Isaiah 22:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He has taken away the covering of Judah. In that day you looked to the weapons of the House of the Forest,

NIV: The Lord stripped away the defenses of Judah, and you looked in that day to the weapons in the Palace of the Forest.

NASB: And He removed the defense of Judah. On that day you depended on the weapons of the house of the forest,

CSB: He removed the defenses of Judah.On that day you looked to the weapons in the House of the Forest.

NLT: Judah’s defenses have been stripped away. You run to the armory for your weapons.

KJV: And he discovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest.

NKJV: He removed the protection of Judah. You looked in that day to the armor of the House of the Forest;

This begins with the final thought of the previous verse (Isaiah 22:7). Isaiah is either recalling recent history or a prophecy of Judah's future. Both involve an invading army that came to destroy Jerusalem. The prophet has described the chaos and confusion of that incident. The valleys around Jerusalem were full of chariots. The enemy horsemen were right outside the city gates. All Jerusalem's protections had fallen away, including all the towns and cities in the nation outside of her walls.

Now he adds that this was not a result of poor planning or even an enemy overwhelming force. Those may have been factors, but the real cause was God's judgment. It was the Lord who had orchestrated all of it. Because of Judah's stubborn refusal to rely on Him alone, he had removed her protection entirely. Now the people would either depend on Him, or they would continue in their hard-headed disobedience.

The actions they took in the immediate moments of crisis were very practical. The first was to check on the weapons stored in a place called the "House of the Forest." This was part of the temple complex. This was a structure built by Solomon where all the weapons and other precious items were kept. The building's columns and woodwork gave it the feel of natural woods.

Chapter 22:1–14 describes how the people of Jerusalem partied and feasted in the face of certain destruction during a siege. Isaiah condemns them, especially for failing to mourn and cry out to the Lord for help when all seemed lost. He weeps for those who have died. The prophet calls the people to soberly understand what has happened to them instead of partying on their rooftops. The Lord says that the sins of the people in this moment will not be atoned for until they die.

Isaiah presents a prophecy against the city of Jerusalem: "the valley of vision." The prophet condemns the people for partying, perhaps following an astonishing deliverance from the Lord. Instead, they should remember all who died. They should be sobered to realize how helpless they had been. When destruction seemed certain, they should have mourned and cried out to the Lord to save them. Instead, they reveled like nothing mattered. The Lord condemns the steward of the king's house for carving out his tomb instead of trusting God. He puts a man named Eliakim in that position. Eliakim serves with great integrity, faithfulness, and excellence. Yet, he, too, falls away.

Isaiah has recorded several prophecies in preceding chapters. These spoke of nations such as Egypt as well as various tribes. Chapter 22 is an oracle against the city of Jerusalem. Isaiah condemns the people for celebrating instead of mourning and seeking the Lord's help. This could be either before or after a great siege of the city. The prophet weeps for the lost and calls the people to repent. The Lord condemns the king's steward for faithlessness. His replacement, Eliakim, serves with strength and integrity. The next oracles concern Tyre and Sydon, before addressing the entire world.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).