Isaiah 22 16

Isaiah 22:16 kjv

What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock?

Isaiah 22:16 nkjv

'What have you here, and whom have you here, That you have hewn a sepulcher here, As he who hews himself a sepulcher on high, Who carves a tomb for himself in a rock?

Isaiah 22:16 niv

What are you doing here and who gave you permission to cut out a grave for yourself here, hewing your grave on the height and chiseling your resting place in the rock?

Isaiah 22:16 esv

What have you to do here, and whom have you here, that you have cut out here a tomb for yourself, you who cut out a tomb on the height and carve a dwelling for yourself in the rock?

Isaiah 22:16 nlt

"Who do you think you are,
and what are you doing here,
building a beautiful tomb for yourself ?
a monument high up in the rock?

Isaiah 22 verses

Isaiah 22 16 meaning

Isaiah 22:16 expresses God's direct and severe indictment against Shebna, a prominent official in Jerusalem. It questions his very right to establish a permanent legacy within God's holy city, particularly through the extravagant act of carving a tomb for himself "on high" and hewing a secure resting place in the rock. The verse underscores Shebna's profound spiritual blindness, self-aggrandizement, and misplaced priorities amidst national crisis and divine judgment. He presumed a lasting entitlement and security through human endeavor, failing to recognize God's sovereign authority and imminent upheaval.

Isaiah 22 16 Context

Isaiah chapter 22 is a "Prophecy Concerning the Valley of Vision," which refers to Jerusalem, characterized by spiritual dullness. The chapter details God's judgment on the city, especially during a time of crisis likely involving the Assyrian invasion under Sennacherib around 701 BC, after the fall of Lachish. While Jerusalem faced grave danger, the city's inhabitants were characterized by revelry, celebration, and a misplaced sense of security (Isa 22:12-14). Amidst this national crisis and moral decay, the prophet delivers a specific oracle against Shebna, a prominent royal official, likely the palace steward or treasurer, who had abused his power for personal gain and glorification. Verse 16 specifically condemns Shebna's audacious act of constructing a magnificent, prominent tomb for himself, a symbol of his pride and presumed enduring status, even as the city itself was under existential threat and deserved humility and repentance. This action reveals his spiritual arrogance, believing himself master of his fate and deserving of an eternal place in Jerusalem, contrasting starkly with the Lord's immediate and future plans for him and the city.

Isaiah 22 16 Word analysis

• "What have you here," (mah lěkāh-p̄ōh)
  • Meaning: An emphatic rhetorical question challenging Shebna's right or stake in Jerusalem. It implies illegitimacy, absence of true inheritance, or divine sanction for his position.
  • Significance: It dismisses his claims and challenges his entire presence as belonging to the city, despite his high office.
• "and whom have you here," (ū-mī lĕḵāh-p̄ōh)
  • Meaning: Continues the rhetorical challenge, extending it to his lineage, family, or authority to act as if he possesses permanent rights in Jerusalem.
  • Significance: It suggests he has no ancestral right or true foundational connection to the land that would justify his self-monumentalizing actions. His actions are not for his forefathers or posterity in a divinely sanctioned way, but purely for himself.
• "that you have hewn a tomb for yourself here," (kī ḥatsabtāh lāḵ pōh qāver)
  • "hewn a tomb" (ḥatsabtāh qāver - חָצַבְתָּ קֶבֶר): Denotes the intensive labor of carving a sepulchre out of solid rock. This was a costly and prestigious act, signifying status and permanence. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, a grand tomb expressed hope for an enduring legacy and standing.
  • "for yourself" (lāḵ - לָךְ): Emphasizes Shebna's egocentric motivation. The action is entirely self-serving, designed for his own glory rather than public good or religious devotion.
  • "here" (pōh - פֹּה): Pinpoints the location to Jerusalem, God's holy city, making his audacity even more offensive as he claimed prominent ground for himself.
  • Significance: This act reveals ultimate pride, presuming a lasting residence in Jerusalem (which was God's possession), a desire for self-glorification, and a misguided focus on earthly permanence.
• "hewing it a resting place on high," (mĕchoqeq marom mishkan)
  • "hewing it" (mĕchoqeq - מְחֹקֵּק): From the verb to engrave or cut out. It refers to a meticulously crafted, durable structure.
  • "resting place" (mishkan - מִשְׁכָּן): This word usually denotes a dwelling or tabernacle, lending an ironic twist here as it's applied to a burial place, implying it's a permanent "dwelling" even in death.
  • "on high" (marom - מָרוֹם): Signifies an elevated, prominent location. Tombs built high on a cliff face or hill would be visible, asserting the deceased's status and pride even after death.
  • Significance: Highlights the ostentatious nature of the tomb, designed to be seen and admired, an undeniable display of personal ambition and vanity.
• "hewing it a dwelling in the rock?" (ḥoqeq bašela’ miskan)
  • "hewing it a dwelling" (ḥoqeq miskan - חֹקֵק מִשְׁכָּן): Repetition of the "hewing/dwelling" theme reinforces the deliberate, self-imposed permanence Shebna seeks.
  • "in the rock" (baśela‘ - בַּסֶּלַע): Emphasizes the secure, durable, and seemingly unassailable nature of his chosen burial place. Rock-hewn tombs offered security from desecration and promised an eternal resting place.
  • Significance: Conveys Shebna's attempt to establish an immutable, impregnable claim within God's city, contrasted with the fragile reality of his human plans and God's impending judgment that would dislodge him. This secure, permanent 'dwelling' is directly ironic to his imminent removal from office and exile.

Isaiah 22 16 Bonus section

The specific location "on high" for the tomb in Jerusalem also carries an implied challenge to God Himself. Jerusalem, the "Mountain of the Lord's House" (Isa 2:2), was the seat of God's dwelling and authority. For Shebna to build his own monument "on high" there was not merely ostentatious; it was an act of competition for visible eminence in a space uniquely consecrated to the divine. The prophecy serves as a poignant theological statement that earthly status and self-made monuments are insignificant before God's ultimate sovereignty. This indictment on Shebna then transitions immediately into the prophecy of his removal and replacement by Eliakim (Isa 22:20-23), showcasing God's active involvement in elevating and abasing leaders, reinforcing the message that true authority flows from God alone. Shebna's actions represent a leadership failure rooted in deep spiritual pride, neglecting the call for humility and dependence on God during a crisis.

Isaiah 22 16 Commentary

Isaiah 22:16 encapsulates a prophetic rebuke against human pride, self-centered ambition, and a misplaced sense of security in earthly accomplishments. Shebna, holding a position of high trust, leveraged his power to carve out a magnificent tomb for himself, not just a simple grave, but an elaborate "resting place on high" within Jerusalem. This was an act of profound hubris. It happened when Jerusalem was facing dire threat, demanding national repentance and reliance on God. Instead, Shebna flaunted his personal security and status, essentially proclaiming his enduring claim to Jerusalem, God's city, as his own.

The repeated rhetorical questions – "What have you here, and whom have you here?" – pierce through Shebna's presumptions, stripping away his perceived rights and exposing his illegitimacy. He had no true inherited right, no spiritual standing that would justify such an audacious act in God's holy city. The verb "hewn" (Hebrew ḥatsab, ḥoqeq) signifies not just building, but chiseling out with great effort and expense, symbolizing Shebna's meticulous planning for his eternal fame rather than the nation's salvation. His secure tomb "in the rock" was meant to assure permanence, but in reality, it stands as a monument to the futility of human endeavors against God's will. The irony is stark: Shebna was constructing his permanent "home" even as God was preparing to uproot and cast him away (Isa 22:18). This verse serves as a powerful reminder that all human authority, legacy, and material achievements are fleeting, and true security and permanence are found only in God.