Temple Themes in Isaiah 21-23 1 Monday, October 4, 2010

Tem ple T h em es in Is aiah

Temple Themes in Isaiah 21-23

William J. Hamblin

OUTLINE:
Chapters 21-23 continue with
Oracles Against the Nations
additional oracles against the nations.
Broadly, the basic form of the other oracles
ISAIAH 21 agains the nations continues here:
Oracles against the condemnation for sin, threat of devastation,
“wilderness
William J. by the
Hamblin and hope for the future.
sea” (Babylon) (21:1-10), The only temple motif in chapter 21 is
Edom (21:11-12), and
the overthrow of the idols of Babylon when
Arabia (21:13-17).
the city is destroyed by the Elamites and
ISAIAH 22 Medes (21:2). “Fallen, fallen is Babylon, and
The “Valley of all the idols of her gods lie smashed on the
Vision” (Jerusalem) ground!” (21:9b), a theme developed in
(22:1-25) Revelation 14:8, 18:2. The powerlessness of
idols is an important theme in Isaiah with two
ISAIAH 23
aspects: Yahweh should not be worshipped in
Oracle against Tyre
the form of a man-made idol, while the
(23:1-18)
foreign gods should not be worshipped at all.
From the temple perspective the problem was
both worshipping foreign idols and
worshipping Yahweh in the form of an idol in
the temple. The purging of idols from the
temple--whether of foreign gods or Yahweh--
was a fundamental part of ancient temple
reform (2 Chr 34:3, 7).

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Temple Themes in Isaiah 21-23
The historical context of the first half
of chapter twenty-two may be the Assyrian
siege of Jerusalem in 701 BCE. The imagery
Hezekiah’s tunnel, dug around 701 BCE to
divert water from the Gihon spring south to
the pool of Siloam, alluded to in Isa 22:9.
in the first verses describe a siege and assault
on walls (22:5). The key clues are the
mention of the construction of water conduits
(22:9, 11; 2 Kgs 20:20), and the expansion of
fortifications (22:10), which are probably
1The tomb of a royal steward with an inscription was found in Silwan, southeast of the Old City
of Jerusalem; many scholars think it may be the tomb of Shebna mentioned in the 22:16; it is
certainly the type of aristocratic tomb Isaiah is condemning.
Hamblin of Jerusalem
2 Monday, October 4, 2010
Hezekiah’s “Long Wall” built against the
Assyrian threat in the late eighth century BC,
and mentioned in Isaiah 22:10.
related to the construction of Hezekiah’s
tunnel and the “long wall.”
The second half of chapter 22 focuses on
the internal politics of the royal court of
Judah at this time. Shebna, the royal steward
is to be expelled from his office for
mismanagement (22:15-19).1 Shebna is to be
replaced by another courtier, Eliakim (cf. 2
Kgs 18:18). Although this is a royal
appointment, rather than a priestly
consecration, the description of Eliakim’s
investiture contains a number of temple-
related motifs (22:20-25 ESV):
20 In that day I will call my servant
Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, 21 and I will
clothe him with your robe, and will bind
your sash on him, and will commit your
[Shebna’s] authority to his hand. And he
shall be a father to the inhabitants of
Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. 22
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Temple Themes in Isaiah 21-23 3 Monday, October 4, 2010

And I will place on his shoulder the key of
the house of David. He shall open, and
none shall shut; and he shall shut, and
none shall open. 23 And I will fasten him
like a peg in a secure place, and he will
become a throne of honor to his father’s
house.
that is to say, keys to the buildings, palace,
treasury, armory, temple, etc. He was given a
sash or rope over his shoulder on which these
keys were hung. With these keys, he alone
had the authority to open and close all doors
in the kingdom: “He shall open, and none

This passage includes the following elements shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall

of royal investiture: open” (22:22b). This concept is allegorically

1- Eliakim is called by Yahweh (22:20). transformed into Christ’s keys of the kingdom

2- Investiture is symbolized by clothing of heaven which are given to Peter Mt 16:19.

Likewise, Christ as the cosmic Davidic key-
with robe (t‰n;Ot;Uk kuttonet) and sash (f´nVbAa
bearer appears in Rev 3:7-8. The entire
abnet) (22:21a).2 In ancient societies, special
metaphorical concept of divinely bestowed
clothing was often symbolic of special status.
keys of the kingdom of heaven derives from
3- Authority is
this passage in Isaiah.
placed in his hand
5- Eliakim is a
(22:21b). This may
metaphorical throne
simply be a metaphor,
and a “peg (yāted) in a
but transfer of
secure place” (NDmTa‰n
authority and covenant
MwøqDmV;b dEtÎy = yāted be-
were frequently
māqōm ne’emān =
ritually manifest by a
KJV: “nail in a sure
handclasp,
place”). Yāted is a
symbolically
large peg or nail, frequently a tent peg, most
transferring the authority of the king to his
notably the tent pegs that hold up the
minister, or God to a king or priest (see Ps
Tabernacle.3 Thus the phrase “nail in a sure
73:23; Isa 45:1).
place” probably alludes to placing the tent
4- The key of the house of David is placed
pegs of the Tabernacle in solid ground or rock
on his shoulder (22:22a). The royal steward
so that the Tabernacle--here metaphorically
was literally given the “keys of the kingdom,”

2 Both of these terms are related to temple clothing. Priestly robes are often described as
kuttonet: Ex 28:4, 39f, 29:5, 8, 39:27, 40:14; Lev 8:7, 13, 10:5, 16:4. Abnet is usually a term for
the priestly sash or girdle wrapped around the waist: Ex 28:4, 39f, 29:9, 39:29, Lev 8:7, 13.
3 Ex 27:19, 35:18, 38:20, 31, 39:40.

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Temple Themes in Isaiah 21-23 4 Monday, October 4, 2010

the “house/tent of David” (22:22a)--will seventy years, Tyre’s trade revives, Tyre’s
remain standing. If the nail is placed in an wealth will be “holy (v®dOq qodeš) to
insecure place it will be pulled out out when Yahweh” (23:18a). This is a variant on
weight is placed on it. The term translated Isaiah’s theme we have seen elsewhere that
“secure” or “sure” is ne’emān (NDmTa‰n), is more all the nations will one day send temple-
literally a “trustworthy”
or “faithful” place. The
link of this metaphor to
the Tabernacle is further
emphasized in Ezra 9:8,
which alludes to this
passage in Isaiah, but
with a difference: “give
to us a peg in his holy
place” (wøv√d∂q MwøqVmI;b dEtÎy
= yāted be-māqōm
qādeš-ū). Thus, it is the Tyrian half-shekel (AD 37), the only coin accepted by the Temple
peg that rests in the for payment of the Jewish temple-tax.
“holy place” (Temple/
Tabernacle) that is “faithful/trustworthy.” tribute to Yahweh. It is interesting to note in
The other aspect of this metaphor is a peg this regard that in the time of Christ the
securely placed in a wall will hold weight temple-tax could only be paid in the coinage
hung on it, while an insecure peg will of Tyre4 --hence the need for money-changers
collapse under the same weight (22:25). at the temple. Likewise, Tyre will provide
“fine clothing” to those who “dwell before
The oracle in chapter 23 is against Tyre,
Yahweh” (23:18b), probably an allusion to
probably alluding to the Assyrian threat. Tyre
the cloth used to make the priest’s robes for
is threatened with destruction, to be
temple service.
“forgotten” for seventy years (23:15)--
perhaps broadly related to the seventy year
prophecy of the restoration of the temple by
Jeremiah (Jer 25:11). When, after these

4 Mishnah, Bekhoroth 8:7; Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin 11a.

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