Isaiah 22:16

16 What are you doing here and who gave you permission to cut out a grave for yourself here, hewing your grave on the height and chiseling your resting place in the rock?

Isaiah 22:16 in Other Translations

KJV
16 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?
ESV
16 What have you to do here, and whom have you here, that you have cut out here a tomb for yourself, you who cut out a tomb on the height and carve a dwelling for yourself in the rock?
NLT
16 “Who do you think you are, and what are you doing here, building a beautiful tomb for yourself— a monument high up in the rock?
MSG
16 What's going on here? You're an outsider here and yet you act like you own the place, make a big, fancy tomb for yourself where everyone can see it, making sure everyone will think you're important.
CSB
16 What are you doing here? Who authorized you to carve out a tomb for yourself here, carving your tomb on the height and cutting a crypt for yourself out of rock?

Isaiah 22:16 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 22:16

What hast thou here?
&c.] In the king's house, or in Jerusalem; what business hast thou here? thou art unworthy of such an office, nor shalt thou long continue in it; what inheritance hast thou here? thou art an alien from the commonwealth of Israel and hast no estate or possession in the land: and whom hast thou here?
of thy family and kindred; what ancestors hast thou? where did they live or die, and were buried? what children hast thou to succeed thee in honour and estate? or what relations to be interred, when deceased, in thy grave, that thou hast made such a provision as follows? and it may be observed, that wherever he is spoken of, the name of his father is never mentioned. Aben Ezra's gloss is, who hast thou here of thy family that can help thee? his fall and ruin being at hand: that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here;
in the city of Jerusalem, or near it; the Jews say F24, among the sepulchres of the kings of the house of David; as if he thought to live and die here, and so had provided a sepulchre for himself and family, to lie in great pomp and splendour, like the kings and princes of the earth: [as] he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, [and] that graveth
an habitation for himself in a rock;
where sepulchres, as well as palaces, used to be built; see ( Matthew 27:60 ) and great men, especially the Egyptians, used to build sepulchres like to palaces; though it may be observed, that the word "as" is not in the text; and the words may be understood of Shebna's hewing out a sepulchre in some high place near Jerusalem, and building a fine house upon a rock there; and which may design either one and the same thing, a grave or sepulchre being called a house, ( Job 30:23 Job 30:24 ) or two different things, a sepulchre to be buried in when dead, and a palace to dwell in while living; and so the words may be rendered thus F25, "O he that heweth himself"; "O he that graveth an habitation"; so the Syriac version, "O thou that hewest thy sepulchre on high"


FOOTNOTES:

F24 T. Bab. Sanhedrin fol. 26. 2.
F25 "O caedens O statuens", &c. Junius & Tremellius.

Isaiah 22:16 In-Context

14 The LORD Almighty has revealed this in my hearing: “Till your dying day this sin will not be atoned for,” says the Lord, the LORD Almighty.
15 This is what the Lord, the LORD Almighty, says: “Go, say to this steward, to Shebna the palace administrator:
16 What are you doing here and who gave you permission to cut out a grave for yourself here, hewing your grave on the height and chiseling your resting place in the rock?
17 “Beware, the LORD is about to take firm hold of you and hurl you away, you mighty man.
18 He will roll you up tightly like a ball and throw you into a large country. There you will die and there the chariots you were so proud of will become a disgrace to your master’s house.

Cross References 2

  • 1. Matthew 27:60
  • 2. S Genesis 50:5; S Numbers 32:42
Scripture quoted by permission.  Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.  NIV®.  Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica.  All rights reserved worldwide.