Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 22:17
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
Behold, the Lord will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, &c.] Or with the captivity of a man; so the Targum, of a mighty man, Sennacherib king of Assyria; who, as the Jews sayf438, when he went from Jerusalem, upon the rumour of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia coming against him, carried away Shebna and his company, as with an inundation: or as a man is carried captive, whose captivity is harder, and more severe and cruel, than a woman’s, as the Rabbinsf439 observe; a woman finding more mercy in captivity usually than a man does. Some of the Jewish writers render the word “geber” a cock, as they do elsewhere; and gloss it, as a cock is carried away, and goes from place to placef440; and so the Vulgate Latin version, “behold, the Lord shall cause thee to be carried away, as a cock is carried away;” but it seems best, with Aben Ezra and Kimchi, to read the word “man” in the vocative case; the Lord will carry thee away, “O man”, O mighty manf441; as mighty a man as thou art in office, in power, in riches, God shall carry thee away with the greatest ease imaginable: and will surely cover thee: or, “in covering cover thee”; with confusion, as the Targum. Jarchi says the word has the signification of flying; and so interprets it, he shall cause thee to fly like a bird into captivity; that is, very speedily and swiftly. The Rabbins gather from hence that Shebna was struck with leprosy, because the leper was obliged to put a covering upon his upper lip; and this sense is embraced by Grotius; but the allusion seems to be to persons in disgrace, or condemned to die, whose faces used to be covered, (<170708>Esther 7:8 <180924>Job 9:24).
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