Isaiah 22:6

6 `Elam bore the quiver, with chariots of men [and] horsemen; and Kir uncovered the shield.

Isaiah 22:6 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 22:6

And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men [and]
horsemen
Or the Elamites, as the Targum and Septuagint, that is, the Persians, who were at this time subject to the Assyrians, and served in Sennacherib's army, which consisted of many nations; see ( Isaiah 29:7 ) these bore the quiver, a case for arrows, being expert in the use of the bow, which was the chief of their might, ( Jeremiah 49:35 ) and so Strabo ^F15 reports, that the Elamites had many archers among them; and along with them went chariots of men,
full of men, of military men; these were chariots for war, and brought men to fight against Jerusalem; [and] horsemen
also, these were the cavalry, as those that carried bows and arrows seem to be the foot soldiers. The Targum is,

``and the Elamites bore arms in the chariot of a man, and with it a couple of horsemen;''

as in the vision or prophecy concerning Babylon, ( Isaiah 21:7 Isaiah 21:9 ) : and Kir uncovered the shield;
this was a city in Media, and signifies the Medes, who were in subjection to the Assyrians, and fought under them; see ( 2 Kings 16:9 ) though Ben Melech says it was a city belonging to the king of Assyria; these prepared for battle, uncased their shields, which before were covered to keep them clean, and preserve them from rust and dirt; or they polished them, made them bright, as the word in the Ethiopic language signifies, as De Dieu has observed; see ( Isaiah 21:5 ) these might be most expert in the use of the shield and sword, as the others were at the bow and arrow. Some render "Kir" a "wall": so the Targum,

``and to the wall the shields stuck;''

and the Vulgate Latin version, "the shield made bare the wall": but it is best to understand it as the proper name of a place.

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 Geograph. l. 16. p. 512.

Isaiah 22:6 In-Context

4 Therefore said I, Look away from me, I will weep bitterly; don't labor to comfort me for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

5 For it is a day of confusion, and of treading down, and of perplexity, from the Lord, the LORD of Hosts, in the valley of vision; a breaking down of the walls, and a crying to the mountains.

6 `Elam bore the quiver, with chariots of men [and] horsemen; and Kir uncovered the shield.

7 It happened that your choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the horsemen set themselves in array at the gate.

8 He took away the covering of Yehudah; and you did look in that day to the armor in the house of the forest.