John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 22:3

"All thy rulers fled away together, they were bound by the archers; all that were found of thee were bound together; they fled afar off." — Isaiah 22:3 (ASV)

All your rulers have fled together. This verse has been interpreted in various ways. The fact is abundantly clear, but there is some difficulty about the words. As מ (mem) signifies before and more than, some explain מרחוק (mĕrāchōk) to mean, “They fled before others, though they were situated in the most distant parts of the country, and were in greater danger.” Others render it, “Although they were at a great distance from Jerusalem, they still continued to flee like men who are seized with terror, and never stop in their flight, because they continually think that the enemy is at their heels.”

However, a more natural interpretation, it seems to me, is: They have fled from afar; that is, “those who have resorted to Jerusalem as a safe retreat will be seized by enemies and vanquished.” For Jerusalem might be regarded as the general protection of the whole of Judea, and therefore, when a war broke out, the inhabitants rushed to it from every quarter.

While they considered their dwelling in Jerusalem as safe, they were taken prisoners. Others suppose it to refer to the siege of Sennacherib (2 Kings 18:13; 2 Chronicles 32:1). But I cannot be persuaded to expound the passage in this manner, for he speaks of the destruction of Jerusalem.

When it was besieged by Sennacherib, the Lord immediately delivered it; none were taken or made prisoners, and there was no slaughter of men. These events therefore happened long after the death of the Prophet. Sacred history relates them and informs us that in that destruction even the rulers fled; but they derived no advantage from their flight, nor did Jerusalem afford them any defense, for they fell into the hands of their enemies.

When he expressly mentions the rulers, this shows more strongly the shamefulness of the transaction, for they ought to have been the first to risk their lives for the safety of the people. They might be viewed as the shields that ought to have guarded and defended the common people.

As long as Jerusalem stood firm and was in a prosperous condition, these statements might have seemed incredible, for it was a very strong and powerfully fortified city. But they primarily boasted of the protection of God, for they thought that in some way God was bound to His “Temple.” And their pride swelled them with the confident hope that, even if all were allied against it, no power and no armies could bring it down (Jeremiah 7:4).

This prophecy—that they would have no courage, that they would flee, and that even then they could not escape—might therefore have seemed very strange.