Isaiah 22 · Verse 3

Isaiah 22:3

All thy rulers are fled together, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, which have fled from far.

Isaiah 22:3, King James Version

Isaiah 22:3 in other translations

BSB	All your rulers have fled together, captured without a bow. All your fugitives were captured together, having fled to a distant place.
WEB	All your rulers fled away together. They were bound by the archers. All who were found by you were bound together. They fled far away.
ASV	All thy rulers fled away together, they were bound by the archers; all that were found of thee were bound together; they fled afar off.
YLT	All thy rulers fled together from the bow, Bound have been all found of thee, They have been kept bound together, Afar off they have fled.
DARBY	All thy rulers have fled together, they are taken prisoners without the bow: all that are found of thee are made prisoners together; they were fleeing far off.
BBE	All your rulers... have gone in flight; all your strong ones have gone far away.
Webster	All thy rulers have fled together, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, who have fled from far.

What does Isaiah 22:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

3. rulers--rather, "generals" (Jos 10:24; Jud 11:6, 11). bound--rather, "are taken." by the archers--literally, "by the bow"; so Is 21:17. Bowmen were the light troops, whose province it was to skirmish in front and (2Ki 6:22) pursue fugitives (2Ki 25:5); this verse applies better to the attack of Nebuchadnezzar than that of Sennacherib. all ... in thee--all found in the city (Is 13:15), not merely the "rulers" or generals. fled from far--those who had fled from distant parts to Jerusalem as a place of safety; rather, fled afar.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 3 All thy rulers - are bound by the archers "All thy leaders - are fled from the bow" - There seems to be somewhat of an inconsistency in the sense according to the present reading. If the leaders were bound, אסרו usseru, how could they flee away? for their being bound, according to the obvious construction and course of the sentence, is a circumstance prior to their flight. I therefore follow Houbigant, who reads הסרו huseru, remoti sunt, "they are gone off." גלו galu, transmigraverunt, Chaldee; which seems to confirm this emendation.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 22:1-7

The siege and taking of Jerusalem. (Is. 22:1-7) The wicked conduct of its inhabitants. (Is. 22:8-14) The displacing of Shebna, and the promotion of Eliakim, applied to the Messiah. (Is. 22:15-25) Verses 1-7 Why is Jerusalem in such terror? Her slain men are not slain with the sword, but with famine; or, slain with fear, disheartened. Their rulers fled, but were overtaken. The servants of God, who foresee and warn…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 22:1-7 →

Isaiah 22:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

כָּל\־kol-allH3605

קְצִינַ֥יִךְke.tzi.Na.yikhrulers yourH7101

נָֽדְדוּ\־na.de.du-they have fledH5074

יַ֖חַדYa.chadtogetherH3162

מִקֶּ֣שֶׁתmi.Ke.shetfrom a bowH7198

אֻסָּ֑רוּ'u.Sa.ruthey have been capturedH631

כָּל\־kol-allH3605

נִמְצָאַ֙יִךְ֙nim.tza.'A.yikhfound [ones] yourH4672

אֻסְּר֣וּ'u.se.Ruthey were capturedH631

יַחְדָּ֔וyach.DavtogetherH3162

מֵרָח֖וֹקme.ra.Chokfrom a distanceH7350

בָּרָֽחוּ\׃ba.Ra.chuthey had fledH1272

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 22:3

Isaiah 3:1-8
For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water, The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator. And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. …
2 Kings 25:4-7
And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king’s garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain. And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him. So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him. And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.
2 Kings 25:18-21
And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door: And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king’s presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city: And Nebuzar–adan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah: And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out of their land.
Jeremiah 52:24-27
And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door: He took also out of the city an eunuch, which had the charge of the men of war; and seven men of them that were near the king’s person, which were found in the city; and the principal scribe of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the midst of the city. So Nebuzar–adan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah. And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land.
Jeremiah 39:4-7
And it came to pass, that when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, then they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king’s garden, by the gate betwixt the two walls: and he went out the way of the plain. But the Chaldeans’ army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him. Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah. Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

thy rulers.
3:1-8; 2Ki 25:4-7,18-21; Jer 39:4-7; 52:24-27
by the archers. Heb. of the bow.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Isaiah 22:2
Thou that art full of stirs, a tumultuous city, a joyous city: thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.
Isaiah 22:3
All thy rulers are fled together, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, which have fled from far.
Isaiah 22:4
Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people.

Read all of Isaiah 22

Isaiah 22:3 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Todos tus príncipes juntos huyeron del arco, fueron atados: todos los que en ti se hallaron, fueron atados juntamente, aunque lejos se habían huído.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	tous tes chefs se sont enfuis ensemble: ils sont faits prisonniers sans l’arc; tous les tiens qui sont trouvés sont faits prisonniers ensemble; ils fuyaient au loin.
German Elberfelder 1871	Alle deine Oberen, flüchtend allzumal, wurden ohne Bogen gefesselt; alle in dir Gefundenen wurden miteinander gefesselt, fernhin wollten sie fliehen.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Cuncti principes tui fugerunt simul dureque ligati sunt; omnes qui inventi sunt vincti sunt pariter; procul fugerunt.