Isaiah — Chapter 22

The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee also, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops? Jerusalem, called 'the valley of vision' because Isaiah received his visions there, and because it sits in a valley surrounded by mountains. The people run to the rooftops — either to observe the approaching enemy or to celebrate prematurely.

And he shall discover the covering of Juda, and thou shalt look in that day to the armory of the house of the forest. In the face of Sennacherib's invasion, Jerusalem trusts in her armory, waterworks (v.9-11), and human alliances — rather than weeping and fasting (v.12). Lapide: this is the typical response of secular government — trust in human resources, not divine mercy.

And behold joy and gladness, killing calves, and slaying rams, eating flesh, and drinking wine. Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we shall die. The most famous expression of Epicurean despair/hedonism in Scripture. Paul quotes it in 1 Cor.15:32. Lapide: this is the logic of those who deny the resurrection and eternal life; it reduces human existence to animal gratification.

Thus saith the Lord God of hosts: Go, get thee in to him that dwelleth in the tabernacle, to Sobna who is over the temple. Shebna (Sobna) = the arrogant treasurer/prefect who built himself a grand tomb in the royal quarries. God commands his ejection from office. Lapide identifies Shebna with the Pharisaic/priestly establishment of the Jews, who presumed spiritual authority without the spirit.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliacim the son of Helcias, and I will clothe him with thy robe. Eliakim replaces Shebna: all Fathers (Jerome, Cyril, Chrysostom, Origen, Irenaeus) apply this to Peter replacing the Jewish high priesthood. Eliakim = the name means 'God shall raise up' = the Apostolic succession. 'I will clothe him with thy robe' = Christ transmitting the keys of the kingdom to Peter.

Et dabo clavem domus David super humerum ejus

I will lay the key of the house of David upon his shoulder — Christ applies this directly to Peter: 'I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven' (Mt 16:19). Lapide's extended treatment of the keys: (1) Eliakim historically received the key of the royal treasury, signifying full stewardship authority; (2 Christ gives Peter the spiritual keys — authority to bind and loose, to open and shut the Church, to admit and exclude from the Kingdom; (3) Peter's successors (the popes) inherit this key-authority. Lapide cites Jerome, Ambrose, Cyril, Origen, Theodoret, and explicitly defends Petrine primacy against Protestant attack. The key 'upon the shoulder' = supreme authority carried publicly and officially. 'He shall open and none shall shut; he shall shut and none shall open' (v.22b) = the pope's binding and loosing is irreversible by any lower authority.

Et figam eum paxillum in loco fideli

I will fasten him as a peg in a secure place — 'paxillus' (peg, nail, stake) fixed in a secure wall = the stability and permanence of the Petrine office. Lapide: 'paxillus' corresponds to 'petra' (rock, Mt 16:18) — the same stability guaranteed by Christ. The peg hangs the glory of his father's house: on Peter the Church hangs. 'Erit in solium gloriae domui patris eius' = the throne of glory for the house of God, the Church. Lapide notes that even when individual popes are weak ('the peg shall be removed and broken,' v.25 applied to unworthy popes), the office itself remains established by Christ's promise.