Isaiah 22 - Wesley's Explanatory Notes

The valley — Of Judah; and especially of Jerusalem, called a valley, because great part of it flood in a valley; and the valley of vision, because of the many and clear visions or revelations of God's mind, in that place. House — tops — As they used to do in times of great consternation, that they might look, to and cry to heaven for help.

Noises — Of joyful shouts. Tumultuous — Through revelling and jollity. Battle — But either by famine or pestilence in the siege, or in their flight.

Rulers — Zedekiah and his chief commanders, whose flight he foretells. Found — That remain there with Zedekiah in the siege; for those who had fled to the Chaldeans saved their lives and liberties. Bound — In fetters, Jeremiah 52:11. Fled — Who fled from Jerusalem, but were pursued and overtaken by their enemies, and bound, as others had been.

Look away — Take off your eyes and thoughts from me, and leave me alone.

Treading down — In which my people are trodden under foot by their enemies. By the Lord — Not only men, but God himself fought against them. Walls — Of the strong cities of Judah. Mountains — With such loud and dismal outcries as should reach to the neighbouring mountains.

Elam — The Persians, who now, and for a long time after, were subject to the Assyrian and Chaldean emperors. Quiver — Being expert bowmen. Horsemen — As some fought on foot, so others fought from chariots and horses. Kir — The Medes, so called from Kir, an eminent city and region of Media. Uncovered — Prepared it and themselves for the battle.

Valleys — Valleys were the most proper places for the use of chariots. Gate — To assist the footmen while they made their assault, and to prevent those who endeavoured to escape.

He — The enemy. Covering — He took those fenced cities, which were a covering or safe — guard both to the people of Judah, and to Jerusalem. The armour — Thy trust was placed in the arm of flesh. The forest — More fully called the house of the forest of Lebanon, 1 Kings 7:2, not because it was built in Lebanon, for it was in Jerusalem; but because it was built of the trees of Lebanon.

Seen — That is, observed in order to the reparation of them. The waters — That you might both deprive the enemy of water, and supply the city with it.

Numbered — That they might exactly know their own strength. The houses — Which stood upon or without the walls, and so gave their enemies advantage, and hindered the fortifying the city.

Thereof — Of Jerusalem, expressed in the foregoing verse. Him — God, who made it a city, and the place of his special presence and worship. Long ago — Which may be added to aggravate their sin, in distrusting that God, who had now for a long time given proof of his care and kindness in defending this city.

Call — By his providence, and by his precepts requiring these things in such times. Baldness — By plucking or shaving off the hair of their heads, as was usual in great sorrows.

Let us, &c. — A most perverse and desperate conclusion.

'Till ye die — You shall feel the sad effects of this, as long as you live.

What — What right hast thou to this place and office? Whom — What kindred or relations? For the Jews say, he was a stranger by birth; which is the more probable, because his pedigree is not mentioned in any of those places of scripture where he is named. On high — In an high and eminent place. An habitation — He erected a stately house to live in, and a stately sepulchre to receive him when he died. And these two are fitly joined together, because their sepulchres were commonly built in or near their houses. A rock — A fit place both for strength and state.

Will carry — Will cause thee to be carried into captivity by a strong hand. Cover — This may be an allusion to the ancient custom of covering the faces of condemned persons.

Thy chariots — Thy glorious chariots where thou didst ride in great state at Jerusalem, shall be turned into shame to thyself, and to thy master.

He — The Lord; such sudden changes of persons being very usual in these writings.

Call — By my powerful providence.

Girdle — There was a peculiar sort of robe and girdle which was the badge of his office. A father — He shall govern them with fatherly care and affection.

The key — The government, the power of opening and shutting, of letting men into it, or putting them out of it, whereof a key is a fit emblem. Shoulder — He mentions the shoulder rather than the hand, in which keys are commonly carried, from some ceremony then in use, of carrying a key upon the shoulder of the officer of state.

Fasten — I will establish the power in his hands. Sure place — In the strong walls, or solid timber, in the house. He shall be — By his prudent and righteous government he shall procure great glory, to all that have any relation to him.

The glory — Of his own kindred and family, who shall all depend upon him, and receive glory from him; of the house of David, which is called his father's house, because he was of the blood — royal. The offspring — Great and small, the children and grand — children of his father's house, the meanest of them shall receive a lustre from their relation to him. All vessels — All sorts of vessels, great or small, mean or precious, may be hanged upon him, without any fear of falling.

The nail — Shebna, who seemed to be so. The burden — All those wicked officers that were advanced and supported by his power.