John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 22:24

"And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father`s house, the offspring and the issue, every small vessel, from the cups even to all the flagons." — Isaiah 22:24 (ASV)

And they shall hang upon him. It is as if he had said that Eliakim would be fully qualified to discharge his duties and would not be indolent in his office. Therefore, we infer that God does not exalt princes to honor so that they may live in indolence or gratify their own passions.

The office of a prince is very laborious if he discharges it properly and if he does not copy the meaningless demeanor of those who imagine they have been raised to that honor so that they may live in splendor and freely indulge in every kind of luxury. If a prince wishes to discharge his office in a proper manner, he must endure much toil.

It must not be thought that the comparison of a nail is inapplicable to princely government, since it denotes an office full of activity and cares. We know that metaphors do not apply in every detail, but we should observe the purpose for which they are introduced.

All the glory of his father’s house, the grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The expression, “his father’s house,” leaves no room to doubt that Eliakim was of royal blood; therefore, by his successors, I understand not only those who were nearly related to him but the whole family of David.

He will have charge of all that will be in the king’s house. By adding grandchildren, he also shows that this princely government will be of long duration; it will not only last during the life of one individual but will also extend to his successors.

For good princes are useful not only to their own age but also to posterity, to whom they leave good laws, salutary regulations, and the traces of good government. Consequently, their successors, even if they are wicked men, are ashamed to surrender themselves immediately to abandoned wickedness and, even against their will, are compelled by shame to retain something good.

He shows that this will be the case with Eliakim, whose government will be so righteous that even posterity will reap advantage from it.

The smaller vessels. Metaphorically, this denotes that there will be uniform justice, or equal laws, as the saying goes.

It is as if he had said, “He will not only support the nobles but will also attend to the interests of the lowest rank.”

The more rarely this is found in a prince, the higher praise he deserves than if he favored only the rich and powerful. For these can guard and protect themselves, but the poor and feeble lie exposed as prey to the attacks of others, and there is hardly anyone who pleads their cause.

To all vessels of music. By vessels, the Hebrew writers denote instruments of all kinds, and the meaning is very extensive. When he speaks of musical vessels, he expands on what he had said in a single word, for it serves to explain the word קטן, (kātān), little; as if he had said that there would be nothing so small, minute, or insignificant that he would not take charge of it.