It will happen in that day that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and I will clothe him with your robe, and strengthen him with your belt. I will commit your government into his hand; and he will be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. I will lay the key of David’s house on his shoulder. He will open, and no one will shut. He will shut, and no one will open. I will fasten him like a nail in a sure place. He will be for a throne of glory to his father’s house. They will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, every small vessel, from the cups even to all the pitchers. “In that day,” says Yahweh of Armies, “the nail that was fastened in a sure place will give way. It will be cut down and fall. The burden that was on it will be cut off, for Yahweh has spoken it.”
Parallel Translations
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It will happen in that day that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,
and I will clothe him with your robe, and strengthen him with your belt. I will commit your government into his hand; and he will be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.
I will lay the key of David’s house on his shoulder. He will open, and no one will shut. He will shut, and no one will open.
I will fasten him like a nail in a sure place. He will be for a throne of glory to his father’s house.
They will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, every small vessel, from the cups even to all the pitchers.
“In that day,” says Yahweh of Armies, “the nail that was fastened in a sure place will give way. It will be cut down and fall. The burden that was on it will be cut off, for Yahweh has spoken it.”
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And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Show all 3 translations
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And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah;
And I will clothe him with thy robe, and bind 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.
And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; and he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
And I will fasten him as a peg in a sure place; and he shall be for a throne of honour to his father's house.
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.
In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the peg that was fastened in a sure place give way; and it shall be hewn down, and fall, and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off; for the LORD hath spoken it.
Cross-references (50)
- Revelation 3:7 (v22) “To the angel of the assembly in Philadelphia write: “He who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one…
- Matthew 16:18-19 (v22) I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will…
- Job 12:14 (v22) Behold, he breaks down, and it can’t be built again. He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.
- Matthew 18:18-19 (v22) Most certainly I tell you, whatever things you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever things you release on earth will…
- Revelation 1:18 (v22) and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever. Amen. I have the keys of Death and of Hades.
Show all 50 cross-references
- 2 Kings 18:18 (v20) When they had called to the king, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph…
- Isaiah 36:3 (v20) Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder came out to…
- Isaiah 37:2 (v20) He sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the…
- 2 Kings 18:37 (v20) Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, came with Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, to…
- Ezra 9:8 (v23) Now for a little moment grace has been shown from Yahweh our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place,…
- Job 36:7 (v23) He doesn’t withdraw his eyes from the righteous, but with kings on the throne, he sets them forever, and they are exalted.
- Isaiah 36:22 (v20) Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to…
- Genesis 45:8 (v21) So now it wasn’t you who sent me here, but God, and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land…
- 1 Samuel 2:8 (v23) He raises up the poor out of the dust. He lifts up the needy from the dunghill to make them sit with princes and inherit the throne of…
- Isaiah 36:11 (v20) Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Don’t speak to us in the…
- Isaiah 46:11 (v25) I call a ravenous bird from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. Yes, I have spoken. I will also bring it to pass. I have…
- Zechariah 10:4 (v23) From him will come the cornerstone, from him the nail, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler together.
- Esther 9:24-25 (v25) because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast…
- Psalms 146:3 (v25) Don’t put your trust in princes, in a son of man in whom there is no help.
- Ecclesiastes 12:11 (v23) The words of the wise are like goads; and like nails well fastened are words from the masters of assemblies, which are given from one…
- Isaiah 22:23 (v25) I will fasten him like a nail in a sure place. He will be for a throne of glory to his father’s house.
- Jeremiah 17:5-6 (v25) Yahweh says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man, relies on strength of flesh, and whose heart departs from Yahweh. For he will be like a…
- Daniel 6:1-3 (v24) It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred twenty local governors, who should be throughout the whole kingdom; and over them…
- Micah 4:4 (v25) But they will sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and no one will make them afraid: For the mouth of Yahweh of Armies has…
- Matthew 28:18 (v24) Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.
- Luke 22:29-30 (v23) I confer on you a kingdom, even as my Father conferred on me, that you may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom. You will sit on…
- John 5:22-27 (v24) For the Father judges no one, but he has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who…
- John 20:21-23 (v24) Jesus therefore said to them again, “Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on…
- 2 Timothy 2:20-21 (v24) Now in a large house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of clay. Some are for honor, and some for…
- Revelation 3:21 (v23) He who overcomes, I will give to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father on his throne.
- Genesis 41:42-43 (v21) Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it on Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in robes of fine linen, and put a gold chain…
- Genesis 41:44-45 (v24) Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh. Without you, no man shall lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.” Pharaoh called…
- Genesis 45:9-13 (v23) Hurry, and go up to my father, and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says, “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me. Don’t…
- Genesis 47:11-25 (v24) Joseph placed his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of…
- 1 Samuel 18:4 (v21) Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him, and gave it to David, and his clothing, even including his sword, his bow, and his…
- Esther 4:14 (v23) For if you remain silent now, then relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will…
- Esther 8:2 (v21) The king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.
- Esther 8:15 (v21) Mordecai went out of the presence of the king in royal clothing of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a robe of fine…
- Esther 9:5-14 (v25) The Jews struck all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and with slaughter and destruction, and did what they wanted to those who…
- Esther 10:3 (v23) For Mordecai the Jew was next to King Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted by the multitude of his brothers, seeking the good…
- Psalms 52:5 (v25) God will likewise destroy you forever. He will take you up, and pluck you out of your tent, and root you out of the land of the living.
- Isaiah 9:6-7 (v21) For a child is born to us. A son is given to us; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor,…
- Isaiah 22:15-16 (v25) The Lord, Yahweh of Armies says, “Go, get yourself to this treasurer, even to Shebna, who is over the house, and say, ‘What are you doing…
- Isaiah 48:15 (v25) I, even I, have spoken. Yes, I have called him. I have brought him and he shall make his way prosperous.
- Jeremiah 4:28 (v25) For this the earth will mourn, and the heavens above be black, because I have spoken it. I have planned it, and I have not repented,…
- Ezekiel 5:13 (v25) “ ‘Thus my anger will be accomplished, and I will cause my wrath toward them to rest, and I will be comforted. They will know that I,…
- Ezekiel 5:15 (v25) So it will be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment, to the nations that are around you, when I execute judgments on…
- Ezekiel 5:17 (v25) I will send on you famine and evil animals, and they will bereave you. Pestilence and blood will pass through you. I will bring the sword…
- Ezekiel 15:3 (v24) Will wood be taken of it to make anything? Will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel on it?
- Romans 9:22-23 (v24) What if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,…
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (19 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv20, 22, 23, 24, 25 To be steward again, out of the which office…
To be steward again, out of the which office he had been put, by the craft of Shebna.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv20–25 Isa 22:20 And it shall come to pass in…
Isa 22:20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:
Ver. 20. I will call my servant Eliakim.] Such as honour God shall surely be honoured. He will call them to it, who else would choose to live and die in their self-contented secrecy, like as the sweet violet grows low to the ground, hangs the bead downward, and besides, hides itself with its own leaves.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv20–25 I will call, by my Spirit fitting him, and…
I will call, by my Spirit fitting him, and by my powerful providence moving Hezekiah’s heart to call him.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv20–25 And it shall come to pass in that day,....…
And it shall come to pass in that day,.... At the same time that Shebna was deposed from his high station:
that I will call my servant Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah; whom Kimchi thinks was the same with Azariah the son of Hilkiah, who might have two names, and was a ruler over the house of God in the times of Hezekiah, Ch1 6:13 this man, by the character given him, was a good man, a faithful, diligent, and constant servant of the Lord, and therefore he delighted to raise him to great honour and dignity: he did not seek great things for himself, nor did he thrust himself into the office, but the Lord called him to it in his providence, and put him into it; he did, as Kimchi observes, put it into the heart of Hezekiah to appoint him governor in the room of Shebna. This man was a type of Christ; his name agrees with him which signifies, "my God will raise up"; that is, the dead by him, Co1 6:14 and so does the character of a servant, frequently given to Christ in this book; see Isa 42:1 nor did Christ take any office to himself, but was called unto it by his Father, Heb 5:4.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv20–25 Call - By my powerful providence.
Call - By my powerful providence.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv21–25 Verse 21. To the inhabitants] ליושבי leyoshebey, in the…
Verse 21. To the inhabitants] ליושבי leyoshebey, in the plural number, four of Dr. Kennicott's MSS., (two ancient,) and two of De Rossi's, with the Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv20, 23, 24 Isa 22:20-22. I will call my servant Eliakim —…
Isa 22:20-22. I will call my servant Eliakim — By my Spirit fitting him for the work, and moving the heart of Hezekiah to call him to it. And I will clothe him with, thy robe, &c. — There was a peculiar sort of robe and girdle, which was the badge of his office, which should be taken from him and given to Eliakim. And he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem — He shall not only have the authority of a father, which thou now hast, but he shall govern them with fatherly care and affection. And the key, &c. — As the robe and the girdle or baldric, mentioned in the preceding verse, were the ensigns of power and authority, so likewise was the key; being a significant emblem of the power of opening and shutting, of binding and loosing, of letting inferiors into an office, or putting them out of it; whence the delivering of the keys of a house or city into a person’s hands signifies the giving him the power and possession of it, or the confirming to him such a grant. “To comprehend,” says Bishop Lowth, “how the key could be borne on the shoulder, it will be necessary to observe, that one sort of keys, used by the ancients, was of considerable magnitude, and, as to the shape, very much bent and crooked. Homer (Odyss., 21:6) describes the key of Ulysses’s storehouse as ευκαμπης, a large curvature, which Eustathius explains by saying it was δρεπανοειδης, in shape like a reap-hook. Huetius says, the constellation Cassiopeia answers to this description; the stars to the north making the curve part, that is, the principal part of the key; the southern stars the handle. The curve part was introduced into the key-hole, and, being properly directed by the handle, took hold of the bolts within, and moved them from their places. We may easily collect from this account, that such a key would lie very well upon the shoulder; that it must be of some considerable size and weight, and could hardly be commodiously carried otherwise. In allusion to the key as the ensign of power, the unlimited extent of that power is expressed here with great clearness as well as force by the sole and exclusive authority to open and to shut. Our Saviour, therefore, has, upon a similar occasion, made use of a like manner of expression, Mat 16:19; and in Rev 3:7 has applied to himself the very words of the prophet.”
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv20–25 My servant Eliakim - A man who will be…
My servant Eliakim - A man who will be faithful to me; who will be trustworthy, and to whom the interests of the city may be safely confided; a man who will not seek to betray it into the hands of the enemy. Of Eliakim we know nothing more than what is stated here, and in Isa. 36. From that account it appears that he was prefect of the palace; that he was employed in a negotiation with the leader of the army of the Assyrians; and that he was in all things faithful to the trust reposed in him.
The son of Hilkiah - Kimchi supposes that this was the same as Azariah the son of Hilkiah, who might have had two names, and who was a ruler over the house of God in the time of Hezekiah 1Ch 6:13.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv20–25 Eliacim, who had been displaced, ver. 15. He acted…
Eliacim, who had been displaced, ver. 15. He acted as regent after the departure of Manasses, who always followed his counsels at his return, Judith iv. 5. The priesthood was not then incompatible with civil and military functions.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv20–25 son of Hilkiah--supposed by KIMCHI to be the same…
son of Hilkiah--supposed by KIMCHI to be the same as Azariah, son of Hilkiah, who perhaps had two names, and who was "over the household" in Hezekiah's time (Ch1 6:13).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv20, 24, 25 20-23. I will call my servant — A very…
20-23. I will call my servant — A very different character enters Shebna’s place in the person of Eliakim, a native Jew, because his father’s name is given, which was not done in the other case. He is invested with the robe — badge of authority; and the girdle — in which was the purse, and from which the sword was suspended; also the key hung over the shoulder — denoting civil authority next to the king himself. Isa_9:6. In his administration he is truly father to all the people.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv20–25 20. Eliakim is called my servant as Isaiah is…
20. Eliakim is called my servant as Isaiah is in ch. Isa_20:3.
20–23. The elevation of the head of the prophetic party at court.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv20–25 (20) Eliakim the son of Hilkiah.—Nothing is known of…
(20) Eliakim the son of Hilkiah.—Nothing is known of Eliakim’s previous history, but the epithet, “my servant,” bears witness to his faith and goodness; and we may well believe him to have been in heart, if not openly, one of Isaiah’s disciples. He was apparently, at the time, in some subordinate office.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv20–25 In that day. In the day of Shebna"s deposition…
In that day. In the day of Shebna"s deposition from his office of prefect of the palace. My servant Eliakim. On the dignity of this title, when given by God himself, see the comment on Isa_20:3.
Vers. 20-25. Installment of Eliakim.
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I A SERVANT OF JEHOVAH. So he is characterized. The title may be of personal, spiritual, import, or of official; or both may be blended, as in the case of Isaiah himself; (Isa_20:3) or there may be a separation of the two. Unhappy for a nation or for a Church if the true servants of the Eternal, the true devotees of right and truth, are excluded from the places of honor and influence; or if the "ministers and stewards" of Divine mysteries are so only technically and officially. The true servant must in any case be called. He must not push himself forward, but must be drawn forward by invisible, Divine leading. He does not "achieve greatness," but it is "thrust upon him." "In that day I will call to my servant." The words suggestively remind us of that principle of Divine selection which runs through the order of the world. In this, in every day, the "right men" are wanted for every place. In this day, too, there is much excitement about education. What men can do by the instruction of the intellect is very limited; in quiet places and in hidden ways, unknown to the schools, the Almighty is growing men and training men till the time is ripe for their service, and his call is heard.
II HIS INVESTITURE.
1. It is the solemn, symbolical way of transferring an office. We think of Elijah finding the son of Shaphat ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen, and casting his mantle upon him as he passed by. (1Ki_19:19) That was the prophet"s simpler dress; this is the tunic of a man of rank and state. The girdle was an essential article of Oriental dress, worn by all classes and by both sexes. The fineness of its quality denoted the rank of the wearer. Here it was probably similar to that worn by the priests. (Exo_28:39 Exo_39:29) Josephus describes it as made of linen so fine that it looked like the slough of a snake, and it was embroidered with flowers of scarlet, blue, purple ("Ant.," 3:7. 2). This is the only place where the word abneth is used for any but a priestly girdle.
2. The girdle is in other ways symbolic. Jehovah "girds kings with a girdle," and "ungirds them according to his pleasure". (Job_12:18) Thus to be "girded with strength" is a symbol of Divine invigoration; (1Sa_2:4) to be "girded with gladness," of refreshment. (Psa_30:11) "Have your loins girt about with truth"; (Eph_6:14) "Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end are noble Christian exhortations, carrying with them all the force of the old Oriental imagery. To be ungirt is a way of describing nervelessness, lack of strength and manhood; and the very picture of the good servant is of one "whose loins are girt about, whose lamp is burning.
III THE SPIRIT AND FUNCTIONS OF THE STEWARD.
1. He is to be like a father to the people. An appropriate term for the chief man of a town or the prime minister of a country. (1Ch_2:24 1Ch_4:5; cf. 1Ch_9:6 Job_29:16 Jud_1:5:7) So the Roman senators were patres. It speaks of benevolence united with wisdom and experience a rule both firm and loving. The great Father in heaven must be the sublime ideal before us in all positions of rule and influence on earth.
2. He is to bear the key. This is an ancient badge of office; Callimachus represents the priestess of Demeter as having a key upon her shoulder ("Hymn. ad Cererem," 1.45), and in the "Supplices" (291) of Aeschylus, in like manner, Io, priestess of Hera, is "key-holder" of the goddess. For illustration the following interesting passage may be cited from Roberts: "How much delighted was I when I first saw the people, especially the Moors, going along the streets, with each his key on his shoulder! The handle is sometimes made of brass, though sometimes of silver, and is often nicely worked in a device of filigree. The way it is carried is to have the corner of a kerchief tied to a ring; the key is then placed on the shoulder, and the kerchief hangs down in front. At other times they have a bunch of large keys, and then they have half on one side of the shoulder and half on the other. For a man thus to march along with a largo key on his shoulder, shows at once that he is a person of consequence. "Roman is in great favor with the modehir, for he now carries the key." "Whose key have you got on your shoulder?" "I shall carry my key on my own shoulder. (For the application to the apostles and to the Lord himself, see Mat_16:19 Rev_3:7)
3. His tenure of office. The nails must be those hooks or spikes which were worked into the mortar of the walls of houses while still soft, answering the purpose of cramp-irons to hold the walls together, and pegs to hang things on. So, in temples, armor, shields, helmets, swords, spoils of war, were hung on such nails. An appropriate image these of stability, of (to use a modern coinage) reliableness. All may depend upon a man such as this; all "know where to find him;" sacred and precious trusts may be reposed on him without fear of disappointment. So in Zec_10:4 the peg" means a prince.
IV ABUSES OF STATION AND OFFICE. There is "another side" to everything good in human institutions. "All the honor of his father"s house" will be found hanging upon Eliakim. All his humble relations the "small fry," as we say; the "small vessels," as the prophet calls them will look up to him, and. he will shed luster anti give support to all. The allusion is to vessels of a small kind basins, leathern bottles, earthen pitchers. We must respect the judgment of the majority of commentators, who see a turn in the prophecy about Eliakim here. There is an impression of nepotism, of favoritism; and it seems that the firm "peg" is, after all, to be loosened from its place. And if so, how instructive the passage! How is it that man, once high in esteem and general confidence, came to be weighed in the balances and found wanting? Some weakness of flesh and blood, some undue leaning to one"s kith and kin, some dement of partiality or favoritism, is often the cause. "His family makes a wrong use of him; and he is more yielding than he ought to be, and makes a wrong use of his office to favor them! He therefore falls, and brings down all with him that hung upon the peg, and who have brought him to ruin through the rapacity with which they have grasped at prosperity" (Delitzsch). Whatever view may be taken of the passage, "twere well to remind ourselves of the old lesson, "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." God. raises up and brings low. Let us walk softly, nor boast ourselves if for a time we flourish like a green bay tree. Our own weakness may, like a worm, be gnawing at our root. The pitted speck" in the "garnered fruit" may be spreading, the "little rift" in the lute be widening. "More the treacherous calm I dread Than tempests sailing overhead.
Let us be content with obscurity, with fallentis semita vitae, seeing that station brings out men"s weaknesses no less than their strength, and the loftier the columnar height of the great, the more overwhelming the fall. J.
Vers. 20-25. Authority and influence.
On the deposition of Shebna, Eliakim was appointed prefect, clothed with the robe and invested with the keys of office; henceforth he should shut and open, should appoint and depose according to his good pleasure. We look at
I THE EXCELLENCE OF HUMAN AUTHORITY.
1. It satisfies a craving which is both broad and deep. Doubtless his succession to the high office vacated by Shebna brought great gratification to the heart of Elialdm. Men covet office, and the authority which it brings. Many meek and lowly minded ones, indeed, there are who have no such thirst of spirit; but, on the other hand, there are very many who profoundly desire and exceedingly enjoy it. The craving is both broad and general; its satisfaction, consequently, brings an intense and a widespread delight.
2. It conduces to order and to all those activities and pleasures of which order is the first condition.
3. It enables its holder to confer benefits
(1) on those whom he is most desirous of serving glorious throne to his father"s house," a source of strength and succor to all those related to him; and also
(2) on those whom he should account it a privilege to serve he can be "a father to the inhabitants," etc., a source of blessing to his fellow-countrymen;
(3) on those who are specially deserving a man in authority can admit to office those who are capable and honorable, while he can exclude those who are incapable and undeserving (ver. 22).
On the other hand, it has to be remembered that authority
(1) often injures its possessor by making him selfish or self-sufficient;
(2) is often grossly and pitifully abused;
(3) is often suddenly and unexpectedly withdrawn, plunging him who holds it into humiliation and distress (ver. 25).
II THE GREATER, EXCELLENCE OF HOLY INFLUENCE. Our Lord gave his apostles promise of power; but he distinctly told them that such power would lie, not in the exercise of authority, but in the exertion of influence . (Mar_10:42-45) They were to be commissioned to deliver the most vitalizing and transforming truth, and to live a life purified and ennobled by that truth; their utterance and their action together would have a most decisive influence on individual men and on society at large. We inherit the privilege which the Master conferred on them. The truth they taught we teach; the life they lived we live. And this Divine, this redeeming, this everlasting wisdom, thus revealed from God, and thus manifested through us, is a far greater and a far mightier thing than the exercise of any human authority whatever. For by their attitude towards it men determine their destiny; by it they stand or fall. (Mat_21:44 Joh_3:36 2Co_2:15, 2Co_2:16) It "opens, and no man can shut; it shuts, and no man can open." It is not only a mightier, but also a more blessed thing. This holy influence, thus exerted by the wise and good, through lip and life,
(1) shuts men out of evils into the power of which none can thenceforth draw them;
(2) opens the gate into kingdoms from which none can exclude them those of Divine wisdom, of holiness, of usefulness, of heavenly joy and glory;
(3) has a salutary and elevating effect upon the heart of him who wields it. It blesses him that gives as much as him that takes.
1. Only the minority among mankind can possibly exercise authority; it is to a small fraction only that it will prove a blessing; and from all of these it will soon be removed by the fickleness of man or by the lapse of time.
2. But it is open to every child of man to exert a holy influence; this will confer a true, spiritual, undying good on others, and will leave a lasting, inward blessing on the giver. It is far the better of the two. C.
Vers. 20, 21. The influence of an individual on public policy.
Governments always drift into the control of the most energetic, or most gifted, man. They go astray unless ruled by some master-spirit. It is said, with as much truth as satire, that "committees are always committees of one." They are the comfortable agencies by means of which some strong-willed man gets his own way. And it may be urged that at least as much good as evil attends the arrangement. Eliakim is raised up as a master-spirit, in a time of national anxiety, and he is to prove a "father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah." There recur times in our national history when public ministrations on such a theme as this may wisely guide public opinion. Such topics as the following are suggested.
I THE GENIUS OF THE PUBLIC LEADER. As much a Divine endowment and trust for the world"s use as the gifts of the orator, the artist, or the poet.
II THE EVIL INFLUENCE OF THE UNPRINCIPLED PUBLIC LEADER. In his permission of wrong things. In his securing of right things by wrong methods. In the public example which encourages unprincipled dealings in private life.
III THE POWER OF THE GODLY PRINCIPLED LEADER. He elevates the tone of society. Avoids causes of offence to neighboring nations. Aims at the permanent well-being of the whole people. Puts the moral progress of the nation before its material prosperity. Such leaders were Moses and David.
IV THE DUTY OF THE GIFTED INDIVIDUAL TO TAKE PUBLIC RESPONSIBILITY. Illustrate by Cincinnatus. A true man finds a sphere of service for his God in the common affairs of the nation. Joseph served God through years of famine in Egypt. Daniel served his God through important national changes and revolutions. The history of each age in nations is really the biography of the leading individual of the age. The world curses or blesses the memory of its public leaders. R.T.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On vv20, 23, 24, 25 My servant Eliakim
Isa_22:20-25
My servant Eliakim
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My servant Eliakim
Who was he?
Nobody can tell. Where else is he referred to in Holy Writ? Probably nowhere. Was he then a man without renown? That depends upon what you mean by renown, for he is indicated in the text by terms which imply infinite fame, Say Eliakim, and nobody knows him; say My servant Eliakim, and obscurity rises up into eminence unrivalled and never to be surpassed. (J. Parker, D. D.)
Renown, nominal and moral
Renown, then, may be nominal, or it may be moral. Nominal renown is a thing that comes and goes, a coloured cloud, a bubble on the river, a noise in the air, nothing that is substantial, nothing that is beneficent in itself; but moral renown, the renown of goodness, the fame of character, the reputation associated with deeds of sacrifice or valour--that is a renown which lives in heaven. (J. Parker, D. D.)
Eliakim and Christ
The language here used about Eliakim finds its perfect fulfilment only in Him whose supreme prerogative it is so to open that no man can shut, even Jesus Christ. (B. Blake, B. D.)
The power of the keys
(Isa_22:22) consists not merely in supervision of the royal chambers, but also in the decision as to who was and who was not to be received into the kings service. (F. Delitzsch.)
Eliakim: the nail and the throne
A nations rulers (Zec_10:4) stand in the same relation to the community as a tent peg to the tent which it holds firmly and keeps up. As the tent peg is driven into the ground in such a way that a person can, if necessary, sit on it, so by development of the metaphor the peg is changed into a seat of honour. As a splendid chair adorns a room, so Eliakim graces his hitherto undistinguished family. The closely connected thought, that the members of his family in order to attain to honours would sit on this chair, is expressed by a different figure. Eliakim is once more presented to us as a nail, now, however, as a high one, somewhat like a pole on which coats are hung up, or as a peg driven into the wall at a distance from the ground. On this pole or peg they hang--i.e., one hangs or there hangs--the whole heavy lot (as in chap. 8:7) of the family of Eliakim. The prophet proceeds to split up this family into its male and female components, as the juxtaposition of masculine and feminine nouns shows. (F. Delitzsch.)
The kingdom and government of the glorious Messiah typified by Eliakims preferment and promotion
I. ELIAKIMS CALL unto his honourable employment, whereby is represented Christs call unto His mediatory work and office (Isa_22:20). Christ did not run unsent.
II. THE BADGES OF HONOUR bestowed upon Him in consequence of His call (Isa_22:21-22).
1. He is clothed with a royal robe. So Christ is clothed (Rev_1:1-20) with a garment down to the foot, that serves to cover and adorn Himself and all His members.
2. He is strengthened with a girdle, a girdle of truth and faithfulness; He is always ready girded for the execution of His work.
3. He hath the keys of the house committed to Him, and the sole government; He opens, and none shuts, etc. The keys of the heart, and the keys of hell and death are in His hand.
III. HIS CONFIRMATION IN HIS HONOURABLE OFFICE AND STATION. He is fastened as a nail in a sure place. Christ is nailed in His mediatory work and office by an eternal decree (Psa_2:7), and by the oath of God Psa_110:4); and all the powers of hell and earth shall never loose this nail.
IV. We are here told TO WHAT ADVANTAGE HE SHOULD DISCHARGE HIS TRUST. He shall be for a glorious throne to His Fathers house. God manifested in the flesh is the throne of grace to which we are called to come with boldness; and this may well be called a glorious throne, because there is, in this dispensation of grace, the brightest display of the glory of God. Christ is the ornament of His Fathers house, the brightness of His glory, and the brightest crown that ever adorned the human nature.
V. CHRISTS PREEMINENCE IN GODS FAMILY, and the dependence of all the domestics upon Him (verse 24).
1. The designation given unto the Church of God; the house of the God and Father of Christ.
2. The nature and quality of the house; there is glory in it.
3. The high and honourable station that Christ hath in His Fathers house; He is the great Master household, and the whole family is committed to Him, and is said to hang upon Him as a nail fastened in a sure place.
4. The common consent of the whole family unto His management; they shall hang upon Him all the glory, etc.; i.e., the Father of the family, and the whole offspring of the house, concur amicably that He should have the sole management.
5. Some account of the furniture of the house, committed to the management of the great New Testament Eliakim.
(1) The glory.
(2) The offspring and issue.
(3) The vessels of small quantity, from vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons.
By which we are to understand believers, for they are the children of God, and the seed of Christ by regeneration; and likewise called vessels, because they are the recipient subjects of Divine grace, which is the wine, milk, and honey of the house. (E. Erskine.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain On v24 Isa_22:24. And they shall hang upon him all the…
THE GLORY OF THE MESSIAH
Isa_22:24. And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house—
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As on the nails or spikes fixed in the walls of the ancient temples and palaces it was customary to hang suits of armour, shields, helmets, swords, &c., that had been taken in war as spoils of victory, or that had been used by illustrious ancestors. The declaration is made concerning Eliakim, and the meaning of it is, that all his relatives would connect with him all they deemed illustrious, and would rest upon him as their common support. Some of the expressions used concerning him are appropriated by our Redeemer to Himself (comp. Isa_22:22 and Rev_3:7); and, without adopting the view that Eliakim was a type of Christ, we may say that, true as this declaration was concerning Eliakim, it is still more eminently true of Him to whom “the key of David” belongs by right. Upon Him they shall hang all the glory of His Father’s house.”
I. THE GLORY THAT IS PLACED UPON CHRIST. Applying the text to Christ, the phrase “His father’s house” acquires a new and more glorious significance, even that of the Church of the living God, the one family in heaven and on earth. All the glory of that spiritual and eternal house depends upon and is justly ascribed to Christ.
1. All the glory of purchasing the Church. All the persons of whom it is composed were in circumstances of bondage and misery, yea, under sentence of death, from which He ransomed them at inconceivable cost (1Pe_1:18-19).
2. All the glory of redeeming the Church. This is not a mere repetition of what has just been said. We are the subjects of a twofold redemption—a redemption of price and a redemption of power. From the penalties of sin Christ redeemed us by His blood; from the power of sin, by His Spirit. A supremely difficult and an eternally glorious task is that which He thus undertook and has accomplished.
3. All the glory of preserving the Church. What a marvellous history of dangers and deliverances it has had!
4. All the glory of perfecting the Church. It shall be complete in number, complete and resplendent with every spiritual grace. Remember what marvellous symbols are employed to set forth the beauty and the preciousness of its component parts, what treasures of spiritual wisdom and grace are already included in it. Hereafter, when it shall stand in all its radiance, the wonder and the admiration of all heavenly intelligences, all the glory of it shall hang upon Christ.
II. THE PERSONS WHO UNITE IN PLACING THIS GLORY ON CHRIST. “They shall hang,” &c. The penitent sinner hangs upon Christ all the glory of his hope of acceptance with God.
2. The justified believer hangs upon Him all the glory of the favoured position in which he stands.
3. The spiritual veteran hangs upon Him all the glory of His triumphs.
4. The dying Christian hangs upon Him all the glory of the calmness and courage with which he advances to the final victory.
5. The glorified Church hangs upon Him all the glory of its perfected salvation.
6. Angels and archangels, though they were not the subjects of redemption, join in the song of salvation (Rev_5:11-13), and ascribe to Him all the splendour in which they shine.
7. GOD exalted Him to the right hand of power, and gave Him a Name above every name (Php_2:9-11).
“Oh that with yonder sacred throng
We at His feet may fall,
Join in the everlasting song,
And crown Him Lord of all!”
—George Smith, D.D.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain On v22 Here the prophecy looks forward to Christ. Rev 3:7.
open
Here the prophecy looks forward to Christ. Rev 3:7.
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv20, 23, 25 General Information:
General Information:
Isaiah continues to speak God's message to Shebna.
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It will come about on that day
"It will happen at that time"
Eliakim ... Hilkiah
These are names of men. (See: How to Translate Names)
I will clothe him with your tunic and put on him your sash
Yahweh causing Eliakim to take Shebna's place in the king's palace is spoken of as if Yahweh will dress Eliakim in Shebna's clothes that represent his authority in the king's palace. (See: Metaphor)
your tunic ... your sash
Here the tunic and sash represent authority in the king's palace. (See: Metonymy)
sash
This is a piece of cloth that people wear around the waist or across the chest. See how you translated this in Isaiah 3:20.
into his hand
Here "hand" represents power or control. AT: "to him" (See: Metonymy)
He will be a father
Eliakim caring for and protecting the people of Judah is spoken of as if he would be their father. AT: "He will be like a father" (See: Metaphor)
to the house of Judah
Here "house" represents the people. AT: "to the people of Judah" (See: Metonymy)
I will place the key of the house of David on his shoulder ... none will open
Here "key" represents authority. This speaks of Eliakim having authority that no one can oppose as if he had the key to the palace and no one else could lock or unlock the door. AT: "I will put him in charge of those who work in the king's palace, and when he makes a decision no one will be able to oppose him" (See: Metonymy and Metaphor)
translationWords
call
servant
clothe
tunic
authority
hand
ancestor
Jerusalem
house
Judah
David
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv21, 22, 25 22:21 A leader is like a father to the…
22:21 A leader is like a father to the people when he truly cares for them and addresses their needs. In contrast, Shebna was concerned only for himself.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.