Isaiah 22:6

6 ¹Elam took up the quiver With the chariots, infantry and horsemen; And ²Kir 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 say, "Turn your eyes away from me, Let me weep bitterly, Do not try to comfort me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people."

5 For the Lord GOD of hosts has a day of panic, subjugation and confusion In the valley of vision, A breaking down of walls And a crying to the mountain.

6 Elam took up the quiver With the chariots, infantry and horsemen; And Kir uncovered the shield.

7 Then your choicest valleys were full of chariots, And the horsemen took up fixed positions at the gate.

8 And He removed the defense of Judah. In that day you depended on the weapons of the house of the forest,

Cross References

• 1. Isaiah 21:2; Jeremiah 49:35
• 2. 2 Kings 16:9; Amos 1:5; Amos 9:7

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "man"