The Meaning of Isaiah 22:16 Explained

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?

YLT: What -- to thee here? And who -- to thee here? That thou hast hewn out to thee here -- a sepulchre? Hewing on high his sepulchre, Graving in a rock a dwelling for himself.

Darby: What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewn thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth out his sepulchre on high, cutting out in the rock a habitation for himself?

ASV: What doest thou here? and whom has thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out here a sepulchre? hewing him out a sepulchre on high, graving a habitation for himself in the rock!

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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? 

What does Isaiah 22:16 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Isaiah"s question is almost identical to the one in Isaiah 22:1, tying Shebna"s error to that of the people of Jerusalem. He had no personal right, or a right by reason of his position, to prepare a permanent and prominent tomb for himself. A person"s tomb made a statement about his importance, and Shebna wanted to guarantee his future recognition by building himself a respectable monument in Jerusalem (cf. Haman; Esther 3:1-2). Archaeologists have found the remains of a grave hewn by one Shebna on the Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem. [1]
"In this episode (a scene which deserves to be remembered beside "Nero fiddled while Rome burned") the prime minister chooses the moment when Jerusalem"s citizens are frantically arming for a last-ditch stand against the invaders to visit the elaborate mausoleum he was preparing for himself in the royal cemetery....
"Why should he be preoccupied with dignity in death, while most people in Jerusalem were still hoping to live?" [2]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 22

1  The prophet laments the invasion of Jerusalem
8  He reproves their human wisdom and worldly joy
15  He prophesies Shebna's deprivation
20  And the substitution of Eliakim, prefiguring the kingdom of Christ

What do the individual words in Isaiah 22:16 mean?

what have you here and whom have you here that have hewn here a sepulcher [As] he who hews himself on high a sepulcher who carves in a rock a tomb for himself
מַה־ לְּךָ֥ ؟ פֹה֙ וּמִ֣י לְךָ֣ פֹ֔ה כִּֽי־ חָצַ֧בְתָּ פֹּ֖ה קָ֑בֶר חֹצְבִ֤י מָרוֹם֙ קִבְר֔וֹ חֹקְקִ֥י ؟ בַסֶּ֖לַע מִשְׁכָּ֥ן לֽוֹ

מַה־  what  have 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
؟ פֹה֙  here 
Parse: Adverb
Root: פֹּה  
Sense: here, from here, hither.
וּמִ֣י  and  whom 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
לְךָ֣  have  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
פֹ֔ה  here 
Parse: Adverb
Root: פֹּה  
Sense: here, from here, hither.
כִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
חָצַ֧בְתָּ  have  hewn 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: חָצֵב 
Sense: to dig, cleave, divide, hew, make, cut out, dig out, cut down, quarry, hewer, mason.
פֹּ֖ה  here 
Parse: Adverb
Root: פֹּה  
Sense: here, from here, hither.
קָ֑בֶר  a  sepulcher 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֶבֶר  
Sense: grave, sepulchre, tomb.
חֹצְבִ֤י  [As]  he  who  hews  himself 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: חָצֵב 
Sense: to dig, cleave, divide, hew, make, cut out, dig out, cut down, quarry, hewer, mason.
מָרוֹם֙  on  high 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָרֹום  
Sense: height.
קִבְר֔וֹ  a  sepulcher 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קֶבֶר  
Sense: grave, sepulchre, tomb.
חֹקְקִ֥י  who  carves 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: חָקַק  
Sense: to cut out, decree, inscribe, set, engrave, portray, govern.
؟ בַסֶּ֖לַע  in  a  rock 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סֶלַע  
Sense: crag, cliff, rock.
מִשְׁכָּ֥ן  a  tomb 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁכָּן  
Sense: dwelling place, tabernacle.
לֽוֹ  for  himself 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular