Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 22:20
And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:
20. Eliakim is called my servant as Isaiah is in ch. Isa 20:3.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
20 23. The elevation of the head of the prophetic party at court.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
My servant Eliakim – A man who will be faithful to me; who will be trustworthy, and to whom the interests of the city may be safely confided; a man who will not seek to betray it into the hands of the enemy. Of Eliakim we know nothing more than what is stated here, and in Isa. 36. From that account it appears that he was prefect of the palace; that he was employed in a negotiation with the leader of the army of the Assyrians; and that he was in all things faithful to the trust reposed in him.
The son of Hilkiah – Kimchi supposes that this was the same as Azariah the son of Hilkiah, who might have had two names, and who was a ruler over the house of God in the time of Hezekiah 1Ch 6:13.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Isa 22:20-25
My servant Eliakim
My servant Eliakim
Who was he?
Nobody can tell. Where else is he referred to in Holy Writ? Probably nowhere. Was he then a man without renown? That depends upon what you mean by renown, for he is indicated in the text by terms which imply infinite fame, Say Eliakim, and nobody knows him; say My servant Eliakim, and obscurity rises up into eminence unrivalled and never to be surpassed. (J. Parker, D. D.)
Renown, nominal and moral
Renown, then, may be nominal, or it may be moral. Nominal renown is a thing that comes and goes, a coloured cloud, a bubble on the river, a noise in the air, nothing that is substantial, nothing that is beneficent in itself; but moral renown, the renown of goodness, the fame of character, the reputation associated with deeds of sacrifice or valour–that is a renown which lives in heaven. (J. Parker, D. D.)
Eliakim and Christ
The language here used about Eliakim finds its perfect fulfilment only in Him whose supreme prerogative it is so to open that no man can shut, even Jesus Christ. (B. Blake, B. D.)
The power of the keys
(Isa 22:22) consists not merely in supervision of the royal chambers, but also in the decision as to who was and who was not to be received into the kings service. (F. Delitzsch.)
Eliakim: the nail and the throne
A nations rulers (Zec 10:4) stand in the same relation to the community as a tent peg to the tent which it holds firmly and keeps up. As the tent peg is driven into the ground in such a way that a person can, if necessary, sit on it, so by development of the metaphor the peg is changed into a seat of honour. As a splendid chair adorns a room, so Eliakim graces his hitherto undistinguished family. The closely connected thought, that the members of his family in order to attain to honours would sit on this chair, is expressed by a different figure. Eliakim is once more presented to us as a nail, now, however, as a high one, somewhat like a pole on which coats are hung up, or as a peg driven into the wall at a distance from the ground. On this pole or peg they hang–i.e., one hangs or there hangs–the whole heavy lot (as in chap. 8:7) of the family of Eliakim. The prophet proceeds to split up this family into its male and female components, as the juxtaposition of masculine and feminine nouns shows. (F. Delitzsch.)
The kingdom and government of the glorious Messiah typified by Eliakims preferment and promotion
I. ELIAKIMS CALL unto his honourable employment, whereby is represented Christs call unto His mediatory work and office (Isa 22:20). Christ did not run unsent.
II. THE BADGES OF HONOUR bestowed upon Him in consequence of His call (Isa 22:21-22).
1. He is clothed with a royal robe. So Christ is clothed (Rev 1:1-20) with a garment down to the foot, that serves to cover and adorn Himself and all His members.
2. He is strengthened with a girdle, a girdle of truth and faithfulness; He is always ready girded for the execution of His work.
3. He hath the keys of the house committed to Him, and the sole government; He opens, and none shuts, etc. The keys of the heart, and the keys of hell and death are in His hand.
III. HIS CONFIRMATION IN HIS HONOURABLE OFFICE AND STATION. He is fastened as a nail in a sure place. Christ is nailed in His mediatory work and office by an eternal decree (Psa 2:7), and by the oath of God Psa 110:4); and all the powers of hell and earth shall never loose this nail.
IV. We are here told TO WHAT ADVANTAGE HE SHOULD DISCHARGE HIS TRUST. He shall be for a glorious throne to His Fathers house. God manifested in the flesh is the throne of grace to which we are called to come with boldness; and this may well be called a glorious throne, because there is, in this dispensation of grace, the brightest display of the glory of God. Christ is the ornament of His Fathers house, the brightness of His glory, and the brightest crown that ever adorned the human nature.
V. CHRISTS PREEMINENCE IN GODS FAMILY, and the dependence of all the domestics upon Him (verse 24).
1. The designation given unto the Church of God; the house of the God and Father of Christ.
2. The nature and quality of the house; there is glory in it.
3. The high and honourable station that Christ hath in His Fathers house; He is the great Master household, and the whole family is committed to Him, and is said to hang upon Him as a nail fastened in a sure place.
4. The common consent of the whole family unto His management; they shall hang upon Him all the glory, etc.; i.e., the Father of the family, and the whole offspring of the house, concur amicably that He should have the sole management.
5. Some account of the furniture of the house, committed to the management of the great New Testament Eliakim.
(1) The glory.
(2) The offspring and issue.
(3) The vessels of small quantity, from vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons.
By which we are to understand believers, for they are the children of God, and the seed of Christ by regeneration; and likewise called vessels, because they are the recipient subjects of Divine grace, which is the wine, milk, and honey of the house. (E. Erskine.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
I will call, by my Spirit fitting him, and by my powerful providence moving Hezekiahs heart to call him.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
20. son of Hilkiahsupposed byKIMCHI to be the same asAzariah, son of Hilkiah, who perhaps had two names, and who was “overthe household” in Hezekiah’s time (1Ch6:13).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And it shall come to pass in that day,…. At the same time that Shebna was deposed from his high station:
that I will call my servant Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah; whom Kimchi thinks was the same with Azariah the son of Hilkiah, who might have two names, and was a ruler over the house of God in the times of Hezekiah, 1Ch 6:13 this man, by the character given him, was a good man, a faithful, diligent, and constant servant of the Lord, and therefore he delighted to raise him to great honour and dignity: he did not seek great things for himself, nor did he thrust himself into the office, but the Lord called him to it in his providence, and put him into it; he did, as Kimchi observes, put it into the heart of Hezekiah to appoint him governor in the room of Shebna. This man was a type of Christ; his name agrees with him which signifies, “my God will raise up”; that is, the dead by him, 1Co 6:14 and so does the character of a servant, frequently given to Christ in this book; see
Isa 42:1 nor did Christ take any office to himself, but was called unto it by his Father, Heb 5:4.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Jehovah first of all gives him the blow which makes him tremble in his post, and then pulls him completely down from this his lofty station,
(Note: has not only the metheg required by the kametz on account of the long vowel, and the metheg required by the patach on account of the following chateph patach (the latter of which also takes the place of the metheg, as the sign of a subordinate tone), but also a third metheg with the chirek, which only assists the emphatic pronunciation of the preposition, out which would not stand there at all unless the word had had a disjunctive accent (compare Isa 55:9; Psa 18:45; Hos 11:6).)
in order that another worthier man may take his place. “And it will come to pass in that day, that I call to my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and invest him with thy coat, and I throw thy sash firmly round him, and place they government in his hand; and he will become a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. And I place the key of David upon his shoulder: and when he opens, no man shuts; and when he shuts, no man opens. And I fasten him as a plug in a fast place, and he becomes the seat of honour to his father’s house. And the whole mass of his father’s house hangs upon him, the offshoots and side-shoots, every small vessel, from the vessel of the basins even to every vessel of the pitchers.” Eliakim is called the “servant of Jehovah,” as one who was already a servant of God in his heart and conduct; the official service is added for the first time here. This title of honour generally embraces both kinds of service (Isa 20:3). It is quite in accordance with oriental custom, that this transfer of the office is effected by means of investiture (compare 1Ki 19:19): c hizzek , with a double accusative, viz., that of the person and that of the official girdle, is used here according to its radical signification, in the sense of girding tightly or girding round, putting the girdle round him so as to cause the whole dress to sit firmly, without hanging loose. The word m emshalteka (thy government) shows how very closely the office forfeited by Shebna was connected with that of the king. This is also proved by the word “father,” which is applied in other cases to the king as the father of the land (Isa 9:5). The “key” signifies the power of the keys; and for this reason it is not given into Eliakim’s hand, but placed upon his shoulder (Isa 9:5). This key was properly handled by the king (Rev 3:7), and therefore by the “house-mayor” only in his stead. The power of the keys consisted not only in the supervision of the royal chambers, but also in the decision who was and who was not to be received into the king’s service. There is a resemblance, therefore, to the giving of the keys of the kingdom of heaven to Peter under the New Testament. But there the “binding” and “loosing” introduce another figure, though one similar in sense; whereas here, in the “opening” and “shutting,” the figure of the key is retained. The comparison of the institution of Eliakim in his office to the fastening of a tent-peg was all the more natural, that yathed was also used as a general designation for national rulers (Zec 10:4), who stand in the same relation to the commonwealth as a tent-peg to the tent which it holds firmly and keeps upright. As the tent-peg is rammed into the ground, so that a person could easily sit upon it, the figure is changed, and the tent-peg becomes a seat of honour. As a splendid chair is an ornament to a room, so Eliakim would be an honour to his hitherto undistinguished family. The thought that naturally suggests itself – namely, that the members of the family would sit upon this chair, for the purpose of raising themselves to honour – is expressed by a different figure. Eliakim is once more depicted as a yathed , but it is as a still higher one this time – namely, as the rod of a wardrobe, or a peg driven high up into the wall. Upon this rod or peg they hang ( thalu , i.e., one hangs, or there hangs) all the c abod of the house of Eliakim, i.e., not every one who wished to be honoured and attained to honour in this way (cf., Isa 5:13), but the whole weight of his family (as in Isa 8:7). This family is then subdivided into its separate parts, and, as we may infer from the juxtaposition of the masculine and feminine nouns, according to its male and female constituents. In (offshoots) and (“side-shoots,” from , to push out; compare , dung, with , mire) there is contained the idea of a widely ramifying and undistinguished family connection. The numerous rabble consisted of nothing but vessels of a small kind ( hakkatan ), at the best of basons ( agganoth ) like those used by the priests for the blood (Exo 24:6), or in the house for mixing wine (Son 7:3; Aram. aggono , Ar. iggane , ingan , a washing bason), but chiefly of nebalim , i.e., leather bottles or earthenware pitchers (Isa 30:14). The whole of this large but hitherto ignoble family of relations would fasten upon Eliakim, and climb through him to honour. Thus all at once the prophecy, which seemed so full of promise of Eliakim, assumes a satirical tone. We get an impression of the favouring of nephews and cousins, and cannot help asking how this could be a suitable prophecy for Shebna to hear.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
20. And it shall come to pass in that day. It is uncertain at what time Eliakim was substituted in the room of Shebna; for we shall see, in the thirty-seventh chapter, that Eliakim was steward of the king’s house when Shebna was chancellor. Whether or not any change took place during the interval cannot with certainty be affirmed; yet it is probable, as I lately hinted, that through the stratagems of this wicked man, Eliakim was afterwards driven from his office, and that Shebna, after having triumphed, was punished for his frauds which had been detected, and, having been driven or banished from Judea, fled to the Assyrians, and there received the reward of his treachery. In like manner does it frequently happen to traitors, who, when they cannot fulfill their engagements, are hated and abhorred by those whom they have deceived; for, having been bold and rash in promising, they must be discovered to be false and treacherous.
The Jews allege that at last he was torn in pieces on account of his treachery, but no history supports that statement. Leaving that matter doubtful, it is certain that he was cast out or banished, and that he ended his days in a foreign country, and not at Jerusalem. It is probable that, after his banishment, Eliakim was again placed in his room.
I will call. It is certain that all princes and magistrates are called by the Lord, even though they be wicked and ungodly; for “all authority is from God,” as Paul affirms. (Rom 13:1.) But here the Prophet speaks of a peculiar calling, by which the Lord manifests his goodness towards his people, when he appoints such persons to be his servants, that it may be known that God governs by them; and they, on the other hand, are well aware of the purpose for which they have been appointed by God, and faithfully discharge the office assigned to them. Shebna had indeed been called for a time, but it was that he might be God’s scourge; for nothing was farther from his thoughts than to obey God. Eliakim was a different kind of person; for he acknowledged himself to be a servant of God, and obeyed the holy calling.
I will call, means, therefore, “I will give a sign to my servant, that he may know that it is I who have raised him to that honorable rank.” There is in this case a peculiar relation between the master and the servant, which does not apply to ungodly men when they obey their own inclination and wicked passions; but this man acknowledged the Lord and sincerely obeyed him. Lastly, this mark distinguishes the true servant of God from a wicked and hypocritical person, who had risen to honor by wicked practices.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(20) Eliakim the son of Hilkiah.Nothing is known of Eliakims previous history, but the epithet, my servant, bears witness to his faith and goodness; and we may well believe him to have been in heart, if not openly, one of Isaiahs disciples. He was apparently, at the time, in some subordinate office.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
20-23. I will call my servant A very different character enters Shebna’s place in the person of Eliakim, a native Jew, because his father’s name is given, which was not done in the other case. He is invested with the robe badge of authority; and the girdle in which was the purse, and from which the sword was suspended; also the key hung over the shoulder denoting civil authority next to the king himself. Isa 9:6. In his administration he is truly father to all the people.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Eliakim the Nepotist ( Isa 22:20-25 ).
This is the second failing First Minister. In some way Eliakim’s case is sadder than that of Shebna. His life and service was so promising, but it was ruined by nepotism. He was a good man, with a fault that he left undealt with, and the fault was too great and brought him down. Each of us has some fault like that at some time, and it can make or break us depending on whether we deal with it or not.
Isa 22:20-21
‘And it will come about in that day that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and I will clothe him with your robe, and strengthen him with your girdle, and I will commit your authority into his hand. And he will be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.’
God will raise up another to replace Shebna (compare Isa 36:3; Isa 37:2). He will be given Shebna’s ‘uniform’ and insignias. The robe and the girdle often indicated the importance of the wearer. And he will be given total authority over the royal house, just as Shebna had been. The difference is that he will be a true father to God’s people, guiding, directing, advising, passing judgments, and he will have wide influence.
‘My servant.’ An honourable title given to very few throughout history. When he fell he would fall from a very honoured status.
Isa 22:22
‘And I will lay on his shoulder the key of the house of David, and he will open and none shall shut, and he will shut, and none shall open.’
The key was the symbol of authority showing whom he represented. He could allow men into the king’s presence, or otherwise. And he had supreme control over royal affairs. He could confirm legislation and make royal appointments. He could act in the king’s name. He was greatly privileged. Compare Mat 16:19; Rev 3:7.
Isa 22:23-24
‘And I will fasten him as a peg in a sure place, and he will be for a throne of glory to his father’s house, and they will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, every small vessel, from the vessels of cups even to all the vessels of flagons.’
He was to be fastened like a peg in a sure place, strong, firmly established and able to bear all who would put weight on his shoulders, a strong and capable first minister. But then, alas, his father’s house will see him as a stepping stone for their ambitions, and he will concur. They will see him as their throne of glory, their means of advancement. And there will be hung on him by his family all from the highest to the lowest. All will seek high positions because of their relationship to him. How quickly can good men let themselves down when they do not look only to the Lord.
Isa 22:25
‘In that day, says Yahweh of hosts, the nail that was fastened in a sure place will give way, and it will be hewn down, and fall, and the burden that was on it will be cut off, for Yahweh has spoken it.’
The introduction of his family into the different positions of authority will be too much for the nation, and for God. One powerful family in control could only lead to total injustice and jealousy, and divisions within society, especially as they began to arrange things for their own welfare and to prevent the rise of others. Thus both he and they will be removed from office, and his fall will be sudden, he will be ‘hewn down’. The rivalry of other families would ensure that. So what began as a promising career will be wrecked by nepotism. It is a warning that the man in authority must never have favourites. His appointments must always be on the basis of who will most satisfactorily fill important positions.
We should note that these attitudes and the behaviour of these men was seen as important enough to be placed among Isaiah’s burdens, and to result in the men’s downfall. It was declared of these two men that in one case it was the result of a huge sense of his own importance and in the other the result of showing of excessive favouritism, that led to their demise. Both were acting in the name of Yahweh and usurped the place of God by their behaviour. Thus both had to be dealt with. They were symptomatic of what was wrong with Judah and Jerusalem.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The Prophet gives, in these verses, a very pleasing account of the character of Eliakim, and of the Lord’s approbation of him. I confess myself inclined to drop all considerations of the servant, to look at the master; for very certain it is, a greater than Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, is here typically represented. I venture to set this down as a fixed and certain thing, because the Lord Jesus himself, when making himself known to his servant John and sending him to communicate what he saw and heard to the churches, declared who he was by this very insignalia, of the key of David, Rev 3:7 . And, Reader! do observe how the outlines of the Redeemer’s office-character, are sketched in those of Eliakim. I will call my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah. And who was it that called the Lord Jesus to the service of redemption, and placed him as lord-treasurer over his house? The Holy Ghost expressly tells the church, that Christ glorified not himself to be made an high-priest, but was called of God, as was Aaron, Heb 5:4-5 . See Isa 42:1-6 ; Mat 17:5 . And if Eliakim was invested with the robe, and the girdle, and all the government put into his hand, so as to be made a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the house of David; if Eliakim had power to open and shut; and shut, that none should open; if Eliakim was fastened as a nail in a sure place, and became a glorious throne to his father’s house, so that all glory should rest upon him; can we refrain a moment, from having our very souls led, instinctively as it were, to all precious, all-glorious Jesus; whose robe of salvation is the everlasting clothing and glory of his redeemed; and whose girdle the faithfulness of the whole covenant, for his people to lay hold of, and hang by in time, and to all eternity? Who but Jesus hath indeed the key of the house of David? Who can open, if he shuts, or who can shut if he opens? Eliakim had but the doors of entrance or exclusion in the palace, or the church, to command; but our Eliakim, the Son of God, hath the key of all hearts, the key of his word, the keys of heaven, death, hell, and the grave. Precious consideration to the believer, and not to be parted with for a thousand worlds. He is a nail indeed, and in a sure place: for on him, Jehovah, our God and Father, hath fastened all the persons, mercies, appointments, blessings temporal, spiritual, and eternal, of his church and people, from all eternity. And on the earthly Eliakim the whole was but hung; it was not his own; neither could he long keep it; for himself and all his appendages had but a day of duration. But with the Eliakim came down from heaven, all the glory which was put upon him, was his own before. For as the Son of God, being one with God, everything which constitutes the Godhead was his, essentially so, in common with the Father and the Holy Ghost: and as God-man Mediator, all power and glory was and is his, both by purchase and by gift, and must be so forever. Surely then, are his people, all his redeemed, will joyfully, and with the most lively acknowledgments of love and praise from the lowest vessel of mercy, to the highest flaggons of servants, who minister before him, hang upon Jesus all the trophies of redemption; crying out with the church, both above and below, worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive honour, and glory, and power, and majesty; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood! Rev 5:9 . And as the chapter closeth, when in that day, the nail fastened in a sure place shall be removed, cut down, and fall; and the burden also upon it, fall together with it; oh! what blessedness is discoverable, in this sweet relation also. For who doth not see in this prophecy, all the great leading characters of redemption by Jesus? He who another prophet saith, was to be anointed as the most Holy, and to be cut off, but not for himself, when finishing sin and transgression? Dan 9:24-25 . Precious Lord Jesus! thou didst bear the sins of thy people in thine own body, on the tree; and when thou wert cut off, and hadst made thy grave with the wicked, and with the rich in thy death; then was that blessed promise to be fulfilled; to see of the travail of thy soul, and be satisfied; and as thy Father’s servant, to justify many in having borne their iniquities! Isa 53:9-12 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 22:20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:
Ver. 20. I will call my servant Eliakim. ] Such as honour God shall surely be honoured. He will call them to it, who else would choose to live and die in their self-contented secrecy, like as the sweet violet grows low to the ground, hangs the bead downward, and besides, hides itself with its own leaves.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
in that day: i.e. in the day when this prophecy will be fulfilled. Compare Isa 22:25.
Eliakim = Whom God sets up. Hezekiah’s minister. Probably superseded by Shebna in the evil days of Manasseh. See Isa 36:3, Isa 36:22; Isa 37:2.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Isa 22:20-25
Isa 22:20-25
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah; and I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand; and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; and he shall open, and none shall shut, and he shall shut, and none shall open. And I shall fasten him as a nail in a safe place; and he shall be for a throne of glory to his father’s house. And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, every small vessel, from the cups even to all the flagons. In that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, shall the nail that was fastened in a sure place give way, and it shall be hewn down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off; for Jehovah hath spoken it.”
We cannot resist the conclusion that far more is meant by these verses than the mere replacement of a corrupt and ineffective official by a faithful successor. As hinted at by Archer, Eliakim is a type of the “righteous remnant” who indeed were the glory of Judah, the heir of all the sacred promises to Abraham and who did indeed totally replace the great secular majority of Israel who correspond to Shebna. The ultimate fall of Eliakim is a reference to the rejection of the Messiah. This was indeed the “fall” of the righteous remnant in the racial sense. “It was hewn down” is far too strong as a reference to the fall of one man. This foretells the destruction of secular Israel by the armies of Vespasian and Titus in 70A.D.
The reference here to the “key of David” is of special interest. Many have pointed out that “opening and shutting” represent the making of decisions that no one but the king could change. Here is the background of Jesus’ teaching in Mat 16:19, “Suggesting that Jesus was appointing Peter to be steward over the household of God in the messianic kingdom.” While true enough as far as it goes, this statement is fundamentally altered to extend the ownership of the key of David to all of the apostles of Christ (Mat 18:18), and by no means restricting it merely to Peter. Besides that, “The ultimate authority is claimed in these very terms for Christ himself (Rev 3:7-8).”
This reference to the key of David is all but proof of the proposition that there are indeed in this half of the chapter overtones of the messianic kingdom and the rejection of racial Israel as the chosen race.
How futile and pitiful are the plans of sinful men. Shebna was concerned about building himself an impressive tomb, high on a cliff; but he did not know that he would go into slavery under a foreign invader, suffer a shameful death, and have no impressive tomb whatever, if indeed, he had any at all. Jamieson has given us this sad comment on the death of Shebna:
“The mention of “thy magnificent chariots” does not mean that Shebna would have these in a foreign land, but that he would be borne thither in ignominy instead of in his magnificent chariots. The Jews say that he was tied to the tails of horses by the enemy, to whom he had designed to betray Jerusalem, as they thought he was mocking them; and so he died.”
Isa 22:20-25 REPLACEMENT: We also learn from Isa 36:3; Isa 36:22, etc. that Eliakim, son of Hilkiah, had become over the household. Eliakim was chosen by God to replace Shebna as chief of staff to the king. Eliakim was Gods servant and a father to the people. He evidently fulfilled in a humble manner what the office was intended to fulfill. He was given an authority so graphically described as could be second only to that of the king himself. He was apparently a good administrator and a peg upon which much weight and responsibility of government was fastened. He was evidently trustworthy and stable.
Isa 22:24-25 appear to indicate that within a very short time Eliakim, the peg was hewn down. It is not necessary, however, to read these verses as having already happened. They may be read as conditional clauses (a construction that the Hebrew syntax very definitely allows) and then they become warnings for Eliakim concerning a danger that he will soon face in his new office. His relatives and friends shall swarm in upon him seeking special favors and patronage. If he yields to nepotism and partiality, his office will crash down upon his head to the ruin of all those that sought to attach themselves to him, as well as to his own ruin.
So, in spite of the fact that most of the people of Jerusalem and Judah were irreverently and insolently plunging headstrong in their own directions and violently using the kingdom of God to serve their own selfish ends, there were a few, like Eliakim, Hezekiah, Isaiah, and others, who hearkened to the call of Jehovah. While the majority demanded to be served, a faithful remnant surrendered to serve. None of them were perfect and sinless (e.g. Hezekiah, Isaiah). They were faithful. There is more joy in heaven over one sinner like Hezekiah and Isaiah who repents, than over ninety-nine who need no repentance.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Eliakim: Isa 36:3, Isa 36:11, Isa 36:22, Isa 37:2, 2Ki 18:18, 2Ki 18:37
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Isa 22:20-22. I will call my servant Eliakim By my Spirit fitting him for the work, and moving the heart of Hezekiah to call him to it. And I will clothe him with, thy robe, &c. There was a peculiar sort of robe and girdle, which was the badge of his office, which should be taken from him and given to Eliakim. And he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem He shall not only have the authority of a father, which thou now hast, but he shall govern them with fatherly care and affection. And the key, &c. As the robe and the girdle or baldric, mentioned in the preceding verse, were the ensigns of power and authority, so likewise was the key; being a significant emblem of the power of opening and shutting, of binding and loosing, of letting inferiors into an office, or putting them out of it; whence the delivering of the keys of a house or city into a persons hands signifies the giving him the power and possession of it, or the confirming to him such a grant. To comprehend, says Bishop Lowth, how the key could be borne on the shoulder, it will be necessary to observe, that one sort of keys, used by the ancients, was of considerable magnitude, and, as to the shape, very much bent and crooked. Homer (Odyss., 21:6) describes the key of Ulyssess storehouse as , a large curvature, which Eustathius explains by saying it was , in shape like a reap-hook. Huetius says, the constellation Cassiopeia answers to this description; the stars to the north making the curve part, that is, the principal part of the key; the southern stars the handle. The curve part was introduced into the key-hole, and, being properly directed by the handle, took hold of the bolts within, and moved them from their places. We may easily collect from this account, that such a key would lie very well upon the shoulder; that it must be of some considerable size and weight, and could hardly be commodiously carried otherwise. In allusion to the key as the ensign of power, the unlimited extent of that power is expressed here with great clearness as well as force by the sole and exclusive authority to open and to shut. Our Saviour, therefore, has, upon a similar occasion, made use of a like manner of expression, Mat 16:19; and in Rev 3:7 has applied to himself the very words of the prophet.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
22:20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will {u} call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:
(u) To be steward again, out of which office he had been put, by the craft of Shebna.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The Lord also predicted that He would appoint Eliakim to a special position of authority, complete with the symbols of that authority, to replace proud Shebna. In chapters 36-37 Shebna and Eliakim appear as officials who were both serving King Hezekiah when Sennacherib invaded Jerusalem (701 B.C.). Thus Shebna’s humiliation and Eliakim’s exaltation apparently occurred sometime after that. Eliakim would become a father to the people of Jerusalem in that he would care for them sacrificially at God’s appointed time.
"Shebna had been riding ostentatiously in his chariots and building a splendid grave for himself, seeking in all this the praise of men. How much better to have God’s smile of approval and to be described, in a simple but eloquent phrase, as ’my servant’ (Isa 22:20; cf. Isa 20:3; Isa 42:1; Isa 52:13)." [Note: Grogan, p. 143.]
"When God designates a man my servant, He attributes high honor to that man; He asserts that that man is one who will serve Him." [Note: Young, 2, 113.]