Isaiah 22:15

15 Thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, Go, repair to this treasurer, [even] to Shebna, who [is] over the house, [and say],

Isaiah 22:15 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 22:15

Thus saith the Lord God of hosts,
Go These words are spoken to the prophet, bidding him go to Shebna's house; so the Arabic version, "go to the house"; or however, by some means or other, let him know that he should be displaced, and turned out of his office, and another put in his room: get thee unto this treasurer;
or governor, as the Targum; treasurer in the house of King Hezekiah, as Kimchi: the word has the signification of profit; and Jarchi, from the Talmud F19, calls him master of the profits; that is, of the profits and revenues belonging to the king; though, perhaps, he sought more his own profit and advantage than the king's: it has also the signification of danger, and so may be rendered, "this dangerous" man to the king and state. The Jews say F20 he entered into conspiracy with some others in Jerusalem, to deliver up the city and king into the hands of Sennacherib. It is also used for a cherisher or nourisher, ( 1 Kings 1:2 ) and may be understood of him, as a cherisher and encourager of the scoffers before mentioned, and a fomenter of secret conspiracies against the king and the city. Some render it, "this Sochenite", so called from the place of his birth, or from whence he came; and the Jews F21 say he came from Sochen, a place in Egypt; and he seems by what follows to have been a foreigner, and not an inhabitant of Jerusalem; nor is it likely that he should be twice described by his office: [even] unto Shebna, which [is] over the house;
that is, over the king's house, so Kimchi; the steward, that had the ordering of all the affairs civil and domestic in it, which was a very high post; he had the keys of the money, stores, and provisions in it; see ( Isaiah 22:22 ) . The Vulgate Latin version calls him the governor of the temple; so Jarchi understands it, that he was over the house of the sanctuary, the temple; some Jewish writers say he was a high priest; and others that he was an "amarcal" F23, which was a name of office in the temple, a governor there, that had the keys of the stores in it: [and say];
this is not in the text, but is supplied; the message to him follows.


FOOTNOTES:

F19 T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 26. 2.
F20 Jarchi & Kimchi in loc. & Sanhedrin, ib. col. 1.
F21 Vajikra Rabba, sect. 5. fol. 150. 2.
F23 Ibid.

Isaiah 22:15 In-Context

13 And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to-morrow we shall die.
14 And it was revealed in my ears by the LORD of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.
15 Thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, Go, repair to this treasurer, [even] to Shebna, who [is] over the house, [and say],
16 What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulcher here, [as] he that heweth him out a sepulcher on high, [and] that graveth a habitation for himself in a rock?
17 Behold, the LORD will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee.
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