John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 22:20

"And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:" — Isaiah 22:20 (ASV)

And it shall come to pass in that day. It is uncertain at what time Eliakim was substituted in place of Shebna, for we will see in the thirty-seventh chapter that Eliakim was steward of the king’s house when Shebna was chancellor. Whether any change took place during the interval cannot be affirmed with certainty. Yet it is probable, as I recently hinted, that through the stratagems of this wicked man, Eliakim was afterward driven from his office. It is also probable that Shebna, after triumphing, was punished for his detected frauds and, having been driven or banished from Judea, fled to the Assyrians, where he received the reward of his treachery.

In a similar way, it frequently happens to traitors that when they cannot fulfill their commitments, they are hated and abhorred by those whom they have deceived. For, having been bold and rash in promising, they are inevitably discovered to be false and treacherous.

The Jews allege that he was eventually torn in pieces because of his treachery, but no history supports that statement. Leaving that matter doubtful, it is certain that he was cast out or banished and that he ended his days in a foreign country, not in Jerusalem. It is probable that after his banishment, Eliakim was again placed in his position.

I will call. It is certain that all princes and magistrates are called by the Lord, even though they are wicked and ungodly; for all authority is from God, as Paul affirms (Romans 13:1). But here the Prophet speaks of a peculiar calling, by which the Lord manifests his goodness towards his people when he appoints such persons to be his servants, so that it may be known that God governs through them; and they, on the other hand, are well aware of the purpose for which they have been appointed by God and faithfully discharge the office assigned to them.

Shebna had indeed been called for a time, but it was so that he might be God’s scourge, for nothing was further from his thoughts than to obey God. Eliakim was a different kind of person, for he acknowledged himself to be a servant of God and obeyed the holy calling.

I will call, means, therefore, “I will give a sign to my servant, so that he may know that it is I who have raised him to that honorable rank.” There is in this case a peculiar relation between the master and the servant, which does not apply to ungodly men when they obey their own inclination and wicked passions; but this man acknowledged the Lord and sincerely obeyed him. Lastly, this mark distinguishes the true servant of God from a wicked and hypocritical person who had risen to honor through wicked practices.