Isaiah 22 10

Isaiah 22:10 kjv

And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall.

Isaiah 22:10 nkjv

You numbered the houses of Jerusalem, And the houses you broke down To fortify the wall.

Isaiah 22:10 niv

You counted the buildings in Jerusalem and tore down houses to strengthen the wall.

Isaiah 22:10 esv

and you counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall.

Isaiah 22:10 nlt

You survey the houses and tear some down
for stone to strengthen the walls.

Isaiah 22 verses

Isaiah 22 10 Meaning

The verse describes a deliberate destruction of Jerusalem's defenses and the sealing off of the city's access points. This action is presented as a measure to prevent the enemy from entering, but it carries a deeper prophetic meaning of judgment and separation. The "pool" and "covered cistern" represent vital resources being intentionally damaged or rendered inaccessible. The removal of "armour" signifies a discarding of defenses and a surrender of preparedness, ultimately leading to vulnerability.

Isaiah 22 10 Context

Chapter 22 of Isaiah addresses the impending judgment on Jerusalem and its people, particularly focusing on the administrative and military leadership. The preceding verses (Isaiah 22:1-7) describe a scene of celebration and carousal amidst an imminent enemy threat, highlighting the people's complacency and dependence on outward fortifications rather than God. The prophet condemns their feasting and disregard for the approaching danger, indicating a profound spiritual decay. Verse 10 specifically details actions taken within Jerusalem that, while seemingly defensive, signify a deeper, internally driven act of self-deception and a turning away from reliance on the Lord. This takes place during a time when Judah, and specifically Jerusalem, is under threat from powerful empires, primarily Assyria (in the historical context of Isaiah's ministry) and later Babylon.

Isaiah 22 10 Word Analysis

• "and": Connects clauses, indicating continuation or addition.
• "you": Refers to the leadership and people of Jerusalem.
• "counted": Assessed, numbered, or took stock of. Implies a deliberate process of decision-making.
• "the": Definite article.
• "houses": Refers to the palaces or residences of the leaders and potentially the houses of prominent citizens.
• "of": Possessive.
• "God": Elohim (אֱלֹהִים - Elohim), indicating God in His power and creative might.
• "you": Again, referring to the decision-makers.
• "made": Accomplished, built, or fortified.
• "your": Possessive, belonging to the people of Jerusalem.
• "armoury": A place for storing arms and armor. A repository of military strength.
  • Hebrew: Mippinrayhem (מִמִּפְנַי). This word has a root connection to turning or a corner, suggesting fortifications or ramparts, but in the context of "houses of God," it likely means treasury or armory of the temple/city.
• "to": Indicates direction or purpose.
• "be": Exists, or state of being.
• "a": Indefinite article.
• "defense": A protection, a bulwark, or a guard.
• "against": In opposition to, or facing towards.
• "the": Definite article.
• "water": May refer to literal water reservoirs, but prophetically could also signify vital spiritual sustenance or God's protective favor.
• "of": Possessive.
• "the": Definite article.
• "old": Ancient, original.
• "pool": A reservoir or cistern.
  • Hebrew: Bir (בִּיר - bir). Literally a cistern or well, a place where water is collected and stored.
• "and": Connects clauses.
• "you": Refers to the leadership/people.
• "looked": Regarded, paid attention to, or relied upon.
• "to": Direction.
• "Him": Refers to God.
• "who": Relative pronoun.
• "made": Formed, created, fashioned.
• "it": Refers to the pool/cistern.
• "or": Alternative.
• "considered": Thought about, remembered, or gave due regard.
• "Him": Refers to God.
• "who": Relative pronoun.
• "formed": Fashioned, planned, or brought into being.
• "it": Refers to the pool/cistern.
• "long": For a long time, in ancient times.
• "ago": In the past.

Words-group by words-group Analysis

• "made your armoury to be a defense against the old pool": This is a highly symbolic phrase. It suggests that the perceived defenses and safeguards of Jerusalem were repurposed or misused. Instead of protecting the people or being a source of strength, their "armoury" (their military readiness, their strength) was directed in such a way that it became a "defense against the old pool." The "old pool" likely signifies something established by God, a source of life or provision, or perhaps even the integrity of the city's structure or faith. By turning their strength against it, they were essentially undermining their own foundations and cutting themselves off from a source of past provision or God's intended defense.
• "you did not look to Him who made it, or consider Him who formed it long ago": This phrase points to a profound spiritual failure. The people, and especially their leaders, failed to acknowledge God as the ultimate source of their strength, their city, and their security. They took credit for their defenses and preparations, neglecting the One who had provided them, sustained them, and established their city and its resources (like the "old pool") from antiquity. This neglect of God and His established ways reveals a heart turned to human effort and self-reliance.

Isaiah 22 10 Bonus Section

The "old pool" can be understood as referring to the established sources of water in Jerusalem, such as the Siloam pool, which Hezekiah notably reinforced by building a tunnel to bring its water inside the city walls to prepare for the Assyrian siege (2 Kings 20:20; 2 Chron 32:30). However, Isaiah 22:11 expands on this by mentioning Hezekiah also making "a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool." The criticism in verse 11 is directed at the lack of looking to God regarding these preparations, not the preparations themselves necessarily. Verse 10's focus on turning the armor against the pool implies a perversion or misapplication of strength, possibly indicating that in their panic or arrogance, they disrupted existing vital resources, perhaps out of fear, or directed defensive energies in a way that would compromise these provisions. It paints a picture of leaders acting presumptuously, trying to out-engineer God, leading to internal sabotage rather than external defense. The destruction of spiritual and physical defenses is a recurrent theme in Isaiah, underscoring the necessity of divine trust.

Isaiah 22 10 Commentary

Isaiah 22:10 illustrates the devastating consequences of misplaced trust and spiritual apostasy. The leaders of Judah, faced with threats, implemented physical measures ("made your armoury to be a defense against the old pool"). This action, however, was not rooted in faith but in a failure to acknowledge God as the ultimate architect and sustainer. They saw their military might ("armoury") as their defense, but tragically, they turned this might against their own life-sustaining resources or divine provision ("the old pool"). This implies a rejection of God's ordered ways and a reliance on their own strategies, which ultimately proves self-destructive.

The verse critically highlights the people's spiritual blindness: "you did not look to Him who made it, or consider Him who formed it long ago." This refusal to acknowledge God's sovereign hand in providing the very resources they sought to protect reveals a profound lack of dependence and gratitude. They engineered their own "defense" without consulting the Divine Engineer. This is a stark warning against relying on human wisdom and strength when God's guidance and power are readily available. The people are shown to be dismantling their own safeguards by turning their efforts away from Him who originally established and preserved them. This disconnect from the divine source renders their physical preparations futile and even counterproductive, setting them up for inevitable disaster and exile.