The Meaning of Isaiah 22:6 Explained

Isaiah 22:6

KJV: And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield.

YLT: And Elam hath borne a quiver, In a chariot of men -- horsemen, And Kir hath exposed a shield.

Darby: Elam beareth the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen; and Kir uncovereth the shield.

ASV: And Elam bare the quiver, with chariots of men and horsemen; and Kir uncovered the shield.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Elam  bare  the quiver  with chariots  of men  [and] horsemen,  and Kir  uncovered  the shield. 

What does Isaiah 22:6 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The enemy would be Elam, an ally of Babylon"s to her east, and Kir, whose exact location is unknown but was the destination of some Israelites taken into Assyrian captivity (cf. 2 Kings 16:9; Amos 1:5; Amos 9:7). It was also the place (city or land) from which the Arameans originated (cf. Amos 9:7). Isaiah did not identify the main enemy, Babylon herself, but only two of her allies here, perhaps to emphasize the size (by merism) and or distance of the foe.

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 22:6 mean?

And Elam bore the quiver with chariots of men [and] horsemen and Kir uncovered the shield
וְעֵילָם֙ נָשָׂ֣א אַשְׁפָּ֔ה בְּרֶ֥כֶב אָדָ֖ם פָּֽרָשִׁ֑ים וְקִ֥יר עֵרָ֖ה מָגֵֽן

וְעֵילָם֙  And  Elam 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֵילָם 
Sense: a Korhite Levite in the time of David.
נָשָׂ֣א  bore 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
אַשְׁפָּ֔ה  the  quiver 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַשְׁפָּה  
Sense: quiver (for arrows).
בְּרֶ֥כֶב  with  chariots 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֶכֶב  
Sense: a team, chariot, chariotry, mill-stone, riders.
אָדָ֖ם  of  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
פָּֽרָשִׁ֑ים  [and]  horsemen 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: פָּרָשׁ 
Sense: horse, steed, warhorse.
וְקִ֥יר  and  Kir 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: קִיר 
Sense: a place in Mesopotamia.
עֵרָ֖ה  uncovered 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָרָה  
Sense: to be bare, be nude, uncover, leave destitute, discover, empty, raze, pour out.
מָגֵֽן  the  shield 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: מָגֵן 
Sense: shield, buckler.