Isaiah 22:15
in Isaiah 22This is what the Lord GOD of Hosts says: “Go, say to Shebna, the steward in charge of the palace:
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Thus saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, who is over the house, and say,
KJV
Thus saith the Lord God of hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say,
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This verse in Isaiah 22
Commentary
8 notes on this verse(Verse 15, 16, etc.) Thus says the Lord, the God of hosts: Go, enter to him who dwells in the tabernacle, to Shebna, the overseer of the temple, and say to him: What are you doing here? or who are you here? for you have carved out a sepulchre here for yourself. You have carved out a lofty memorial for yourself diligently in the rock for your tent. Behold, the Lord will cast you down as one is cast down, like a cockerel; and he will lift you up like a cloak.
This site's exposition
Go, say to Shebna
on Isaiah 22:15-19
Shebna, "the steward in charge of the palace", is asked who authorized him "to carve out a tomb". The LORD will "roll you into a ball, and sling you into a wide land". Barnes and Gill note that 2 Kings 18 shows a Shebna as a scribe under Eliakim.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 15 onward) Thus says the Lord God of hosts: Go, go into him who dwells in the tabernacle, to Shebna, the overseer of the Temple, and say to him: What are you doing here? Or who are you here, because you have dug for yourself here a tomb? You have dug your memorial on high, diligently in the rock you have made a dwelling for yourself. Behold, the Lord will carry you away: like the lifting of a rooster or like a garment he will lift you up. He will surely overthrow you and throw you into a wide and spacious land: there you shall die, and there shall be the chariots of your glory; the disgrace of your Lord's house. And I will drive you out from your office, and I will remove you from your position. And on that day, I will call my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah. And I will clothe him with your robe, and I will strengthen him with your sash, and I will give your authority into his hand. And he will be like a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. And I will place the key of the house of David on his shoulder, and he will open, and no one shall shut; and he will shut, and no one 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. We have already mentioned that Shebna was a high priest who betrayed the city to the Assyrians. […]
The Medieval Church1 voice
Thus says the Lord God of hosts. Here the threat against those to whom pertained authority in spiritual affairs is set out, and first, against the priest at that time; second, against the entire priestly order: in that day, says the Lord of hosts (Isa …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Thus saith the Lord God of hosts, Go,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Analysis of Isa 22:15-25. - Vision 20. The remainder of this chapter Isa 22:15-25 is occupied with a prediction respecting Shebna, and the promotion of Eliakim in his place. From the prophecy itself it appears that Shebna was prefect of the palace Isa 22:15, or that he was in the highest authority in the time of Hezekiah. That he was an unprincipled ruler is evident from the prophecy, and hence, Isaiah was directed to predict his fall, and the elevation of another in his place. Whether this Shebna is the same that is mentioned in Isa 36:3, is not known.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Rather, "the king's friend," or "principal officer of the court" (1Ki 4:5; 1Ch 27:33, "the king's counsellor") [MAURER]. "This" is prefixed contemptuously (Ex 32:1). unto Shebna--The Hebrew for "unto" indicates an accosting of Shebna with an unwelcome message.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Go - unto Shebna - The following prophecy concerning Shebna seems to have very little relation to the foregoing, except that it might have been delivered about the same time; and Shebna might be a principal person among those whose luxury and profaneness is severely reprehended by the prophet in the conclusion of that prophecy, Isa 22:11-14. Shebna the scribe, mentioned in the history of Hezekiah, chap. 36, seems to have been a different person from this Shebna, the treasurer or steward of the household, to whom this prophecy relates. The Eliakim here mentioned was probably the person who, at the time of Sennacherib’s invasion, was actually treasurer, the son of Hilkiah. If so, this prophecy was delivered, as the preceding, (which makes the former part of the chapter), plainly was, some time before the invasion of Sennacherib. As to the rest, history affords us no information. “And say unto him” - Here are two words lost out of the text, which are supplied by two of Dr. Kennicott’s MSS., one ancient, which read ואמרת אליו veamarta elaiv, and thou shalt say unto him; by the Septuagint, και ειπον αυτῳ, and in the same manner by all the ancient versions. It is to be observed that this passage is merely historical, and does not admit of that sort of ellipsis by which in the poetical parts a person is frequently introduced speaking, without the usual notice, that what follows was delivered by him.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
until you die Jonathan paraphrases a second death in the World to Come.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כֹּ֥ה | koh | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֛ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲדֹנָ֥י | ʾadonai | [the] Lord | H136 → | 440 times |
| יְהוִ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3069 → | 306 times |
| צְבָא֑וֹת | tzevaot | of hosts | H6635 → | 485 times |
| לֶךְ־ | lekh- | come | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| בֹּא֙ | bo' | go | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַסֹּכֵ֣ן | hasokhen | the steward | H5532 → | |
| הַזֶּ֔ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | to | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| שֶׁבְנָ֖א | shevna' | Shebna | H7644 → | 9 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [is] over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַבָּֽיִת׃ | habayit | the house | H1004 → | 2046 times |
כֹּ֥הthus
kohH3541 →577 times
אָמַ֛רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
אֲדֹנָ֥י[the] Lord
ʾadonaiH136 →440 times
יְהוִ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3069 →306 times
צְבָא֑וֹתof hosts
tzevaotH6635 →485 times
לֶךְ־come
lekh-H1980 →1546 times
בֹּא֙go
bo'H935 →2568 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַסֹּכֵ֣ןthe steward
hasokhenH5532 →
הַזֶּ֔ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
עַל־to
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
שֶׁבְנָ֖אShebna
shevna'H7644 →9 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עַל־[is] over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַבָּֽיִת׃the house
habayitH1004 →2046 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Kings 19:2And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz
it leads to
- Isaiah 1:1
This is the vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Kings 18:18
Then they called for the king; and Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebnah the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder, went out to them.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 2:1
This is the message that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
- Isaiah 1:1
Through
2 Kings 18:18Then they called for the king; and Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebnah the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder, went out to them.
it leads to
- 2 Kings 19:2
And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 36:3
Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder, went out to him.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Samuel 20:24
Adoram was in charge of the forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;
- 2 Chronicles 34:8
Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, in order to cleanse the land and the temple, Josiah sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah son of Joahaz,…
- Isaiah 36:22
Then Hilkiah’s son Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and Asaph’s son Joah the recorder came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and they relayed to him the words of the Rabshakeh.
- 2 Kings 19:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
What the record shows
1 entry- Shebna (Shebnayahu) — attested in contemporary inscriptionwell-supported
Silwan 'Royal Steward' tomb-lintel inscription (name partly broken)
Biblical figure (Royal steward under Hezekiah, late 8th c. BC) identified in extra-biblical epigraphy.
Counterpoint: The lintel is broken exactly where the steward's name stood; only the ending "-yahu" survives, and that ending closes dozens of Hebrew names. Nahman Avigad, who deciphered it, called his reconstruction of "Shebnayahu" a conjecture drawn from Isaiah 22 and the man's title, not something readable on the stone.
About Isaiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.