The Meaning of Isaiah 22:3 Explained

Isaiah 22:3

KJV: All thy rulers are fled together, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, which have fled from far.

YLT: All thy rulers fled together from the bow, Bound have been all found of thee, They have been kept bound together, Afar off they have fled.

Darby: All thy rulers have fled together, they are taken prisoners without the bow: all that are found of thee are made prisoners together; they were fleeing far off.

ASV: All thy rulers fled away together, they were bound by the archers; all that were found of thee were bound together; they fled afar off.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

All thy rulers  are fled  together,  they are bound  by the archers:  all that are found  in thee are bound  together,  [which] have fled  from far. 

What does Isaiah 22:3 Mean?

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 22:3 mean?

All your rulers have fled together by the archers they are captured who are found in you are bound together from afar they have fled
כָּל־ קְצִינַ֥יִךְ נָֽדְדוּ־ יַ֖חַד מִקֶּ֣שֶׁת אֻסָּ֑רוּ נִמְצָאַ֙יִךְ֙ אֻסְּר֣וּ יַחְדָּ֔ו מֵרָח֖וֹק בָּרָֽחוּ

קְצִינַ֥יִךְ  your  rulers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: קָצִין  
Sense: chief, ruler, commander.
נָֽדְדוּ־  have  fled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָדַד  
Sense: to retreat, flee, depart, move, wander abroad, stray, flutter.
יַ֖חַד  together 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַחַד 
Sense: union, unitedness adv.
מִקֶּ֣שֶׁת  by  the  archers 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular
Root: קֶשֶׁת  
Sense: bow.
אֻסָּ֑רוּ  they  are  captured 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אָסַר  
Sense: to tie, bind, imprison.
נִמְצָאַ֙יִךְ֙  who  are  found  in  you 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
אֻסְּר֣וּ  are  bound 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אָסַר  
Sense: to tie, bind, imprison.
יַחְדָּ֔ו  together 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַחַד 
Sense: union, unitedness adv.
מֵרָח֖וֹק  from  afar 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רָחֹוק  
Sense: remote, far, distant, distant lands, distant ones.
בָּרָֽחוּ  they  have  fled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: בָּרַח 
Sense: to go through, flee, run away, chase, drive away, put to flight, reach, shoot (extend), hurry away.