Isaiah 22 · Verse 9

Isaiah 22:9

Ye have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many: and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool.
Isaiah 22:9, King James Version

Isaiah 22:9 in other translations

BSBYou saw that there were many breaches in the walls of the City of David. You collected water from the lower pool.
WEBYou saw the breaches of David’s city, that they were many; and you gathered together the waters of the lower pool.
ASVAnd ye saw the breaches of the city of David, that they were many; and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool;
YLTAnd the breaches of the city of David ye have seen, For they have become many, And ye gather the waters of the lower pool,
DARBYand ye have seen the breaches of the city of David, that they are many; and ye have gathered together the waters of the lower pool;
BBEAnd you saw all the broken places in the wall of the town of David: and you got together the waters of the lower pool.
WebsterYe have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many: and ye collected the waters of the lower pool.

What does Isaiah 22:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
9. Ye have seen--rather, "Ye shall see." city of David--the upper city, on Zion, the south side of Jerusalem (2Sa 5:7, 9; 1Ki 8:1); surrounded by a wall of its own; but even in it there shall be "breaches." Hezekiah's preparations for defense accord with this (2Ch 32:5). ye gathered--rather, "ye shall gather." lower pool--(See on Is 22:11). Ye shall bring together into the city by subterranean passages cut in the rock of Zion, the fountain from which the lower pool (only mentioned here) is supplied. See on Is 7:3; 2Ki 20:20; 2Ch 32:3-5, represent Hezekiah as having stopped the fountains to prevent the Assyrians getting water. But this is consistent with the passage here. The superfluous waters of the lower pool usually flowed into Hinnom valley, and so through that of Jehoshaphat to the brook Kedron. Hezekiah built a wall round it, stopped the outflowing of its waters to debar the foe from the use of them, and turned them into the city.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 9 Ye gathered together the waters "And ye shall collect the waters" - There were two pools in or near Jerusalem, supplied by springs: the upper pool, or the old pool, supplied by the spring called Gihon, 2Chr 32:30, towards the higher part of the city, near Sion, or the city of David, and the lower pool, probably supplied by Siloam, towards the lower part. When Hezekiah was threatened with a siege by Sennacherib, he stopped up all the waters of the fountains without the city; and brought them into the city by a conduit, or subterranean passage cut through the rock; those of the old pool, to the place where he had a double wall, so that the pool was between the two walls. This he did in order to distress the enemy, and to supply the city during the siege. This was so great a work that not only the historians have made particular mention of it, 2Kgs 20:20;2Chr 32:2, 2Chr 32:3, 2Chr 32:5, 2Chr 32:30; but the son of Sirach also has celebrated it in his encomium on Hezekiah. "Hezekiah fortified his city, and brought in water into the midst thereof: he digged the hard rock with iron, and made wells for water," Ecclesiasticus 48.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 22:8-14

The weakness of Judah now appeared more than ever. Now also they discovered their carnal confidence and their carnal security. They looked to the fortifications. They made sure of water for the city. But they were regardless of God in all these preparations. They did not care for his glory in what they did. They did not depend upon him for a blessing on their endeavours. For every creature is to us what God makes it…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 22:8-14 →

Isaiah 22:9 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.

וְאֵ֨תve.'Etand <obj.>H853
בְּקִיעֵ֧יbe.ki.'Ei[the] breaches ofH1233
עִיר\־'ir-[the] city ofH5892
דָּוִ֛דda.VidDavidH1732
רְאִיתֶ֖םre.'i.Temyou sawH7200
כִּי\־ki-thatH3588
רָ֑בּוּRa.buthey were manyH7231
וַֽתְּקַבְּצ֔וּva.te.ka.be.Tzuand you gatheredH6908
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
מֵ֥יmei[the] waters ofH4325
הַבְּרֵכָ֖הha.be.re.Khahthe poolH1295
הַתַּחְתּוֹנָֽה\׃ha.tach.to.Nah<the> lowerH8481

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

Cross references for Isaiah 22:9

  • 2 Kings 20:20

    And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

  • Nehemiah 3:16

    After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of the half part of Beth–zur, unto the place over against the sepulchres of David, and to the pool that was made, and unto the house of the mighty.

  • 2 Chronicles 32:1-6

    After these things, and the establishment thereof, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fenced cities, and thought to win them for himself. And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem, He took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were without the city: and they did help him. So there was gathered much people together, who stopped all the fountains, and the brook that ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water? …

  • 2 Chronicles 32:30

    This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper watercourse of Gihon, and brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ki 20:20; 2Ch 32:1-6,30

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

Context

  • Isaiah 22:8

    And he discovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest.

  • Isaiah 22:9

    Ye have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many: and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool.

  • Isaiah 22:10

    And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall.

Read all of Isaiah 22

Isaiah 22:9 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y visteis las roturas de la ciudad de David, que se multiplicaron; y recogisteis las aguas de la pesquera de abajo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et vous avez vu les brèches de la ville de David, qu’elles sont nombreuses; et vous avez rassemblé les eaux de l’étang inférieur;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und ihr sehet die Risse der Stadt Davids, daß ihrer viele sind; und ihr sammelt die Wasser des unteren Teiches;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et scissuras civitatis David videbitis, quia multiplicatæ sunt; et congregastis aquas piscinæ inferioris,