You counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall.
Parallel translations
- KJV And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall.
- BSB You counted the houses of Jerusalem and tore them down to strengthen the wall.
- NKJV You numbered the houses of Jerusalem, And the houses you broke down To fortify the wall.
- NASB Then you counted the houses of Jerusalem And tore down houses to fortify the wall.
- NLT You survey the houses and tear some down for stone to strengthen the walls.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
They tear down houses to reinforce the city wall. It matters because their frantic activity shows reliance on defenses rather than on God.
Overview
Counting the houses of Jerusalem, the people demolish some to strengthen the fortifications. The energetic, even desperate, effort reflects their determination to save themselves. Yet all this human ingenuity is offered without any turning to God. Isaiah builds toward the charge that they looked everywhere but to the LORD.
Cross-references & the web
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Christ at the center
Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).
How Isaiah 22:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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