מַשָּׂ֖א גֵּ֣יא חִזָּי֑וֹן מַה־לָּ֣ךְ אֵפ֔וֹא כִּי־עָלִ֥ית כֻּלָּ֖ךְ לַגַּגּֽוֹת׃ The “Valley of Vision”aValley of Vision Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Pronouncement.
bVerses 1–3 describe a scene of mourning to take place in Jerusalem in the near future. In the ancient Near East, public weeping took place on the low flat roofs as well as in the streets and squares; cf. above, 15.3; Jer. 48.38. What can have happened to you
That you have gone, all of you, up on the roofs,
תְּשֻׁא֣וֹת ׀ מְלֵאָ֗ה עִ֚יר הֽוֹמִיָּ֔ה קִרְיָ֖ה עַלִּיזָ֑ה חֲלָלַ֙יִךְ֙ לֹ֣א חַלְלֵי־חֶ֔רֶב וְלֹ֖א מֵתֵ֥י מִלְחָמָֽה׃ O you who were full of tumult,
You clamorous town,
You city so exultant?
Your slain are not the slain of the sword
Nor the dead of battle.cYour slain are … battle I.e., executed, instead of dying in battle.
כׇּל־קְצִינַ֥יִךְ נָֽדְדוּ־יַ֖חַד מִקֶּ֣שֶׁת אֻסָּ֑רוּ כׇּל־נִמְצָאַ֙יִךְ֙ אֻסְּר֣וּ יַחְדָּ֔ו מֵרָח֖וֹק בָּרָֽחוּ׃ Your officers have all departed,
They fled far away;
Your survivors were all taken captive,
Taken captive without their bows.dTaken captive without their bows Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
עַל־כֵּ֥ן אָמַ֛רְתִּי שְׁע֥וּ מִנִּ֖י אֲמָרֵ֣ר בַּבֶּ֑כִי אַל־תָּאִ֣יצוּ לְנַֽחֲמֵ֔נִי עַל־שֹׁ֖ד בַּת־עַמִּֽי׃ That is why I say, “Let me be,
I will weep bitterly.
Press not to comfort me
For the ruin of my poor people.”emy poor people Lit. “the young woman, my people.”
כִּ֣י יוֹם֩ מְהוּמָ֨ה וּמְבוּסָ֜ה וּמְבוּכָ֗ה לַֽאדֹנָ֧י יֱהֹוִ֛ה צְבָא֖וֹת בְּגֵ֣י חִזָּי֑וֹן מְקַרְקַ֥ר קִ֖ר וְשׁ֥וֹעַ אֶל־הָהָֽר׃ For my Sovereign GOD of Hosts had a day
Of tumult and din and confusion—
Kir raged in the Valley of Vision,
And Shoa on the hill;fKir … Shoa on the hill Meaning of Heb. uncertain. On Kir see 2 Kings 16.9; Amos 1.5; 9.7; on Shoa see Ezek. 23.23.
וְעֵילָם֙ נָשָׂ֣א אַשְׁפָּ֔ה בְּרֶ֥כֶב אָדָ֖ם פָּרָשִׁ֑ים וְקִ֥יר עֵרָ֖ה מָגֵֽן׃ While Elam bore the quiver
In troops of mounted men,
And Kir bared the shield—
וַיְהִ֥י מִבְחַר־עֲמָקַ֖יִךְ מָ֣לְאוּ רָ֑כֶב וְהַפָּ֣רָשִׁ֔ים שֹׁ֖ת שָׁ֥תוּ הַשָּֽׁעְרָה׃ And your choicest lowlands
Were filled with chariots and riders:
They stormed at Judah’sgJudah’s Moved up from v. 8a for clarity. gatewayhgateway Judah’s gateway is the upper course of the Valley of Elah.
וַיְגַ֕ל אֵ֖ת מָסַ֣ךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה וַתַּבֵּט֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא אֶל־נֶ֖שֶׁק בֵּ֥ית הַיָּֽעַר׃ And pressed beyond its screen.iscreen I.e., the fortress Azekah, at the mouth of the gateway, which was captured by the Assyrians.
You gave thought on that day
To the arms in the Forest House,jForest House See 1 Kings 7.2–5; 10.16–17.
וְאֵ֨ת בְּקִיעֵ֧י עִיר־דָּוִ֛ד רְאִיתֶ֖ם כִּי־רָ֑בּוּ וַֽתְּקַבְּצ֔וּ אֶת־מֵ֥י הַבְּרֵכָ֖ה הַתַּחְתּוֹנָֽה׃ And you took note of the many breaches
In the City of David.
And you collected the water of the Lower Pool;kAnd you collected the water of the Lower Pool This clause would read well after the prose part of v. 11a.
וְאֶת־בָּתֵּ֥י יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם סְפַרְתֶּ֑ם וַתִּתְצוּ֙ הַבָּ֣תִּ֔ים לְבַצֵּ֖ר הַחוֹמָֽה׃ and you counted the houses of Jerusalem and pulled houses down to fortify the wall;
וּמִקְוָ֣ה ׀ עֲשִׂיתֶ֗ם בֵּ֚ין הַחֹ֣מֹתַ֔יִם לְמֵ֖י הַבְּרֵכָ֣ה הַיְשָׁנָ֑ה וְלֹ֤א הִבַּטְתֶּם֙ אֶל־עֹשֶׂ֔יהָ וְיֹצְרָ֥הּ מֵרָח֖וֹק לֹ֥א רְאִיתֶֽם׃ and you constructed a basin between the two walls for the water of the old pool.
But you gave no thought to the One who planned it,
You took no note of the One who designed it long before.
וַיִּקְרָ֗א אֲדֹנָ֧י יֱהֹוִ֛ה צְבָא֖וֹת בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא לִבְכִי֙ וּלְמִסְפֵּ֔ד וּלְקׇרְחָ֖ה וְלַחֲגֹ֥ר שָֽׂק׃ My Sovereign GOD of Hosts summoned on that day
To weeping and lamenting,
To tonsuring and girding with sackcloth.
וְהִנֵּ֣ה ׀ שָׂשׂ֣וֹן וְשִׂמְחָ֗ה הָרֹ֤ג ׀ בָּקָר֙ וְשָׁחֹ֣ט צֹ֔אן אָכֹ֥ל בָּשָׂ֖ר וְשָׁת֣וֹת יָ֑יִן אָכ֣וֹל וְשָׁת֔וֹ כִּ֥י מָחָ֖ר נָמֽוּת׃ Instead, there was rejoicing and merriment,
Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep,
Eating of meat and drinking of wine:
“Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”
וְנִגְלָ֥ה בְאׇזְנָ֖י יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת אִם־יְ֠כֻפַּ֠ר הֶעָוֺ֨ן הַזֶּ֤ה לָכֶם֙ עַד־תְּמֻת֔וּן אָמַ֛ר אֲדֹנָ֥י יֱהֹוִ֖ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃ {פ}
Then GOD of Hosts was revealed to my ears:
“This iniquity shall never be forgiven you
Until you die,” said my Sovereign GOD of Hosts.
כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֛ר אֲדֹנָ֥י יֱהֹוִ֖ה צְבָא֑וֹת לֶךְ־בֹּא֙ אֶל־הַסֹּכֵ֣ן הַזֶּ֔ה עַל־שֶׁבְנָ֖א אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־הַבָּֽיִת׃ Thus said my Sovereign GOD of Hosts: Go in to see that steward, that Shebna, in charge of the palace:
מַה־לְּךָ֥ פֹה֙ וּמִ֣י לְךָ֣ פֹ֔ה כִּֽי־חָצַ֧בְתָּ לְּךָ֛ פֹּ֖ה קָ֑בֶר חֹצְבִ֤י מָרוֹם֙ קִבְר֔וֹ חֹקְקִ֥י בַסֶּ֖לַע מִשְׁכָּ֥ן לֽוֹ׃ What have you here, and whom have you here,
That you have hewn out a tomb for yourself here?—
O you who have hewn yourlyour Heb. “his.” tomb on high;
O you who have hollowed out for yourselfmyourself Heb. “himself.” an abode in the cliff!
הִנֵּ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ מְטַלְטֶלְךָ֔ טַלְטֵלָ֖ה גָּ֑בֶר וְעֹטְךָ֖ עָטֹֽה׃ GOD is about to shake you
Severely, fellow,nSeverely, fellow Emendation yields “as a garment is shaken out.” and then wear you like a wrap.owear you like a wrap I.e., walk off with you; cf. Jer. 43.12.
צָנ֤וֹף יִצְנׇפְךָ֙ צְנֵפָ֔ה כַּדּ֕וּר אֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ רַחֲבַ֣ת יָדָ֑יִם שָׁ֣מָּה תָמ֗וּת וְשָׁ֙מָּה֙ מַרְכְּב֣וֹת כְּבוֹדֶ֔ךָ קְל֖וֹן בֵּ֥ית אֲדֹנֶֽיךָ׃ Indeed, [God] will wind you about as a headdress, a turban.pas a headdress, a turban Emendation yields “as a turban is wound about.”
Off to a broad land!
There shall you die, and there shall be the chariots bearing your body,qchariots bearing your body Emendation yields “abode [cf. v. 16] of your body [cf. 10.3, 16].”
O shame of your master’s house!
וַהֲדַפְתִּ֖יךָ מִמַּצָּבֶ֑ךָ וּמִמַּעֲמָֽדְךָ֖ יֶהֶרְסֶֽךָ׃ For I will hurl you from your station
And you shall be torn down from your stand.
וְהָיָ֖ה בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא וְקָרָ֣אתִי לְעַבְדִּ֔י לְאֶלְיָקִ֖ים בֶּן־חִלְקִיָּֽהוּ׃ And in that day, I will summon My servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah,
וְהִלְבַּשְׁתִּ֣יו כֻּתׇּנְתֶּ֗ךָ וְאַבְנֵֽטְךָ֙ אֲחַזְּקֶ֔נּוּ וּמֶֽמְשַׁלְתְּךָ֖ אֶתֵּ֣ן בְּיָד֑וֹ וְהָיָ֥ה לְאָ֛ב לְיוֹשֵׁ֥ב יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם וּלְבֵ֥ית יְהוּדָֽה׃ and I will invest him with your tunic, gird him with your sash, and deliver your authority into his hand; and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the house of Judah.
וְנָתַתִּ֛י מַפְתֵּ֥חַ בֵּית־דָּוִ֖ד עַל־שִׁכְמ֑וֹ וּפָתַח֙ וְאֵ֣ין סֹגֵ֔ר וְסָגַ֖ר וְאֵ֥ין פֹּתֵֽחַ׃ I will place the keys of David’s palace on his shoulders; and what he unlocks none may shut, and what he locks none may open.
וּתְקַעְתִּ֥יו יָתֵ֖ד בְּמָק֣וֹם נֶאֱמָ֑ן וְהָיָ֛ה לְכִסֵּ֥א כָב֖וֹד לְבֵ֥ית אָבִֽיו׃ He shall be a seat of honor to his father’srfather’s Emendation yields “master’s”; cf. v. 18 end. household. I will fix him as a peg in a firm place,
וְתָל֨וּ עָלָ֜יו כֹּ֣ל ׀ כְּב֣וֹד בֵּית־אָבִ֗יו הַצֶּֽאֱצָאִים֙ וְהַצְּפִע֔וֹת כֹּ֖ל כְּלֵ֣י הַקָּטָ֑ן מִכְּלֵי֙ הָאַגָּנ֔וֹת וְעַ֖ד כׇּל־כְּלֵ֥י הַנְּבָלִֽים׃ on which all the substance of his father’ssfather’s See note at verse 23 end. household shall be hung: the sprouts and the leavestthe sprouts and the leaves Meaning of Heb. uncertain.—all the small vessels, from bowls to all sorts of jars.
בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא נְאֻם֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת תָּמוּשׁ֙ הַיָּתֵ֔ד הַתְּקוּעָ֖ה בְּמָק֣וֹם נֶאֱמָ֑ן וְנִגְדְּעָ֣ה וְנָפְלָ֗ה וְנִכְרַת֙ הַמַּשָּׂ֣א אֲשֶׁר־עָלֶ֔יהָ כִּ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה דִּבֵּֽר׃ {פ}
uApparently continues v. 19. In that day—declares GOD of Hosts—the peg fixed in a firm place shall give way: it shall be cut down and shall fall, and the weight it supports shall be destroyed. For it is GOD who has spoken.