Is. 21:1 The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land.
This prophecy of Isaiah is addressed to the “desert of the sea.” The commentaries all have different ideas as to why this phrase is used, but I agree with their deduction that it is a reference to Babylon as identified in verse 9. It is a message of destruction to come with the force of a whirlwind (hurricane) in the south (the Persian Gulf area). This destructive force, however, will be coming from the desert, from a terrible land identified in the next verse.
Is. 21:2 A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.
“grievous” – severe, cruel, heavy
The Lord is calling Elam (Persia/Iran) and Media (possibly the Kurds of today located in Turkey and northern Iraq); the Lord is the one who has decreed this destruction. It seems to be saying that the nations will no longer have to fear Babylon, who has dealt treacherously with and spoiled other nations.
Is. 21:3 Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.
Is. 21:4 My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.
Is. 21:5 Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.
Isaiah has empathy for the suffering to come upon the people, just as he had for the people of Moab in chapter 15. He actually suffered pain that he compared to the pain of a woman giving birth. It caused his heart to race in fear. This must have been a vivid vision. The IVP New Bible Commentary noted that Isaiah’s feelings “are the very feelings of one to whom (as to the exiles) Babylon seemed both prison and home. If Isaiah was indeed to ‘speak tenderly’ (‘to the heart’; 40:1) of a later generation, as if he were himself one of them, this deep involvement is clearly a prerequisite….”
Some commentators connect this “night of pleasure” with a picture of the feast of Belshazzar at the time that Cyrus conquered Babylon basically without a struggle (Daniel 5). I’m just not sure. Maybe it is a picture of the same type of attitude that will prevail at the time of Babylon’s final destruction in the tribulation.
Revelation 18:7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
“I was dismayed at the seeing of it.” – This phrase stood out to me this time through. It makes me think that the primary application has to reference the future fall of Babylon during the tribulation. When the Medes and Persians conquered Babylon in Daniel’s day, it was not in a way as to provoke such sorrow in Isaiah. A quote from the Cyrus Cylinder states: “Amid jubilation and rejoicing, I entered Babylon in peace to establish a just government and strive for peace. My troops wandered peacefully throughout Babylon. In all of Sumer and Akkad, I gave no cause for fear and no one was terrorized.”
Maybe it will again be Iran (Persia) and the Kurds (the Medes) who will be the instruments of Babylon’s final destruction.
Is. 21:6 For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.
The Lord tells Isaiah to go and put a watchman on duty to call out when he sees anyone approaching. Isaiah is in Judah. This would seem to indicate having someone waiting to hear news about the fulfillment of this prophecy.
Is. 21:7 And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed:
Is. 21:8 And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights:
Is. 21:9 And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.
It would seem that we have a description of a watchman who is on 24-hour watch duty. He is diligent to call out whenever he sees anyone approaching. Finally, he is able to announce that men have come with the news that Babylon is fallen and her idols have been broken—proven useless at thwarting the purposes of Almighty God.
Note the similarity in the wording used in verse 9 and the following verses in Revelation 14 and 18.
Revelation 14:8 Then another angel followed him through the skies, shouting, “Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen—because she seduced the nations of the world and made them drink the wine of her passionate immorality.”
Revelation 18:2 He gave a mighty shout, “Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen! She has become the hideout of demons and evil spirits, a nest for filthy buzzards, and a den for dreadful beasts.
“And he cried, A lion…” - Gill thinks this refers to “Cyrus at the head of the Persian and Median armies compared to a lion for his fierceness, courage and strength…a type of Christ, the lion of the tribe of Judah.”
Is. 21:10 O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.
“threshing” = down-trodden people
Isaiah is again reminding his people that he is declaring the word of the God of Israel.
Is. 21:11 The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
Is. 21:12 The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.
Dumah is identified as the sixth son of Ishmael who settled in the Arabian Desert in the area of Edom. Seir is a mountainous area occupied by the Edomites (descendants of Esau). It would fit in with Isaiah’s poetic style of writing to be referencing the same place using different labels.
The wording of this verse seems to imply that Isaiah is the watchman. In scripture, the night/darkness is associated with evil and the morning/light with good.
Job 30:26 When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness.
Matthew 6:23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.
John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
The man from Edom is asking the watchman how long this night is going to last. The watchman tells him that the morning is coming, but will again be followed by night; in other words, better times are coming but so is more trouble. The watchman gives him the freedom to question him as he desires, but he also advises him to return. The meaning of return is to turn back which is a picture of repentance.
Is. 21:13 The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim.
Is. 21:14 The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled.
Is. 21:15 For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.
This next prophecy concerns Arabia. Dedan is identified as a son of Abraham through Keturah and Tema as a son of Ishmael, the son of Abraham. The Dedanim are identified as merchants.
Ezekiel 27:15 The men of Dedan were thy merchants…
The people of Tema are shown bringing water and bread to the Dedanim who were fleeing from attack.
Is. 21:16 For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail:
Is. 21:17 And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the LORD God of Israel hath spoken it.
Kedar is identified as another son of Ishmael whose descendants were another group of Bedouin (nomadic Arabs) in Arabia. According to verse 17 they were known for their archery as well as their strength and valor; they were warriors. This message seems to target the wealthy and mighty men of renown of the Arabian Desert. Within a year of the time that Isaiah utters this prophecy, it will come to pass. This group of Arabs will be defeated. Chuck Smith notes that this prophecy ws fulfilled when Sargon conquered these people in 716 BC.
The message again ends with the emphasis, that all will happen as determined by the Lord God of Israel. Again, it will confirm Him as God, the One and Only, when it comes to pass as He has foretold.
Is. 22:1 The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?
Is. 22:2 Thou that art full of stirs, a tumultuous city, a joyous city: thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.
Is. 22:3 All thy rulers are fled together, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, which have fled from far.
Isaiah has received yet another vision from the LORD. Most of the commentators reference the “valley of vision” as pertaining to Jerusalem since it is surrounded by mountains.
Psalm 125:2 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.
The context of the rest of the chapter supports its application to the city of David.
Isaiah sees a time when the people of Jerusalem have been caused to go up to their housetops to see what is happening. “What aileth thee” is not in the Hebrew.
This appears to be a reference to the siege of Babylon since it speaks of the leaders running away before being captured.
2 Kings 25:4-5 And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king’s garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain. And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him.
Evidently, what they see causes great fear. Men are dying, but not from fighting in battle (from hunger and disease).
Is. 22:4 Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people.
Is. 22:5 For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord GOD of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.
Isaiah is weeping for what his people will suffer and rejects any attempt to comfort him. Why? Because he knows that Jerusalem and the people of Israel are facing future destruction, a time when the walls will be broken down and the cries of the people will reverberate from the mountains around Jerusalem.
Is. 22:6 And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield.
Elam is a reference to the area of today’s Iran, and Kir is a probable reference to the Syrians/Arameans. The armies that will come against Jerusalem will include the men of Elam who are evidently skillful archers even from a moving chariot or horse, and the men of Kir are the shield bearers ready to move in for close combat.
I couldn’t help but make a comparison with the way the enemy attacks the believer today. Sometimes he is taking aim from afar by placing temptations in front us with such skill and quickness that we hardly know how we got in such a position. Other times he moves in with close interaction to attack us where we are most vulnerable.
Is. 22:7 And it shall come to pass, that thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.
The enemy will come in great number in chariots and on horseback as they plan to enter the city gates.
Is. 22:8 And he discovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest.
Is. 22:9 Ye have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many: and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool.
Is. 22:10 And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall.
Is. 22:11 Ye made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool: but ye have not looked unto the maker thereof, neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago.
What does Isaiah see happening when the people are faced with the prospect of attack from the enemy? The people begin to prepare their own defense. Solomon had built a great armory to store the weapons for Israel’s army.
1Kings 7:2 He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon; the length thereof was an hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.
1Kings 10:17 And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three pound of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
They take inventory of their armor; they check out the wall to identify the breaches (breaks, openings). They make safe the water supply. They assess the houses of Jerusalem to determine those that would be dismantled to fortify the wall. Yet, in all their preparation, the people ignore their strongest defense of all—God, their Creator, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
That is so typical. We are so prone to independence and self-reliance. God wants us to be dependent upon Him. I don’t think it is wrong to use the brains and the wherewithal that God has given us, but we need to realize that our plans and preparations are useless without the blessing and provision of The Source—the One Who gives us wisdom and skill, strength and power, and blesses us materially.
Is. 22:12 And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:
Is. 22:13 And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.
When God sees His children in trouble, His desire is that they recognize their sin and helplessness—that they repent with sincerity and humility and turn to Him in faith as their God. What does God see in His people in Jerusalem? He sees them living in the here and now with no hope for the future. God wants to see them repent and live.
Ezekiel 18:32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
Is. 22:14 And it was revealed in mine ears by the LORD of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.
This is a very sad verse. It reminds me of the children of Israel wandering in the wilderness. They missed out on the blessing of entering the promised land because of sin and disobedience. A whole generation had to die before the nation could enter the promised land. As God looks on at this generation in Jerusalem, He declares that it is going to take death to purge the people of their sin and allow the next generation to turn back in faith and obedience to the God of Israel.
Is. 22:15 Thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say,
Reminder—Chapter divisions weren’t made until the 1200s.
The time being referenced would be when Hezekiah was king as related in 2Kings 18 since Shebna was his treasurer.
Is. 22:16 What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock?
Isaiah goes to Shebna at the place where he is preparing a burial place for himself in the high places in the rock—a tomb in a location befitting a person of great importance. He was acting in pride and without regard to the responsibilities of his position. So many people, even Christians, get caught up in establishing themselves and accruing wealth and honor during their lives that they have no focus whatsoever on their eternal future. They lose sight of the fact that our life is but a vapor, and we aren’t guaranteed tomorrow.
James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
Is. 22:17 Behold, the LORD will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee.
Is. 22:18 He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large country: there shalt thou die, and there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy lord’s house.
Isaiah tells Shebna that God is going to be the One that decides where he dies. In fact, He is going to cause Shebna to be cast out of Jerusalem and be carried away into captivity, and he will die in captivity. The chariots that he used to ride around in pride in Jerusalem would serve as a reminder of the shame that he would ultimately suffer.
Is. 22:19 And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down.
God is the One Who will remove Shebna from his privileged position.
We are a people created with the ability to make choices and certain determinations in life. Bottom line is that God is still sovereign and will impose His will and purpose through His chosen vessels/instruments in spite of our personal plans and choices.
Is. 22:20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:
Is. 22:21 And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.
When God removes Shebna from his position, he will promote Eliakim to that position. Eliakim is identified as God’s servant, someone who will honor God in his position.
A person’s position could often be identified by what he wore. We know that Joseph’s “coat” identified him as the favorite of his father Jacob. The high priest was identifiable by his garments. The robe (in this verse) probably signified the position of scribe or at least a position of authority. The girdle was a symbol of strength and power and was used as a purse or a pocket for carrying things—such as money (Eerdman’s Dictionary). God is the One promoting Eliakim to the position of treasurer and its accompanying honor and authority.
Is. 22:22 And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
Possession of the key is a privilege of the position and a symbol of its authority. This type of phrasing is used in other areas of scripture to indicate position and authority.
Job 12:14 Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.
Matthew 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Eliakim is also a type of Jesus Christ according to the Apostle John.
Revelation 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth….
Is. 22:23 And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house.
Is. 22:24 And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons.
God would ensure that Eliakim’s position would be secure. He would bring honor and glory to his father’s family and its future descendants.
Is. 22:25 In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the LORD hath spoken it.
“in that day” – This phrase is used three other times in this chapter (verses 8, 12, and 20). I think this reference goes back to when Jerusalem and the people of Israel will suffer at the hands of their enemies. Only then will Eliakim’s position become powerless regarding the treasures of the kingdom. God is clear in stating that He is the One Who will secure the nail in a sure place and also the One Who will remove it.