3754 the great G3173 day G2250 of his G846 wrath G3709 is come; G2064 and G2532 who G5101 shall be able G1410 to stand? G2476
And they said H559 unto him, Thus saith H559 Hezekiah, H2396 This day H3117 is a day H3117 of trouble, H6869 and of rebuke, H8433 and blasphemy: H5007 for the children H1121 are come H935 to the birth, H4866 and there is not strength H3581 to bring forth. H3205
The high places H1116 also of Aven, H206 the sin H2403 of Israel, H3478 shall be destroyed: H8045 the thorn H6975 and the thistle H1863 shall come up H5927 on their altars; H4196 and they shall say H559 to the mountains, H2022 Cover H3680 us; and to the hills, H1389 Fall H5307 on us.
For in this mountain H2022 shall the hand H3027 of the LORD H3068 rest, H5117 and Moab H4124 shall be trodden down H1758 under him, even as straw H4963 is trodden down H1758 for the dunghill. H1119 H4087 H4325
The posts H7323 went out, H3318 being hastened H1765 by the king's H4428 commandment, H1697 and the decree H1881 was given H5414 in Shushan H7800 the palace. H1002 And the king H4428 and Haman H2001 sat down H3427 to drink; H8354 but the city H5892 Shushan H7800 was perplexed. H943
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Isaiah 22
Commentary on Isaiah 22 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 22
We have now come nearer home, for this chapter is "the burden of the valley of vision,' Jerusalem; other places had their burden for the sake of their being concerned in some way or other with Jerusalem, and were reckoned with either as spiteful enemies or deceitful friends to the people of God; but now let Jerusalem hear her own doom. This chapter concerns,
Isa 22:1-7
The title of this prophecy is very observable. It is the burden of the valley of vision, of Judah and Jerusalem; so all agree. Fitly enough is Jerusalem called a valley, for the mountains were round about it, and the land of Judah abounded with fruitful valleys; and by the judgments of God, though they had been as a towering mountain, they should be brought low, sunk and depressed, and become dark and dirty, as a valley. But most emphatically is it called a valley of vision because there God was known and his name was great, there the prophets were made acquainted with his mind by visions, and there the people saw the goings of their God and King in his sanctuary. Babylon, being a stranger to God, though rich and great, was called the desert of the sea; but Jerusalem, being entrusted with his oracles, is a valley of vision. Blessed are their eyes, for they see, and they have seers by office among them. Where Bibles and ministers are there is a valley of vision, from which is expected fruit accordingly; but here is a burden of the valley of vision, and a heavy burden it is. Note, Church privileges, if they be not improved, will not secure men from the judgments of God. You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore will I punish you. The valley of vision has a particular burden. Thou Capernaum, Mt. 11:23. The higher any are lifted up in means and mercies the heavier will their doom be if they abuse them.
Now the burden of the valley of vision here is that which will not quite ruin it, but only frighten it; for it refers not to the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, but to the attempt made upon it by Sennacherib, which we had the prophecy of, ch. 10, and shall meet with the history of, ch. 36. It is here again prophesied of, because the desolations of many of the neighbouring countries, which were foretold in the foregoing chapters, were to be brought to pass by the Assyrian army. Now let Jerusalem know that when the cup is going round it will be put into her hand; and, although it will not be to her a fatal cup, yet it will be a cup of trembling. Here is foretold,
Isa 22:8-14
What is meant by the covering of Judah, which in the beginning of this paragraph is said to be discovered, is not agreed. The fenced cities of Judah were a covering to the country; but these, being taken by the army of the Assyrians, ceased to be a shelter, so that the whole country lay exposed to be plundered. The weakness of Judah, its nakedness, and inability to keep itself, now appeared more than ever; and thus the covering of Judah was discovered. Its magazines and stores, which had been locked up, were now laid open for the public use. Dr. Lightfoot gives another sense of it, that by this distress into which Judah should be brought God would discover their covering (that is, uncloak their hypocrisy), would show all that was in their heart, as is said of Hezekiah upon another occasion, 2 Chr. 32:31. Now they discovered both their carnal confidence (v. 9) and their carnal security, v. 13. Thus, by one means or other, the iniquity of Ephraim will be discovered and the sin of Samaria, Hos. 7:1.
They were now in a great fright, and in this fright they manifested two things much amiss:-
Isa 22:15-25
We have here a prophecy concerning the displacing of Shebna, a great officer at court, and the preferring of Eliakim to the post of honour and trust that he was in. Such changes are common in the courts of princes; it is therefore strange that so much notice should be taken of it by the prophet here; but by the accomplishment of what was foretold concerning these particular persons God designed to confirm his word in the mouth of Isaiah concerning other and greater events; and it is likewise to show that, as God has burdens in store for those nations and kingdoms abroad that are open enemies to his church and people, so he has for those particular persons at home that are false friends to them and betray them. It is likewise a confirmation in general of the hand of divine Providence in all events of this kind, which to us seem contingent and to depend upon the wills and fancies of princes. Promotion comes not from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south; but God is the Judge, Ps. 75:6, 7. It is probable that this prophecy was delivered at the same time with that in the former part of the chapter, and began to be fulfilled before Sennacherib's invasion; for now Shebna was over the house, but then Eliakim was (ch. 36:3); and Shebna, coming down gradually, was only scribe. Here is,