Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 22

The burden - (see the note at Isaiah 13:1). “The valley” גיא gay'. Septuagint, Φάραγγος Pharangos - ‘Valley.’ Chaldee, ‘The burden of the prophecy respecting the city which dwells (that is, is built) in the valley, which the prophets have prophesied concerning it.’ There can be no doubt that Jerusalem is intended . It is not usual to call it “a valley,” but it may be so called, either

1. because there were several valleys “within” the city and adjacent to it, such as the vale between Mount Zion and Moriah; the vale between Mount Moriah and Mount Ophel; between these and Mount Bezetha; and the Valley of Jehoshaphat, outside the walls of the city; or

2. more probably it was called “a valley” in reference to its being “encompassed with hills,” rising to a considerable elevation above the city.

Thus Mount Olivet was on the east, and overlooked the city. Jerusalem is also called a “valley,” and a “plain,” in Jeremiah 21:13: Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, and rock of the plain, saith the Lord.

Thus it is described in Reland’s “Palestine:” - ‘The city was in the mountain region of Judea, in an elevated place, yet so that in respect to the mountains by which it was surrounded, it seemed to be situated in a humble place, because Mount Olivet, and other mountains surrounding it, were more elevated.’

So Phocas says, ‘The holy city is placed in the midst of various valleys and hills, and this is wonderful (Θαυμαστόν Thaumaston) in it, that at the same time the city seems to be elevated and depressed, for it is elevated in respect to the region of Judea, and depressed in respect to the hills around it.’ (Reland’s “Palestine,” iii. 802, in Ugolini’s “Thesaurus,” vi.)

It was common for Isaiah and the other prophets to designate Jerusalem and other places, not by their proper names, but by some appellation that would be descriptive (Isaiah 29:1).

Of vision - (see the note at Isaiah 1:1). The word here means that Jerusalem was eminently the place where God made His will known to the prophets, and manifested Himself to His people by “visions.”

What ails you now? - What is the cause of the commotion and tumult that exists in the city? The prophet throws himself at once into the midst of the excitement, sees the agitation and tumult, and the preparations for defense that were made, and asks the “cause” of all this confusion.

That you are wholly gone up to the house-tops - That all classes of the people had fled to the house-tops, so much that it might be said that all the city had gone up.

Houses in the East were built in a uniform manner in ancient times, and are so to this day (see a description of the mode of building in the notes at Matthew 9:1 and following). The roofs were always flat and were made either of earth that was trodden hard, or with large flat stones. This roof was surrounded with a balustrade (Deuteronomy 22:8) and furnished a convenient place for walking, or even for eating and sleeping.

Whenever, therefore, anything was to be seen in the street, or at a distance, or when there was any cause of alarm, they would naturally resort to the roof of the house. When there was a tower in the city, the inhabitants fled to that and took refuge on its top . The image here is, therefore, one of consternation and alarm, as if on the sudden approach of an enemy.

Thou that art full of stirs — Of tumult, of commotion, of alarm. Or, perhaps, this whole description may mean that it was formerly a city distinguished for the hum of business, or for pleasure; a busy, active, enterprising city. The Hebrew will bear this, but I prefer the former interpretation, as indicating mingled alarm and consternation, and at the same time a disposition to engage in riot and revelry.

A joyous city — A city exulting; rejoicing; given to pleasure, and to riot. (See the description of Nineveh in Zephaniah 2:15.) It is remarkable that the prophet has blended these things together, and has spoken of the tumult, the alarm, and the rejoicing, in the same breath. This may be either because it was the “general” character of the city to be full of revelry, dissipation, and riot, and he designates it by that which “usually and appropriately” described it; or because it was, even then, notwithstanding the general consternation and alarm, given up to revelry, and all the more on account of the approaching danger. So he describes the city in Isaiah 22:12-13.

Thy slain men are not slain with the sword — The words thy slain here (חלליך chălâlayikā), seem to be intended to be applied to the soldiers on whom the defense of the city rested; and to mean those who had not died an honorable death “in” the city in its defense, but who had “fled” in consternation, and who were either taken in their flight and made captive, or who were pursued and put to death. To be slain with the sword here is equivalent to being slain in an honorable engagement with the enemy. But here the prophet speaks of their consternation, their cowardice, and of their being partly trampled down in their hasty and ignominious flight by each other, and partly of the fugitives being overtaken by the enemy, and thus put to death.

All thy rulers are fled together - The general idea in this verse is plain. It is designed to describe the consternation that would take place on the approach of the invader, and especially the timidity and flight of those on whom the city relied for protection and defense. Hence, instead of calmly and firmly undertaking the work of defense, no inconsiderable part of the rulers of the city are represented as fleeing from the city and refusing to remain to protect the capital. The word rendered ‘thy rulers’ (קציניך qitsiynayik) denotes either the civil rulers of the city or military leaders. It is most usually applied to the latter (Joshua 10:24; Judges 11:6, 11; Daniel 11:18), and probably refers here to military commanders.

They are bound by the archers - Hebrew as in the margin, ‘Of the bow.’ There has been a great variety in the interpretation of this passage. The Septuagint reads it, Σκληρῶς δεδεμένοι εἰσί sklērōs dedemenoi eisi - ‘And the captives are bound with severity.’ The Chaldee, ‘And the captives migrate from before the extending of the bow.’ Jarchi renders it, ‘Who from the fear of arrows were bound so that they shut themselves up in the city.’ Houbigant and Lowth render it, ‘They are fled from the bow,’ reading it הסרוּ hâs^erû instead of the present Hebrew text אסרוּ 'usrû — but without the slightest authority. Vitringa renders it, ‘They were bound from treading, that is, extending, or using the bow;’ or ‘They were bound by those who tread, that is, use the bow,’ indicating that they were so bound that they could not use the bow in defense of the city.

I think that the connection here requires that the word אסרוּ 'usrû should be used in the sense of being “bound” or influenced by fear. They were so intimidated, so much under the influence of terror, so entirely unmanned and disabled by alarm, that they could not use the bow; or this was caused by the bow, that is, by the bowmen or archers who came to attack the city.

It is true that no other instance occurs in which the word is used in precisely this sense. However, abundant instances occur where strong passion is represented as having a controlling or disabling influence over the mind and body. This passion takes away the energy of the soul and makes one timid, feeble, and helpless, as if bound with cords or made captive.

The word אסר 'âsar commonly means to bind with cords, or to fetter; to imprison (Genesis 42:24; Judges 16:5; 2 Kings 17:4); to yoke (1 Samuel 6:7, 10); and then to bind with a vow (Numbers 30:3). Hence, it may mean to “bind” with fear or consternation.

Which have fled from far - That is, either they have fled far away, or they had fled from far in order to reach Jerusalem as a place of safety. Probably the latter is the sense.

Look away from me - Do not look upon me - an indication of deep grief, for sorrow seeks to be alone, and grief avoids publicity and exposure.

I will weep bitterly - Hebrew, ‘I will be bitter in weeping.’ Thus we speak of “bitter” sorrow, indicating excessive grief (see the note at Isaiah 15:5; Jeremiah 14:17; Lamentations 1:16; Lamentations 2:11; Micah 1:8–9).

Labour not - The sense is, ‘My grief is so great that I cannot be comforted. There are no topics of consolation that can be presented. I must be alone, and allowed to indulge in deep and overwhelming sorrow at the calamities that are coming upon my nation and people.’

Because of the spoiling - The desolation; the ruin that is coming upon them.

The daughter of my people - Jerusalem (see the note at Isaiah 1:8; Jeremiah 6:14; Jeremiah 8:19, 8:21-22; Lamentations 2:11; Lamentations 4:3, 4:6, 4:10).

For it is a day of trouble and of treading down – when our enemies trample on everything sacred and dear to us, and endanger all our best interests (Luke 21:24).

And of perplexity – in which we do not know what to do. We are embarrassed and do not know where to look for relief.

By the Lord God of hosts – that is, He is the efficient cause of all this. It has come upon us under His providence and by His direction (see the note at Isaiah 10:5).

In the valley of vision – in Jerusalem (see the note at Isaiah 22:1).

Breaking down the walls – There has been much variety in the interpretation of this place. The Septuagint renders it, ‘In the valley of Zion they wander, from the least to the greatest; they wander upon the mountains.’ See a discussion of the various senses that the Hebrew phrase may admit, in Rosenmuller and Gesenius.

Probably our common version has given the true sense, and the reference is to the fact that the walls of the city were thrown down, either in the siege or from some other cause. If this refers to the invasion of Sennacherib, though his army was destroyed, and he was unable to take the city, yet there is no improbability in the supposition that he made some breaches in the walls. Indeed, this is implied in the account in 2 Chronicles 32:5.

And of crying to the mountains – either for help, or more probably of such a loud lamentation that it reached the surrounding hills and was re-echoed back to the city. Or perhaps it may mean that the shout or clamor of those engaged in building or defending the walls reached to the mountains. Compare Virgil, “Aeneid,” iv. 668:

– resonat magnis plangoribus aether.

Rosenmuller renders it, ‘A cry – to the mountains!’ That is, a cry among the people to escape to the hills and to seek refuge in the caves and fastnesses there (Matthew 24:16; Mark 13:14).