Isaiah Chapter 22 · Verse 7
And it shall come to pass, that thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.
Original Language Analysis
וַיְהִ֥י
H1961
וַיְהִ֥י
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
1 of 9
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
מִבְחַר
And it shall come to pass that thy choicest
H4005
מִבְחַר
And it shall come to pass that thy choicest
Strong's:
H4005
Word #:
2 of 9
select, i.e., best
מָ֣לְאוּ
shall be full
H4390
מָ֣לְאוּ
shall be full
Strong's:
H4390
Word #:
4 of 9
to fill or (intransitively) be full of, in a wide application (literally and figuratively)
רָ֑כֶב
of chariots
H7393
רָ֑כֶב
of chariots
Strong's:
H7393
Word #:
5 of 9
a vehicle; by implication, a team; by extension, cavalry; by analogy a rider, i.e., the upper millstone
וְהַפָּ֣רָשִׁ֔ים
and the horsemen
H6571
וְהַפָּ֣רָשִׁ֔ים
and the horsemen
Strong's:
H6571
Word #:
6 of 9
a steed (as stretched out to a vehicle, not single nor for mounting ); also (by implication) a driver (in a chariot), i.e., (collectively) cavalry
Historical Context
This accurately describes Assyrian siege tactics under Sennacherib (701 BC), depicted in Assyrian palace reliefs showing chariot and cavalry deployments around besieged cities. It also foreshadows Babylon's siege (586 BC) when Nebuchadnezzar's armies surrounded Jerusalem, cut off escape routes, and starved the city into submission (2 Kings 25:1-4). Ancient siege warfare involved cutting off supplies, preventing escape, and psychological warfare through visible military might arrayed at the gates.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the image of enemy forces filling 'your choicest valleys' illustrate how sin's consequences often strike at our best, most valued areas?
- What does the systematic positioning of horsemen 'at the gate' teach about how spiritual enemies methodically attack vulnerable entry points in our lives?
- Why do human defensive preparations (fortifications, weapons, alliances) fail when spiritual foundations are compromised?
Analysis & Commentary
And it shall come to pass, that thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots—the Hebrew בְּחִירַיִךְ (bechirayikh, "your choice valleys") refers to Jerusalem's best, most fertile valleys around the city. Invading chariots (רֶכֶב, rekhev) fill these valleys, transforming productive agricultural land into military staging areas for siege.
And the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate (וְהַפָּרָשִׁים שֹׁת יָשֹׁתוּ הַשָּׁעְרָה, vehaparashim shot yashotu hasha'arah)—cavalry position themselves strategically at the gates, the city's vulnerable entry points. "Set in array" (שׁוּת, shut) means to set, place deliberately—a calculated military positioning for siege or assault.
This verse describes the final stage before siege: enemy forces have surrounded the city, filled the valleys with chariots, and positioned horsemen at every gate. Jerusalem is completely encircled, trapped. All their defensive preparations (vv.8-11) are about to be tested—and will prove insufficient without divine help.