Isaiah 22:21
in Isaiah 22I will clothe him with your robe and tie your sash around him. I will put your authority in his hand, and he will be a father to the dwellers of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Isaiah 22
Commentary
13 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
My servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah
on Isaiah 22:20-23
Eliakim receives what Shebna lost, "your authority", and becomes "a father to the dwellers of Jerusalem". The LORD places "the key to the house of David", "What he opens no one can shut". Revelation 3:7 gives the key of David to Christ, and Eliakim becomes "a throne of glory".
This site's exposition
I will clothe him with your robe
The robe and the authority echo the rise of Joseph at Genesis 41:42, and Joseph too was made a father to Pharaoh at Genesis 45:8. The sash held the purse and the sword. Henry calls rulers to be fathers to the people they govern.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
For all these things will work for your destruction [i.e., Shebna's], since you have been deposed and rejected from the high priesthood, of which you showed yourself unworthy, God being a just judge who gives to each according to his worth. On you, then, he will bring these things; but on the other, Eliakim, whom he has assessed as his good servant and slave, he will invest with your robe and will honor by placing on him the crown of the high priesthood, whose ministry you had hitherto been entrusted with. For he is a man worthy of it.
(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
Second, his consecration: and I will clothe him, for they were consecrated with pontifical garments, as is evident from Leviticus 18, concerning these garments, and Exodus 28. Third, he confers jurisdiction on him: and I will give your power into his hand. And first, as …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Girdle - There was a peculiar sort of robe and girdle which was the badge of his office. A father - He shall govern them with fatherly care and affection.
And I will clothe him with thy robe,.... The same he wore, or rather one like unto it, which was a badge and token of his office.
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And, since it is he that commits the government into their hand, they must administer it according to his will, for his glory; they must judge for him by whom they judge and decree justice, Prov. viii. And they may depend upon him to furnish them for what he calls them to, according to this promise: I will clothe him; and then it follows, I will strengthen him.
Note, Rulers should be fathers to those that are under their government, to teach them with wisdom, rule them with love, and correct what is amiss with tenderness, to protect them and provide for them, and be solicitous about them as a man is for his own children and family.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And I will clothe him with thy robe - He shall succeed thee in the office, and wear the garments which are appropriate to it. And strengthen him with thy girdle - That is, he shall wear the same girdle that thou didst (see the note at Isa 3:24). In that girdle was usually the purse, and to it was attached the sword. Often, among the Orientals, the girdle was adorned with gold and precious stones, and was regarded as the principal embellishment of the dress.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
thy robe--of office. girdle--in which the purse was carried, and to it was attached the sword; often adorned with gold and jewels. father--that is, a counsellor and friend.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
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.
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהִלְבַּשְׁתִּ֣יו | vehilbashtiv | and I will clothe him | H3847 → | 110 times |
| כֻּתָּנְתֶּ֗ךָ | kutanetekha | tunic your | H3801 → | |
| וְאַבְנֵֽטְךָ֙ | veavnetekha | and sash your | H73 → | |
| אֲחַזְּקֶ֔נּוּ | ʾachazzekenu | I will make firm on him | H2388 → | 291 times |
| וּמֶֽמְשֶׁלְתְּךָ֖ | umemsheltekha | and authority your | H4475 → | |
| אֶתֵּ֣ן | ʾeten | I will put | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| בְּיָד֑וֹ | beyado | in hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וְהָיָ֥ה | vehayah | and he will become | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לְאָ֛ב | leav | <into> a father | H1 → | 1212 times |
| לְיוֹשֵׁ֥ב | leyoshev | of [the] inhabitant[s] of | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם | yerushalim | Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| וּלְבֵ֥ית | uleveit | and of [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יְהוּדָֽה׃ | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
וְהִלְבַּשְׁתִּ֣יוand I will clothe him
vehilbashtivH3847 →110 times
כֻּתָּנְתֶּ֗ךָtunic your
kutanetekhaH3801 →
וְאַבְנֵֽטְךָ֙and sash your
veavnetekhaH73 →
אֲחַזְּקֶ֔נּוּI will make firm on him
ʾachazzekenuH2388 →291 times
וּמֶֽמְשֶׁלְתְּךָ֖and authority your
umemsheltekhaH4475 →
אֶתֵּ֣ןI will put
ʾetenH5414 →2011 times
בְּיָד֑וֹin hand his
beyadoH3027 →1618 times
וְהָיָ֥הand he will become
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
לְאָ֛ב<into> a father
leavH1 →1212 times
לְיוֹשֵׁ֥בof [the] inhabitant[s] of
leyoshevH3427 →1079 times
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖םJerusalem
yerushalimH3389 →643 times
וּלְבֵ֥יתand of [the] house of
uleveitH1004 →2046 times
יְהוּדָֽה׃Judah
yehudahH3063 →819 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
Esther 8:15Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal garments of blue and white, with a large gold crown and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa shouted…
it leads to
- Genesis 41:42
Then Pharaoh removed the signet ring from his finger, put it on Joseph’s finger, clothed him in garments of fine linen, and placed a gold chain around his neck.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Luke 16:19
Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, who lived each day in joyous splendor.
- Esther 5:1
On the third day, Esther put on her royal attire and stood in the inner court of the palace across from the king’s quarters. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the…
- Proverbs 29:2
When the righteous flourish, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.
- Esther 1:6
Hangings of white and blue linen were fastened with cords of fine white and purple material to silver rings on the marble pillars. Gold and silver couches were arranged on a mosaic pavement of…
- Genesis 41:42
Through
1 Samuel 18:4And Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.
it leads to
- Luke 15:22
But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 15:22
Through
Genesis 45:8Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God, who has made me a father to Pharaoh—lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
it leads to
- John 15:16
You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will remain—so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.
- Romans 9:16
So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
- John 15:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Isaiah
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PlaceJerusalemJerusalemThe city David took from the Jebusites and made his capital, where Solomon built the temple, where Christ was crucified and rose,…
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Eusebius of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 148:6-20; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.