Archers

Isaiah describes the leaders of Judah “bound” by enemy archers (22:3). They don’t fall by the sword (v. 2) because they are in disarray, thorough retreat, and so they are vulnerable to weapons that kill from a distance. Isaiah (or Yahweh) mourns for the fallen chiefs, those struck down with arrows.

The scene recalls the death of Saul, struck with arrows, and also the parallel death of Ahab. The first parallel, with Saul, is particularly relevant: Saul’s death meant a change in the royal house, and that is what Isaiah envisions in the rest of chapter 22. This is a defeat, but it is a defeat that leads to a palace revolution, as Shebna is replaced by Eliakim as steward of the Davidic house. The defeat that Isaiah envisions is like the defeat of Saul, marking or anticipating the end of a royal house.