Isaiah 22:5

5. The first half of the verse reads: For a day of tumult and trampling and confusion hath Jehovah of hosts,—“a series of inimitable assonances” (Cheyne) in the Hebr. (cf. Nah_2:10 [Hebrews 11]). The form of the sentence is the same as in Isa_2:12.

The words in the valley of vision belong (in spite of the accents) to the second half; render: in the valley of vision (they are) battering down the wall, and a cry (of distress rises) to the mountain. “Valley of vision” is taken by some as a proper name (valley of Ḥizzâyôn), though no such place is known; by others as a mystic name for Jerusalem (like Ariel, Isa_29:1), which is hardly possible, since the word for “valley” denotes a deep and narrow ravine. Some particular valley round Jerusalem must be meant, most probably the Tyropœon; but why it is called the “valley of (prophetic) vision” we cannot tell. The suggestion that Isaiah lived and had his visions there is very far-fetched.

5–7. The connexion here becomes very uncertain. It seems clear that Isa_22:5 (from its form) must refer to the future, while Isa_22:8-11 undoubtedly go back to what is past. The transition must apparently take place either at Isa_22:6 or Isa_22:8. Now the tenses in Isa_22:6-7 would be naturally construed as historic perfects, and at first sight it seems obvious that these verses are intimately connected with Isa_22:8 ff., and belong like them to the past. But on the other hand it has to be considered that (a) Isa_22:5 is too short to stand alone; (b) the preparations for the siege (8 ff.) are in any case distinct from (if not prior to) the assault described in 6 f.; and (c) there is no evidence of an attempt to carry Jerusalem by storm during the first blockade. Hence it seems better, in spite of the violence of the transition at Isa_22:8, to regard Isa_22:5-7 as an account of what Isaiah has seen in vision, viz., the return of the enemy in force to the city.

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.

Isa 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.

Ver. 5. For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down.] Great is the woe of war; no words how wide soever can set forth to the full the distress and destruction thereof.

And of perplexity.] Mebusah samebucah, so the original elegantly, as in the last words of the verse, rythmically.

Breaking down the walls.] {a} According to Isa 5:5.

{a} Dominus exparietavit. - Vatab.

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.

22:5-8 The defeat of Judah would be a manifestation of the yet-future day of the Lord (see study note on 2:5-22). Jerusalem would be impotent in the day of disaster.

22:5 Jerusalem’s walls were broken by the invading Babylonians, who breached them with battering rams (2 Kgs 25:4).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

That is, the shout of the enemies whom God had appointed to destroy the city.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

trouble . . . by the Lord--that is, sent by or from the Lord (see on Isa 19:15; Luk 21:22-24).

valley of vision--(See on Isa 22:1). Some think a valley near Ophel is meant as about to be the scene of devastation (compare see on Isa 32:13-14).

breaking . . . walls--that is, "a day of breaking the walls" of the city.

crying to the mountains--the mournful cry of the townsmen "reaches" to (MAURER translates, towards) the mountains, and is echoed back by them. JOSEPHUS describes in the very same language the scene at the assault of Jerusalem under Titus. To this the prophecy, probably, refers ultimately. If, as some think, the "cry" is that of those escaping to the mountains, compare Mat 13:14; Mat 24:16, with this.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(5) For it is a day of trouble.—The earlier clauses paint the mental emotions of the coming day of judgment. In the latter we hear the actual crash of the battering-rams across the walls. The cry of the panic-stricken people shall rise to the surrounding mountains, possibly as to the hills from whence they expected help, either as true worshippers looking to Mount Zion (Psa_121:1), or to the high places which were so long the objects of their worship, and which led their enemies to say that their gods were “gods of the hills, and not of the valleys” (1Ki_20:23).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For it is a day of trouble,.... To Hezekiah, and also Jerusalem, and all the inhabitants of the land:

and of treading down; the people of it by Sennacherib's army, like mire in the streets, when their cities were taken by him:

and of perplexity by the Lord of hosts in the valley of vision; in Jerusalem, besieged, and threatened with desolation; which threw the king and his nobles, and all the inhabitants, into the utmost perplexity, confusion, and distress; and all this was not merely from men, nor was it by chance, but by the permission and appointment of God, to humble his people for their sins, and bring them to a sense and acknowledgment of them:

breaking down the walls: of the fenced cities, with their battering rams, at the time they besieged and took them, Kg2 18:13,

and of crying to the mountains: looking and running to them for help and succour, for shelter and protection; and crying so loud, by reason of their distress, as that it reached the distant mountains, and made them echo with it.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

For it is a day of trouble and of treading down - When our enemies trample on everything sacred and dear to us, and endanger all our best interests (see Psa 44:6; Luk 21:24).

And of perplexity - In which we know not what to do. We are embarrassed, and know not where to look for relief.

By the Lord God of hosts - That is, he is the efficient cause of all this. It has come upon us under his providence, and by his direction (see the note at Isa 10:5).

In the valley of vision - In Jerusalem (see the note at Isa 22:1).

Breaking down the walls - There has been much variety in the interpretation of this place. The Septuagint renders it, ‘In the valley of Zion they wander, from the least to the greatest; they wander upon the mountains.’ See a discussion of the various senses which the Hebrew phrase may admit, in Rosenmuller and Gesenius. Probably our common version has given the true sense, and the reference is to the fact that the walls of the city became thrown down, either in the siege or from some other cause. If this refers to the invasion of Sennacherib, though his army was destroyed, and he was unable to take the city, yet there is no improbability in the supposition that he made some breaches in the walls. Indeed this is implied in the account in 2Ch 32:5.

And of crying to the mountains - Either for help, or more probably of such a loud lamentation that it reached the surrounding hills, and was re-echoed back to the city. Or perhaps it may mean that the shout or clamor of those engaged in building or defending the walls, reached to the mountains. Compare Virg. “AEncid,” iv. 668:

- resonat magnis plangoribus aether.

Rosenmuller renders it, ‘A cry - to the mountains!’ That is, a cry among the people to escape to the hills, and to seek refuge in the caves and fastnesses there (compare Jdg 6:2; Mat 24:16; Mar 13:14).

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Searching. That day beheld the Assyrians (Haydock) undermining the wall, and behaving with haughtiness (Calmet) on Mount Sion. (Haydock)

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).

Of treading down; in which my people are trodden under foot by their insolent enemies.

Of perplexity by the Lord God of hosts: this is added, partly to show that this did not happen without God’s providence; and partly to aggravate their calamity, because not only men, but God himself, fought against them.

Breaking down the walls of the strong cities of Judah; which was done by Sennacherib, 2Ki 25:10.

Crying to the mountains, with such loud and dismal outcries as should reach to the neighbouring mountains, and make them ring again therewith.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

It is a day... By the Lord; rather, there is a day to the Lord; or, the Lord has a day. God has in reserve such a day; and it will assuredly arrive in due course. Hence the prophet"s grief. In the valley of vision. We may suppose that Hezekiah, before he made the submission recorded in 2Ki_18:14 and in the "Cylinder of Sennacherib," Col_4:11. 28, 29, tried the chances of battle against the Assyrians in this valley, and that Isaiah had a prophetic vision of the fight. Breaking down the walls; rather, undermining. The Assyrian sculptures show numerous examples of this practice. Sometimes swords or spears are used to dislodge the stones of the wall, sometimes crow-bars or axes (see "Ancient Monarchies," vol. 2. p. 82). Crying. Some regard this word, and also that translated "the walls" in the preceding clause, as proper names, and render the passage, "Kir undermineth, and Shoa is at the mount" (Ewald, Cheyne, Luzzatto). But it seems unlikely that "Kit" would be mentioned twice.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

“For there is a day of confusion and trampling and perplexity to the Lord Jehovah of Hosts in the valley of vision, breaking the wall and crying to the mountain.” He has a day (i.e., He has it appointed, or has it in reserve). (See above, Isa 2:12). Trampling does not refer to the treading down of the fields and gardens, but of men in battle, or at least in a general commotion and confusion. ‘To the mountain’ are not the words of the cry, but its direction. The mountain is not Jerusalem or Zion as the residence of God, but the mountains round about Jerusalem (Psa 125:1). The meaning is not that the people are heard crying on their way to the mountain, but rather that their cries are reverberated from it. The whole verse is a vivid poetical description of the confusion of a siege.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Prophecies of Isaiah (1846–1847; New York: Scribner, 1870–1878) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For there is a day

"For there will be a time"

of tumult, treading down, and confusion for the Lord Yahweh of hosts

"when the Lord Yahweh of hosts will cause panic, treading down, and confusion"

treading down

Possible meanings are 1) this refers to soldiers marching or 2) people in general are running in panic and not sure where to go.

in the Valley of Vision

This refers to Jerusalem. See how you translated this in Isaiah 22:1.

people crying out to the mountains

Possible meanings are 1) "people in the mountains will hear their cries" or 2) "the people's cries will echo off the mountains"

Elam takes up the quiver

The quiver is a bag to carry arrows and represents the archer's weapons. AT: "The soldiers of Elam take their bows and arrows" (See: Metonymy)

Kir lays the shield bare

Here "Kir" represents the soldiers. AT: "the soldiers of Kir will take their shields out of their covers" (See: Metonymy)

Kir

Kir is a city in Media. (See: How to Translate Names)

your choicest valleys

Here "your" refers to the people of Jerusalem. Isaiah does include himself as one of the people of Jerusalem. AT: "our best valleys"

translationWords

lord

Yahweh of hosts

vision

cry

Elam

chariot

shield

gate

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

trampling (מְבוּסָה), trampling. Comp. (Jer. 12:10) “They trampled (בּוֹסְסוּ) My heritage.” Comp. also (Zech. 10:5): “And they shall be like heroes, trampling (בּוֹסִים) in the mire of the streets.”

destroying the wall a day of destroying the wall.

and shouting, “To the mountain!” (וְשׁוֹעַ). And the voice of a shout to flee to the mountains to escape.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

ומבוכה And of perplexity. Comp. נבוכים entangled (Ex. 14:3).

מקרקר overthrowing, or pulling down, derived from קיר wall, with a negative sense; comp. ושרשך, and he will take away thy root (Ps. 52:7), derived from שרש root.

ושוע אל ההר And of crying to the mountains. Some say that this phrase means the same as ישעו ואין מושיע they look, but there is none to save (2 Sam. 22:42); others, their cry will reach the mountains.

Ibn Ezra on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0); and “Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.