Isaiah 22:6

6 And Elam lifted up [the] quiver, with chariots [of] men [and] cavalry. 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 I said, "Look away from me, let me {weep bitterly}; you must not insist on comforting me for the destruction of the daughter of my people."

5 For the Lord Yahweh of hosts has a day of tumult and trampling and confusion in [the] valley of vision, [a] tearing down of walls and a cry for help to the mountains.

6 And Elam lifted up [the] quiver, with chariots [of] men [and] cavalry. And Kir uncovered [the] shield.

7 And this happened: the choicest of your valleys were full of chariots, and the cavalry confidently stood at the gate.

8 And he uncovered the covering of Judah. And you looked, on that day, to the weapons of the House of the Forest,

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew "chariot"
• [b]. Hebrew "man"