Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 22:9
Ye have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many: and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool.
9. The first half reads Ye saw (i.e. examined) the breaches of the city of David (the citadel of Zion, 2Sa 5:7; 2Sa 5:9) for they were many. Jerusalem was evidently quite unfit to stand a siege. The water supply was still defective, as it had been 34 years before (see ch. Isa 7:3). The lower pool is not elsewhere mentioned, although its existence is implied by ch. Isa 7:3. It was obviously within the walls, and probably lay near the mouth of the Tyropon Valley.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Ye have seen also the breaches – You who are inhabitants of the city. That such breaches were actually made, see 2Ch 32:5.
Of the city of David – Of Jerusalem, so called because it was the royal residence of David. Zion was usually called the city of David, but the name was given also to the entire city.
And ye gathered together … – That is, Hezekiah and the people of the city collected those waters.
Of the lower pool – (For a description of the upper and lower pool, see the notes at Isa 7:3). The superfluous waters of the lower pool usually flowed into the valley of Hinnom, and thence, into the valley of Jehoshaphat, mingling with the waters of the brook Kedron. It would seem from the passage here that those waters were not usually retained for the use of the city, though it was possible to retain them in case of a drought or a siege. At present, the lower pool is without the walls, but Hezekiah appears to have extended a temporary wall around it so as to enclose it (see the note at Isa 22:11). This he did, probably for two purposes;
(1) to cut off the Assyrians from the supply of water; and
(2) to retain all the water in the city to supply the inhabitants during the siege; see 2Ch 32:4, where it is expressly declared that Hezekiah took this measure to distress the Assyrians.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 9. Ye gathered together the waters – “And ye shall collect the waters”] There were two pools in or near Jerusalem, supplied by springs: the upper pool, or the old pool, supplied by the spring called Gihon, 2Ch 32:30, towards the higher part of the city, near Sion, or the city of David, and the lower pool, probably supplied by Siloam, towards the lower part. When Hezekiah was threatened with a siege by Sennacherib, he stopped up all the waters of the fountains without the city; and brought them into the city by a conduit, or subterranean passage cut through the rock; those of the old pool, to the place where he had a double wall, so that the pool was between the two walls. This he did in order to distress the enemy, and to supply the city during the siege. This was so great a work that not only the historians have made particular mention of it, 2Kg 20:20; 2Ch 32:2-3; 2Ch 32:5; 2Ch 32:30; but the son of Sirach also has celebrated it in his encomium on Hezekiah. “Hezekiah fortified his city, and brought in water into the midst thereof: he digged the hard rock with iron, and made wells for water,” Ecclus. xlviii.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Ye have seen, i.e. observed or considered, as this word is used, Exo 32:9, and elsewhere, in order to the reparation of them, and to fortify the city, as the next words manifest.
Ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool, that you might both deprive the enemy of water, and supply the city with it; of which see on 2Ch 32:4,5.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9. Ye have seenrather, “Yeshall see.”
city of Davidthe uppercity, on Zion, the south side of Jerusalem (2Sa 5:7;2Sa 5:9; 1Ki 8:1);surrounded by a wall of its own; but even in it there shall be”breaches.” Hezekiah’s preparations for defense accord withthis (2Ch 32:5).
ye gatheredrather, “yeshall gather.”
lower pool(See on Isa22:11). Ye shall bring together into the city by subterraneanpassages cut in the rock of Zion, the fountain from which the lowerpool (only mentioned here) is supplied. See on Isa7:3; 2Ki 20:20; 2Ch 32:3-5,represent Hezekiah as having stopped the fountains to preventthe Assyrians getting water. But this is consistent with the passagehere. The superfluous waters of the lower pool usually flowed intoHinnom valley, and so through that of Jehoshaphat to the brookKedron. Hezekiah built a wall round it, stopped the outflowingof its waters to debar the foe from the use of them, and turned theminto the city.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Ye have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many,…. Not Jerusalem in general, but that part of it which was called the stronghold of Zion, and in particular had the name of the city of David, 2Sa 5:7 the fortifications of which, in times of peace, had gone to decay; and which they had seen before, but took no notice of, being in safety; but now besieged, and in great danger, they looked upon them in good earnest, in order to repair them, and secure themselves from the irruption of the enemy; for this is not to be understood of breaches now made by the Assyrian army, but of old ones, which had lain neglected; see 2Ch 32:5:
and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool: not to make mortar with, to be used in repairing the breaches, as Kimchi; but either that they might be as a wall round about the place, as Aben Ezra; or rather to deprive the enemy of them, and cut off all communications from him, and to supply the inhabitants of the city with them; see 2Ch 32:3. The Septuagint version is, “and he turned the water of the old pool into the city”: but the old pool was another pool hereafter mentioned, and was without the city, the same with the upper pool; whereas this was the lower, and was in the city. The Targum is,
“and ye gathered the people to the waters of the lower pool.”
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
9. And you have seen the breaches. He proceeds with his narrative, for during prosperity and peace no one cares about bulwarks or instruments of war. It is necessity alone that arouses men and makes them active; peace and quietness make us indolent and cowardly. So long as they thought that they were far from danger, they disregarded the breaches of the wall; but when a report of war arose, they began to be anxious about them, and to make arrangements for preventing the entrance of the enemy.
Of the city of David. By “the city of David,” he means the interior part of the city; for, like many other cities which we see, the city was divided into two parts. The whole of Jerusalem was surrounded by walls and ramparts; but the interior part was more strongly fortified, and was called “the city of David.” The Temple was afterwards fortified, in consequence of which the city might be said to consist of three parts. Isaiah means that the Jews had nearly despaired as to the safety of the whole city, when they withdrew to the inmost and best fortified part of it; and indeed it is evident from sacred history, that everything was in a desperate condition. Hence also we may infer, that the prophecies were not collected in a regular order, and that those who drew them up in one volume paid no attention to the arrangement of dates.
The waters of the lower pool. He adds, that water was collected for necessary purposes, that the besieged might not be in want of it, and that the pool served for cisterns.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(9) Ye have seen also the breaches . . .The prophet paints the hasty preparations for defence. So in 2Ch. 32:5 : Hezekiah built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and added an outer line of defence. The city of David is, of course, the fortress of Zion.
The waters of the lower pool.This was the Lower Gihon, now the Birket-es-Sultan. The operation is described more fully in 2Ch. 32:3-4. Its object was to stop the outflow of the streams, and gather them into a reservoir, partly, of course, for the supply of the inhabitants during the siege, but still more that the Assyrian armies might find little or no water in the immediate neighbourhood of the city. Sargon, in his inscriptions, describes like preparations at Ashdod (Smith, Assyr. Discov., p. 291).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 22:9 Ye have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many: and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool.
Ver. 9. Ye have seen also and ye gathered together, &c.] This they did when in distress, to prevent the enemy and provide for their own safety; and this they might well have done, had not God been neglected; this of all things he can least endure. “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psa 9:17 ; see Isa 30:1 ).
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
have seen = beheld.
the lower pool. The pool of Siloam. Compare Isa 7:3; 2Ch 32:30. The old pool. See notes on 2Ch 32:3, 2Ch 32:30, and App-68.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
2Ki 20:20, 2Ch 32:1-6, 2Ch 32:30
Reciprocal: 1Ki 11:27 – the breaches 2Ki 18:17 – the conduit of the upper pool 2Ch 32:5 – he strengthened Isa 36:2 – the conduit Nah 3:14 – Draw Joh 5:2 – pool
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
22:9 Ye have seen also {l} the breaches of the city of David, that they are many: and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool.
(l) You forfeited the ruinous places which were neglected in times of peace: meaning, the whole City, and the City of David, which was within the compass of the other.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The people would try many forms of defense, but all would fail because they did not depend on the Lord who had made the city what it had become. Strong walls and adequate water would be their hope rather than their God. Hezekiah’s strengthening Jerusalem’s walls and securing her water source were not wrong in themselves. The people’s reliance on these physical securities was their sin.
"Walled cities usually had two walls with a space between, allowing defenders the open space needed to overcome attackers who had penetrated the outer wall. In peace-time that space tended to be built up by squatters with temporary shacks which soon became permanent dwellings. The government apparently took two steps to meet this problem. The houses were demolished to regain the open space between the walls and parts of it were flooded with water from the old pool. This latter created a flooded moat and also ensured water reserves for the besieged city." [Note: Watts, p. 284. This writer provided a diagram of Hezekiah’s pools and waterworks, and an excursus on the same, on pp. 282-84.]
"If it is true that God is the Sovereign of the universe, then our first task in a moment of crisis is to be sure that all is clear between him and ourselves. Then other preparations, if necessary, can follow." [Note: Oswalt, p. 412.]