Chapter Overview
Summary
Isaiah 22 is the unique-oracle against JERUSALEM IN THE MIDST OF THE NATIONS-ORACLES — the 'valley-of-vision' (vv. 1–14) and the SHEBNA-ELIAKIM contrast (vv. 15–25). Verse 22's 'I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open' is cited at Revelation 3:7 — Christ-the-true-Davidic-key-holder.
Notable Variants
22:13 'let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die' → 1 Cor 15:32 verbatim citation; 22:22 'KEY OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID' → Revelation 3:7; SHEBNA-ELIAKIM contrast.
Structural Notes
MT Isaiah 22 = LXX Isaiah 22. 25 verses. JERUSALEM-among-the-nations oracle.
The burden of the Valley of Vision: What is the matter with you that you have all gone up to the rooftops?
'The oracle concerning the Valley of Vision. What do you mean that you have gone up, all of you, to the housetops' tracks MT. VALLEY-OF-VISION — Jerusalem-paradox (a vision-place IN-A-VALLEY).
O city full of noise, tumultuous town, jubilant city — your slain are not slain by the sword, nor dead in battle.
'You who are full of shoutings, tumultuous city, exultant town? Your slain are not slain with the sword or dead in battle' tracks MT.
All your leaders have fled together; without a bow-shot they were captured. All who were found in you were bound together, though they had fled far away.
'All your leaders have fled together; without the bow they were captured. All of you who were found were captured, though they had fled far away' tracks MT.
Therefore I said: "Look away from me — let me weep bitterly. Do not press to comfort me over the destruction of the daughter of my people."
'Therefore I said: Look away from me; let me weep bitter tears; do not labor to comfort me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people' tracks MT. WEEP-BITTER-TEARS — prophetic-pathos. Luke 19:41 (Jesus weeping over Jerusalem) Christologically-extends.
For the Lord GOD of Hosts has a day of tumult and trampling and confusion in the Valley of Vision — battering down walls and crying out toward the mountain.
'For the Lord GOD of hosts has a day of tumult and trampling and confusion in the Valley of Vision, a battering down of walls and a shouting to the mountains' tracks MT.
Elam takes up the quiver, with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovers the shield.
'And Elam bore the quiver with chariots and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield' tracks MT.
Your choicest valleys are filled with chariots, and the horsemen have taken position at the gate.
'Your choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the horsemen took their stand at the gates' tracks MT.
He has stripped away the covering of Judah. On that day you looked to the weapons in the House of the Forest.
'He has taken away the covering of Judah. In that day you looked to the weapons of the House of the Forest' tracks MT. HOUSE-OF-THE-FOREST — Solomon's-armory (1 Kings 7:2).
You saw the many breaches in the wall of the City of David, and you collected the waters of the lower pool.
'And you saw that the breaches of the city of David were many. You collected the waters of the lower pool' tracks MT.
You counted the houses of Jerusalem and tore down houses to fortify the wall.
'And you counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall' tracks MT.
You built a reservoir between the two walls for the waters of the old pool — but you did not look to the One who made it, nor did you regard the One who planned it long ago.
'You made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you did not look to him who did it, or see him who planned it long ago' tracks MT. HEZEKIAH'S-TUNNEL (2 Kgs 20:20, 2 Chr 32:30) — but-without-faith-in-divine-deliverer. Reliance-on-engineering rather-than-on-God.
On that day the Lord GOD of Hosts called for weeping and mourning, for shaving the head and wearing sackcloth.
'In that day the Lord GOD of hosts called for weeping and mourning, for baldness and wearing sackcloth' tracks MT.
But look — joy and gladness, slaughtering cattle and butchering sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!"
Masoretic (WLC)
וְהִנֵּה שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה הָרֹג בָּקָר וְשָׁחֹט צֹאן אָכֹל בָּשָׂר וְשָׁתוֹת יָיִן אָכוֹל וְשָׁתוֹ כִּי מָחָר נָמוּת
And behold, joy and gladness, killing oxen and slaughtering sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine. Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!
Septuagint (LXX)
αὐτοὶ δὲ ἐποιήσαντο εὐφροσύνην καὶ ἀγαλλίαμα σφάζοντες μόσχους καὶ θύοντες πρόβατα ὥστε φαγεῖν κρέα καὶ πιεῖν οἶνον λέγοντες φάγωμεν καὶ πίωμεν αὔριον γὰρ ἀποθνῄσκομεν
But they made for themselves joy and gladness, slaughtering calves and sacrificing sheep, that they might eat flesh and drink wine, saying: Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die
1 CORINTHIANS 15:32 CITATION. Paul cites this verse VERBATIM-FROM-LXX at 1 Corinthians 15:32: 'If the dead are not raised, LET US EAT AND DRINK, FOR TOMORROW WE DIE (phagōmen kai piōmen, aurion gar apothnēskomen).' Paul cites it as the Epicurean-anti-resurrection slogan that follows-naturally from-no-resurrection-belief. The verse — originally describing Jerusalem's-pre-fall hedonism — becomes-the-epitome of secular-eschatology. Paul-rejects-it on-the-basis of-Christ's-resurrection.
Then the LORD of Hosts revealed this in my hearing: "This iniquity will not be atoned for until you die" — declares the Lord GOD of Hosts.
'The LORD of hosts has revealed himself in my ears: Surely this iniquity will not be atoned for you until you die, says the Lord GOD of hosts' tracks MT.
This is what the Lord GOD of Hosts says: "Go to this steward, to Shebna, who is over the house —
'Thus says the Lord GOD of hosts: Come, go to this steward, to Shebna, who is over the household, and say to him' tracks MT. SHEBNA-ELIAKIM contrast begins. Both are historical-officials of-Hezekiah-court (cf. 2 Kings 18:18, 18:37). Shebna will-be-deposed; Eliakim elevated.
What right do you have here, and who do you have here, that you have carved out a tomb for yourself here — hewing your grave on the height, chiseling a dwelling for yourself in the rock?"
'What have you to do here, and whom have you here, that you have cut out here a tomb for yourself, you who cut out a tomb on the height and carve a dwelling for yourself in the rock?' tracks MT.
Look — the LORD is about to hurl you away, you mighty man, and wrap you up tightly.
'Behold, the LORD will hurl you away violently, O you strong man. He will seize firm hold on you' tracks MT.
He will wind you up tightly and hurl you like a ball into a wide, open land. There you will die, and there your glorious chariots will be — a disgrace to your master's house.
'And whirl you around and around, and throw you like a ball into a wide land. There you shall die, and there shall be your glorious chariots, you shame of your master's house' tracks MT.
I will thrust you from your office, and from your post you will be torn down.
'I will thrust you from your office, and you will be pulled down from your station' tracks MT.
On that day I will call my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah.
'In that day I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah' tracks MT. ELIAKIM-CALLED. The replacement-official.
I will clothe him with your robe and bind your sash on him; I will place your authority in his hand. He will be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.
'And I will clothe him with your robe, and will bind your sash on him, and will commit your authority to his hand. And he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah' tracks MT. FATHER-TO-INHABITANTS — paternal-leadership.
I will place the key of the house of David on his shoulder; he will open, and no one will shut; he will shut, and no one will open.
Masoretic (WLC)
וְנָתַתִּי מַפְתֵּחַ בֵּית־דָּוִד עַל־שִׁכְמוֹ וּפָתַח וְאֵין סֹגֵר וְסָגַר וְאֵין פֹּתֵחַ
And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open
Septuagint (LXX)
καὶ δώσω τὴν δόξαν Δαυιδ αὐτῷ καὶ ἄρξει καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὁ ἀντιλέγων
And I will give him the glory of David, and he shall rule, and there shall be none who contradicts him
REVELATION 3:7 CITATION OF MT. Revelation 3:7 cites this verse (closer-to-MT-tradition than-LXX): 'The words of the holy one, the true one, WHO HAS THE KEY OF DAVID, WHO OPENS AND NO ONE WILL SHUT, WHO SHUTS AND NO ONE OPENS (ho echōn tēn klein Dauid, ho anoigōn kai oudeis kleisei, kai kleiōn kai oudeis anoigei).' Christ-the-Davidic-key-holder. Eliakim's-temporal-typology fulfilled in-Christ's-eternal-authority over-the-house-of-David.
LXX-vs-MT DIVERGENCE. The LXX paraphrases the key-image away into 'glory of David' and 'rule without contradiction' — losing the specific-key-of-David imagery. Revelation's-citation follows MT-tradition (likely-via Theodotion or-direct-Hebrew), preserving-the-key-image. Christian-tradition reads-this Christologically — Christ-as-the-true-Eliakim with-the-key-of-David.
I will drive him like a peg into a firm place, and he will become a throne of glory for his father's house.
'And I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his father's house' tracks MT. PEG-IN-SECURE-PLACE — stable-foundation imagery. Anticipates Christ-as-the-cornerstone.
They will hang on him all the weight of his father's house — the offspring and the offshoots, every small vessel, from bowls to every jug.
'And they will hang on him the whole honor of his father's house, the offspring and issue, every small vessel, from the cups to all the flagons' tracks MT.
On that day — declares the LORD of Hosts — the peg driven into the firm place will give way; it will be cut down and fall, and the load that was on it will be cut off, for the LORD has spoken.
'In that day, declares the LORD of hosts, the peg that was fastened in a secure place will give way, and it will be cut down and fall, and the load that was on it will be cut off, for the LORD has spoken' tracks MT. EVEN-ELIAKIM FALLS. The temporal-figure cannot-bear the eschatological-weight — only Christ-the-true-Eliakim is-the-permanent-peg.