1 The burden of the valley of vision. What ayleth thee now, that thou art wholly gone vp to the house toppes?
2 Thou that art full of stirres, a tumultuous citie, a ioyous citie: thy slaine men are not slaine with the sword, nor dead in battell.
3 All thy rulers are fled together, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, which haue fled from farre.
4 Therefore sayd I; Looke away from me, I will weepe bitterly, labour not to comfort me; because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people.
5 For it is a day of trouble, and of treading downe, and of perplexitie by the Lord God of hostes in the valley of vision, breaking downe the walles, and of crying to the mountaines.
6 And Elam bare the quiuer with charets of men and horsemen, and Kir vncouered the shield.
7 And it shall come to passe that thy choicest valleys shall be full of charets, and the horsemen shall set themselues in aray at the gate.
8 ¶ And he discouered the couering of Iudah, and thou diddest looke in that day to the armour of the house of the forrest.
9 Ye haue seene also the breaches of the citie of Dauid, that they are many: and ye gathered together the waters of the lower poole.
10 And ye haue numbred the houses of Ierusalem, and the houses haue yee broken downe to fortifie the wall.
11 Ye made also a ditch betweene the two walles, for the water of the olde poole: but ye haue not looked vnto the maker thereof, neither had respect vnto him that fashioned it long agoe.
12 And in that day did the Lord God of hostes call to weeping and to mourning, and to baldnesse, and to girding with sackecloth.
13 And behold ioy and gladnesse, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine; let vs eate and drinke, for to morrow we shall die.
14 And it was reuealed in mine eares by the Lord of hostes; surely this iniquitie shall not be purged from you, till yee die, sayth the Lord God of hostes.
15 ¶ Thus sayth the Lord God of hostes, Goe, get thee vnto this treasurer, euen vnto Shebna, which is ouer the house, and say;
16 What hast thou here? And whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as hee that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graueth an habitation for himselfe in a rocke?
17 Behold; the Lord will cary thee away with a mightie captiuitie, and will surely couer thee.
18 He will surely violently turne and tosse thee, like a ball into a large countrey: there shalt thou die, and there the charets of thy glory shall be the shame of thy Lords house.
19 And I will driue thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee downe.
20 ¶ And it shall come to passe in that day, that I will call my seruant Eliakim the sonne of Hilkiah:
21 And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I wil commit thy gouernment into his hand, and he shalbe a father to the inhabitants of Ierusalem, and to the house of Iudah.
22 And the key of the house of Dauid will I lay vpon his shoulder: so he shall open and none shall shut, and he shall shut and none shall open.
23 And I will fasten him as a naile in asure place, and he shalbe for a glorious throne to his fathers house.
24 And they shall hang vpon him all the glory of his fathers house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantitie: from the vessels of cups, euen to all the vessels of flagons.
25 In that day, sayth the Lord of hostes, shall the naile that is fastened in the sure place, be remooued, and be cut downe and fall: and the burden that was vpon it shall bee cut off: for the Lord hath spoken it.
The siege and taking of Jerusalem. (1-7) The wicked conduct of its inhabitants. (8-14) The displacing of Shebna, and the promotion of Eliakim, applied to the Messiah. (15-25)1-7 Why is Jerusalem in such terror? Her slain men are not slain with the sword, but with famine; or, slain with fear, disheartened. Their rulers fled, but were overtaken. The servants of God, who foresee and warn sinners of coming miseries, are affected by the prospect. But all the horrors of a city taken by storm, faintly shadow forth the terrors of the day of wrath.
8-14 The weakness of Judah now appeared more than ever. Now also they discovered their carnal confidence and their carnal security. They looked to the fortifications. They made sure of water for the city. But they were regardless of God in all these preparations. They did not care for his glory in what they did. They did not depend upon him for a blessing on their endeavours. For every creature is to us what God makes it to be; and we must bless him for it, and use it for him. There was great contempt of God's wrath and justice, in contending with them. God's design was to humble them, and bring them to repentance. They walked contrary to this. Actual disbelief of another life after this, is at the bottom of the carnal security and brutish sensuality, which are the sin, the shame, and ruin of so great a part of mankind. God was displeased at this. It is a sin against the remedy, and it is not likely they should ever repent of it. Whether this unbelief works by presumption or despair, it produces the same contempt of God, and is a token that a man will perish wilfully.
15-25 This message to Shebna is a reproof of his pride, vanity, and security; what vanity is all earthly grandeur, which death will so soon end! What will it avail, whether we are laid in a magnificent tomb, or covered with the green sod? Those who, when in power, turn and toss others, will be justly turned and tossed themselves. Eliakim should be put into Shebna's place. Those called to places of trust and power, should seek to God for grace to enable them to do their duty. Eliakim's advancement is described. Our Lord Jesus describes his own power as Mediator, #Re 3:7|, that he has the key of David. His power in the kingdom of heaven, and in ordering all the affairs of that kingdom, is absolute. Rulers should be fathers to those under their government; and the honour men bring unto their families, by their piety and usefulness, is more to be valued than what they derive from them by their names and titles. The glory of this world gives a man no real worth or excellence; it is but hung upon him, and it will soon drop from him. Eliakim was compared to a nail in a sure place; all his family are said to depend upon him. In eastern houses, rows of large spikes were built up in the walls. Upon these the moveables and utensils were hung. Our Lord Jesus is as a nail in a sure place. That soul cannot perish, nor that concern fall to the ground, which is by faith hung upon Christ. He will set before the believer an open door, which no man can shut, and bring both body and soul to eternal glory. But those who neglect so great salvation will find, that when he shutteth none can open, whether it be shutting out from heaven, or shutting up in hell for ever.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.