Isa 22:8, Jer 5:17, Mic 5:10-11 | JFB | STEP | 8. he discovered the covering —rather, "the veil of Judah shall be taken off" [HORSLEY ]: figuratively for, exposing to shame as a captive ( ). Sennacherib dismantled all "the defensed cities of Judah" ( ). thou didst look —rather, "thou shalt look." house of . . . forest —The house of armory built of cedar from the forest of Lebanon by Solomon, on a slope of Zion called Ophel ( ). Isaiah says ( ) his countrymen will look to their own strength to defend themselves, while others of them will drown their sorrows as to their country in feasting, but none will look to Jehovah.

Isaiah 22:8

8. he discovered the covering—rather, "the veil of Judah shall be taken off" [HORSLEY]: figuratively for, exposing to shame as a captive (Isa 47:3; Na 3:5). Sennacherib dismantled all "the defensed cities of Judah" (Isa 36:1).

thou didst look—rather, "thou shalt look."

house of . . . forest—The house of armory built of cedar from the forest of Lebanon by Solomon, on a slope of Zion called Ophel (1Ki 7:2; 10:17; Ne 3:19). Isaiah says (Isa 22:8-13) his countrymen will look to their own strength to defend themselves, while others of them will drown their sorrows as to their country in feasting, but none will look to Jehovah.

Jeremiah 5:17

17. (Le 26:16).

Micah 5:10-11

10. cut off thy horses . . . chariots—namely, those used for the purposes of war. Israel had been forbidden the use of cavalry, or to go to Egypt for horses (De 17:16), lest they should trust in worldly forces, rather than in God (Ps 20:7). Solomon had disregarded this command (1Ki 10:26, 28). Hereafter, saith God, I will remove these impediments to the free course of My grace: horses, chariots, &c., on which ye trust. The Church will never be safe, till she is stripped of all creature trusts, and rests on Jehovah alone [CALVIN]. The universal peace given by God shall cause warlike instruments to be needless. He will cut them off from Israel (Zec 9:10); as she will cut them off from Babylon, the representative of the nations (Jer 50:37; 51:21).

11. cut off . . . cities . . . strongholds—such as are fortified for war. In that time of peace, men shall live in unwalled villages (Eze 38:11; compare Jer 23:6; 49:31; Zec 2:8).