Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 37:22
This [is] the word which the LORD hath spoken concerning him; The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, [and] laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.
22 29. The poem on Sennacherib is in substance a Taunt-song; but in form an elegy, written in the measure characteristic of the qnh. The first two lines ( Isa 37:22) read:
She hath despised thee, hath mocked thee the virgin daughter of Zion;
Behind thee hath shaken the head the daughter of Jerusalem.
The prophet anticipates the ignominious retreat of the Assyrian king (“behind thee”), leaving Jerusalem still a “virgin” fortress. To “shake the head” is in the O.T. a gesture of contempt (Psa 22:7; Jer 18:16; Lam 2:15, &c.).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The virgin, the daughter of Zion – Jerusalem (see the note at Isa 1:8; compare the note at Isa 23:12). The parallelism in this and the following verses shows that the poetic form of speech is here introduced.
Hast despised thee – That is, it is secure from thy contemplated attack. The idea is, that Jerusalem would exult over the ineffectual attempts of Sennacherib to take it, and over his complete overthrow.
Hath laughed thee to scorn – Will make thee an object of derision.
Hath shaken her head at thee – This is an indication of contempt and scorn (compare Psa 22:7; Psa 109:25; Jer 18:16; Zep 2:15; Mat 27:39).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
22. Transition to poetry: inparallelism.
virgin . . .daughterhonorable terms. “Virgin” implies that thecity is, as yet, inviolate. “Daughter” is an abstractcollective feminine personification of the population,the child of the place denoted (see on Isa23:10; Isa 1:8). Zion andher inhabitants.
shaken . . . headinscorn (Psa 22:7; Psa 109:25;Mat 27:39). With us to shake thehead is a sign of denial or displeasure; but gestures have differentmeanings in different countries (Isa 58:9;Eze 25:6; Zep 2:15).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
This is the word which the Lord hath spoken concerning him,…. The sentence he has pronounced upon him, the punishment he has determined to inflict on him, in answer to Hezekiah’s prayer against him:
the virgin, the daughter of Zion; hath despised thee; and laughed thee to scorn; that, is the inhabitants of Zion, particularly of the fort of Zion, called a “virgin”, because it had never been forced, or taken and to show that it was a vain thing in Sennacherib to attempt it, as well as it would have been an injurious one, could he have accomplished it; since God, the Father of this virgin, would carefully keep her from such a rape; and he who was her husband to whom she was espoused as a chaste virgin, would defend and protect her; and the whole is designed to show the impotent malice of the king of Assyria; otherwise, at the time when these words were spoken, the daughter of Zion was in a fearful and trembling condition, and not in a laughing frame; but this declares what she might do now, and would do hereafter, for anything that he could do against her. The Targum paraphrases it,
“the kingdom of the congregation of Zion;”
the whole nation. Some restrain this to the inhabitants of the upper part of the city of Jerusalem, as what follows to those of the lower part:
the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee; or “after thee o”; by way of scorn and derision; that is when he fled; which shows, that though these things are spoken as if they were past, after the manner of the prophets, yet were to come, and would be when Sennacherib fled, upon the destruction of his army. Of this phrase, as expressive of scorn, see Ps 22:7. The Targum is, “the people that dwell in Jerusalem”, &c.
o “post te”, V. L. Pagninus, Montanus Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
22. The virgin daughter of Zion. There is greater emphasis in this address to the whole Church than if he had said the same tiring to Hezekiah as a private individual; for this circumstance heightens the baseness of treating with scorn the defencelessness of a wretched people, as if the aid of heaven had been of no avail. Thus he censures the blindness of Sennacherib, in disregarding God and haughtily despising an afflicted Church. Cities are frequently called daughters. (Psa 9:14.) Sometimes also, as we have formerly seen, delicate cities are called virgins. (Isa 1:8.) But here he intended to express the weakness of the city of Jerusalem, because she was like an orphan and destitute virgin, who was insulted by this base ruffian and infamous robber; while God, as the father to whom this insult is offered, declares that he knows well what are the schemes of that wicked man, and what is the condition of the whole of Judea.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(22) The virgin, the daughter of Zion.The same phrase had been used in Isa. 23:12 of Zidon. There the virgin had been oppressed, i.e., ravished by the invaders, but Zion was to escape the ravisher, and laugh his lust to scorn.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 37:22. The virgin, the daughter of Zion, &c. Well-formed cities and states, flourishing, free, and obedient to honest and legal rule, are every where in Scripture compared to virgins. By the daughter of Zion, and of Jerusalem, are meant the people, inhabitants of Zion and Jerusalem. The image is extremely fine, whereby the contempt of Sennacherib’s threats is expressed.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
shaken = wagged. Denoting derision and scorn.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
The virgin: Isa 23:12, Jer 14:17, Lam 1:15, Lam 2:13, Amo 5:2
the daughter: Isa 1:8, Isa 10:32, Isa 62:11, Psa 9:14, Zep 3:14, Zec 2:10, Zec 9:9, Mat 21:5
hath despised: Isa 8:9, Isa 8:10, 1Sa 17:36, 1Sa 17:44-47, Psa 2:2-4, Psa 27:1-3, Psa 31:18, Psa 46:1-7, Joe 3:9-12
shaken: Job 16:4, Psa 22:7, Psa 22:8, Mat 27:39
Reciprocal: Deu 33:12 – The beloved 2Ki 19:21 – The virgin Psa 44:14 – shaking Psa 48:11 – daughters Psa 52:6 – laugh Psa 53:5 – because Psa 109:25 – when they Psa 129:5 – be confounded Isa 10:24 – be not afraid Isa 47:1 – O virgin Jer 18:16 – shall be Jer 31:4 – O Lam 2:15 – wag Eze 38:7 – General Mic 1:9 – he Zep 2:10 – and magnified
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
37:22 This [is] the word which the LORD hath spoken concerning him; The {o} virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised, [and] derided thee; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.
(o) Whom God had chosen to himself as a chaste virgin, and over whom he had care to preserve her from the lusts of the tyrant, as a father would have over his daughter.