ÉsaïeChapitre 22

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An oracle concerning the Valley of Vision: What is the matter with you now, that you have all gone up to the rooftops,

you town full of uproar, city of tumult, exultant town? Your slain were not slain by the sword, nor did they die in battle.

All your commanders fled together; without a bow they were captured. All who were found in you were taken prisoner together, though they had fled far away.

Therefore I said: Look away from me; let me weep bitterly. Do not press to comfort me over the ruin of the daughter of my people.

For the Lord GOD of hosts has a day of panic, of trampling and confusion in the Valley of Vision—walls broken down and a cry for help echoing to the mountain.

Elam took up the quiver with chariots and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield.

Your choicest valleys were filled with chariots, and the horsemen took their stand at the gate.

He stripped away the defenses of Judah. On that day you looked to the weapons in the House of the Forest.

You saw that the breaches in the city of David were many, and you collected the water of the lower pool.

You counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you tore houses down to fortify the wall.

You built a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you did not look to him who made it, nor did you see the one who shaped it long ago.

On that day the Lord GOD of hosts called you to weeping and mourning, to shaving your heads and putting on sackcloth.

But look—joy and celebration! Killing cattle, slaughtering sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!"

The LORD of hosts has revealed this in my hearing: "Surely this sin will not be atoned for you until you die," says the Lord GOD of hosts.

Thus says the Lord GOD of hosts: Go, present yourself to this steward, to Shebna, who is over the household:

What are you doing here, and who gave you the right, that you have cut out a tomb for yourself here—carving your grave on the height, chiseling a resting place for yourself in the rock?

Look, the LORD is about to hurl you away violently, strong man; he will grip you tight,

wind you up like a ball and fling you into a vast land. There you will die, and there your splendid chariots will lie—you disgrace to your master's house!

I will thrust you from your office, and you will be pulled down from your post.

On that day I will summon my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah.

I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him. I will hand your authority over to him, and he will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.

I will place the key of the house of David on his shoulder; what he opens no one will shut, and what he shuts no one will open.

I will drive him in like a peg in a firm place, and he will become a throne of honor for his father's house.

On him they will hang all the glory of his father's house—the offspring and the offshoots, every small vessel, from the bowls to all the jars.

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 hanging on it will be destroyed. For the LORD has spoken.

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Résumé2

Chapitre 22

Main Theme: A prophecy of judgment against Jerusalem ("The Valley of Vision") and an oracle concerning the officials Shebna and Eliakim.

Content: Isaiah describes Jerusalem's panic under a looming siege, where leaders flee and the people prepare military defenses without turning to God. While the Lord calls for mourning and repentance, the people respond with feasting and fatalism: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." God declares that this sin will not be forgiven until they die. The official Shebna, who arrogantly has carved out a splendid tomb for himself, is to be removed and replaced by Eliakim, who receives the keys to the house of David.

Key Words/Images:

Valley of Vision (גֵּיא חִזָּיוֹן): A play on words regarding "Valley of Vision" – Jerusalem, which should have been the valley of prophecy, has become a valley of sin.
The Key of David: A symbol of authority and power over the royal house, given to Eliakim – he opens and no one shuts.
A Peg in a Sure Place: Eliakim is to be a stable support for his entire family, but even this peg will ultimately fall.
"Tomorrow we die": An expression of the people's desperate hedonism and lack of faith in God's salvation.

Contexte historique

Historical and Cultural Context for Isaiah 22

People

Shebna (שֶׁבְנָא) was a high-ranking official with the title "the one over the house" (אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַבָּיִת), comparable to a prime minister or chief of staff. His name lacks a patronymic (father's name), leading several scholars to suggest he may have been of foreign origin. His ambitious tomb project in the rock (verse 16) testifies to self-exaltation and materialistic priorities during a time of crisis. Isaiah prophesies his downfall and exile.

Eliakim, son of Hilkiah (אֶלְיָקִים בֶּן־חִלְקִיָּהוּ) is the one God has chosen to take over Shebna's position. His name means "God raises up," and his father's name means "the Lord is my portion"—both genuinely Hebrew names that contrast with Shebna's possible foreign background. In 2 Kings 18:18 and Isaiah 36:3, we find Eliakim as "the one over the house" while Shebna has been demoted to scribe (סֹפֵר), confirming the fulfillment of the prophecy.

Places

"Valley of Vision" (גֵּיא חִזָּיוֹן) is a poetic name for Jerusalem itself. The term "valley" may seem paradoxical for a city on high ground, but Jerusalem lies between higher hills and is surrounded by valleys (the Hinnom Valley, the Kidron Valley). "Vision" points to Jerusalem's role as the center of prophecy.

"Armory of the House of the Forest" (נֶשֶׁק בֵּית הַיָּעַר) refers to Solomon's "House of the Forest of Lebanon" (1 Kings 7:2–5), an arsenal and treasury built with cedar trees from Lebanon. Jerusalem's leaders turned here for military help instead of turning to God.

"The Lower Pool" and "the Old Pool" (הַבְּרֵכָה הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה / הַבְּרֵכָה הַיְשָׁנָה) were water reservoirs in Jerusalem's water system. The reservoir "between the two walls" (verse 11) may be connected to the Pool of Siloam.

Events and Customs

The chapter describes Jerusalem's preparations under the Assyrian threat, likely Sennacherib's siege in 701 BC. The measures in verses 8–11—inspecting cracks in the walls, counting houses, tearing down buildings to strengthen the wall, and organizing the water supply—are typical siege preparations from this period. King Hezekiah carried out exactly such measures, including the famous Siloam Tunnel.

Verses 12–13 contrast God's call to mourning and repentance (weeping, lamenting, shaving one's head bald, putting on sackcloth) with the people's hedonistic response: slaughtering cattle and sheep, feasting, and drinking wine. The expression "let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die" (אָכוֹל וְשָׁתוֹ כִּי מָחָר נָמוּת) represents a fatalistic attitude that rejects repentance.

Shebna's tomb construction (verse 16) reflects a widespread practice among the elite in the ancient Near East. Carving a tomb out of rock was a status symbol and required significant resources.

Key Terms

"The one over the house" (אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַבָּיִת) was the highest administrative position after the king himself, comparable to a prime minister or vizier. The office had responsibility for royal property and administration.

"The key of the House of David" (מַפְתֵּחַ בֵּית־דָּוִד) in verse 22 symbolizes full authority over access to the king and the royal household. The expression "he opens, and no one shuts; he shuts, and no one opens" describes absolute authority.

"The peg in a sure place" (יָתֵד בְּמָקוֹם נֶאֱמָן) is an image of stability and reliability. Such a peg in the wall held the family's valuable items. Paradoxically, verse 25 prophesies that even this peg will fall—which can be understood as a warning that even the most promising leader may ultimately fail, or that the burden placed upon him will become too great.

Chapter-Specific Findings

In the Silwan village east of the City of David, several Iron Age tomb chambers carved out of rock have been discovered. One of these has a fragmentary inscription mentioning an official "who is over the house" (אשר על הבית). Several scholars have identified this as Shebna's tomb, although the identification is not certain. The inscription is now in the British Museum and reads partially: "This is [the tomb of ...ja]hu who is over the house. There is no silver or gold here, only [his bones] and his servant woman's bones with him."

The Siloam Inscription, found in Hezekiah's Tunnel, documents the completion of the water tunnel that led water from the Gihon Spring to the Pool of Siloam. This corresponds with the water supply work mentioned in verses 9–11 and confirms the historical preparations for the Assyrian siege.

Personnages5

David1 Hilkiah (Father of Eliakim, steward under King Hezekiah)1 Shebna1 Eliakim1 Elam1

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Mots-clés7

Jerusalem — The capital of ancient Israel, the center for religious and political activity.
Elam — An ancient civilization located east of Mesopotamia, mentioned as an enemy of Jerusalem.
Kir — A city in present-day Syria, noted as an ally of Elam against Jerusalem.
Shebna — A high official in the kingdom of Judah, criticized by Isaiah for his arrogance and abuse of power.
Eliakim — Another official in Judah, appointed by God to replace Shebna as leader.
The Valley of Vision — A symbolic place where the prophet Isaiah received revelations from God concerning Jerusalem's fate.
Sephharad — A place, possibly in Spain, mentioned as a location where the Jews will be gathered after the exile.