Isaiah 22:10
ESV
and you counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall.
NIV
You counted the buildings in Jerusalem and tore down houses to strengthen the wall.
NASB
Then you counted the houses of Jerusalem And tore down houses to fortify the wall.
CSB
You counted the houses of Jerusalem so that you could tear them down to fortify the wall.
NLT
You survey the houses and tear some down for stone to strengthen the walls.
KJV
And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall.
NKJV
You numbered the houses of Jerusalem, And the houses you broke down To fortify the wall.
What does Isaiah 22:10 mean?
Jerusalem had begun their preparations against an outside siege. This meant securing and distributing the weapons from their armory (Isaiah 22:8). Water had been redirected from springs outside the walls into the city to keep the enemy from depriving them of essential drinking water (Isaiah 22:9).Also, breaches in the walls were identified and patched with building material from houses that were torn down. It's possible these houses were removed from between the inner and outer walls of the city. This removal of the houses could have had two purposes. First, for the safety of the citizens, and secondly to flood that space as an extra obstacle to the enemy.
Chapter 22:1–14 describes how the people of Jerusalem partied and feasted in the face of certain destruction during a siege. Isaiah condemns them, especially for failing to mourn and cry out to the Lord for help when all seemed lost. He weeps for those who have died. The prophet calls the people to soberly understand what has happened to them instead of partying on their rooftops. The Lord says that the sins of the people in this moment will not be atoned for until they die.
Isaiah presents a prophecy against the city of Jerusalem: "the valley of vision." The prophet condemns the people for partying, perhaps following an astonishing deliverance from the Lord. Instead, they should remember all who died. They should be sobered to realize how helpless they had been. When destruction seemed certain, they should have mourned and cried out to the Lord to save them. Instead, they reveled like nothing mattered. The Lord condemns the steward of the king's house for carving out his tomb instead of trusting God. He puts a man named Eliakim in that position. Eliakim serves with great integrity, faithfulness, and excellence. Yet, he, too, falls away.
