Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 22:10
And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall.
10. And ye have numbered the houses ] And ye numbered, apparently to see which could best be spared for the purpose specified in the next clause, “to fortify the wall,” cf. Jer 33:4.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem – That is, you have taken an estimate of their number so as to ascertain how many can be spared to be pulled down to repair the walls; or you have made an estimate of the amount of materials for repairing the walls, which would be furnished by pulling down the houses in Jerusalem.
To fortify the wall – The houses in Jerusalem were built of stone, and therefore they would furnish appropriate materials for repairing the walls of the city. In 2Ch 32:5, it is said that Hezekiah not only repaired the broken walls of the city on the approach of Sennacherib, but raised up the towers, and another wall without, and repaired Millo in the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem; that they might exactly know their own strength, and the number of their people, and so lay the burdens more equally upon them, and make sufficient provisions for them.
The houses which stood upon or without the walls of their city, and so gave their enemies any advantage against them, and hindered the searching or fortifying the walls and city.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
10. numberedrather, “yeshall number,” namely, in order to see which of them may bepulled down with the least loss to the city, and with most advantagefor the repair of the walls and rearing of towers (2Ch32:5).
have ye broken downrather,”ye shall break down.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem,…. To know what number of men were in them, and how many could be spared to do duty, either as watchmen or soldiers; or to know how to levy the tax, and what money they would be able to raise, to defray the charge of the defence of the city; or to see what provisions they had, and so make a computation how long they could hold out the siege; or else to observe what houses might be annoyed by the enemy, and what stood in the way of the repair of the walls, or were proper to pull down, that with the stones and timber of them they might make up the breaches of the wall, and that the stronger, as follows:
and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall; either such as were without the wall, which, had they let them stand, would either have been destroyed by the enemy, or have been a harbour for them; or those upon it, and near it within, which stood in the way of the repair, and were easily beat down by the enemy; or might be a means of communication between them and such as were inclined to be treacherous; with the stones and timber of which houses, when broken down, they strengthened the wall, and so served a better purpose than if they had stood.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
10. And you numbered the houses of Jerusalem. He means that the city was closely examined on all sides, that there might not be a house or building which was not defended. Others think that the houses were numbered, that they might have a supply of watchmen. But the former interpretation is preferable, and is confirmed by what the Prophet afterwards adds, that the houses were thrown down for the purpose of rebuilding the walls of the city. This is commonly neglected in the time of peace, and the houses of private individuals are often built on the very walls, and, on that account, must be thrown down in the time of war, to supply the means of fighting and of repelling the enemy, and also lest, by means of houses so near the wall, secret communications with the enemy should be maintained.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(10) Ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem.The preparations for defence are continued. The houses were numbered that some might be pulled down and others left, as strategical plans might determine. (Comp. 2Ch. 32:5.) So in what was probably a contemporary psalm we have, Walk about Zion . . . tell the towers thereof . . . mark ye well her bulwarks (Psa. 48:12). So in the later siege of Jerusalem houses were thrown down by (or, more accurately, on account of) the mounds that were employed by the besiegers (Jer. 33:4).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 22:10 And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall.
Ver. 10. And ye have numbered. ] This they did not till now, that they might make the city more defensible, and the better keep out the enemy. General Vere told the King of Denmark, that kings cared not for soldiers and warlike preparations until such times as their crowns hang on the one side of their head.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Reciprocal: Deu 32:18 – forgotten 2Ch 11:11 – he fortified 2Ch 32:5 – he strengthened Eze 21:20 – the defenced
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
22:10 And ye have numbered the houses {m} of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall.
(m) Either to pull down such as might hurt, or else to know what men they were able to make.