Verse

Isaiah 22:22

ESV And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
NIV I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
NASB Then I will put the key of the house of David on his shoulder; When he opens, no one will shut, When he shuts, no one will open.
CSB I will place the key of the house of David on his shoulder; what he opens, no one can close; what he closes, no one can open.
NLT I will give him the key to the house of David — the highest position in the royal court. When he opens doors, no one will be able to close them; when he closes doors, no one will be able to open them.
KJV And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
NKJV The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; So he shall open, and no one shall shut; And he shall shut, and no one shall open.

What does Isaiah 22:22 mean?

In the modern world, the "key to the city" is sometimes given out as an honorary award by some mayors. This symbolizes the idea that the person has earned such respect that the entire town welcomes them. Such ceremonies usually use an oversized, decorative key which doesn't open any actual lock. Nor does the ceremony truly bestow special rights. Yet here, Isaiah is not referring to an honor in title only. This new leader was given management over crucial aspects of Jerusalem's resources.

The Lord declares His intention to grant authority to Eliakim: the new steward of the king's court. This man of God and father-figure to the nation will wear the key to the house of David. As with the modern ceremony, this may have involved a physical item representing authority. The gates of a city were its most important point of security and commerce. A man with power over those had the authority to decide who will be allowed to have an audience with the king and who will be excluded. The king's decision to give the key to Eliakim, by the Lord's will, is a sign of great respect and trust. The one who carried this responsibility exercised authority in the name of the king. Eliakim was the final word on whether the gates remained open or closed.

The key of David, and the authority that comes to the key-bearer, is mentioned again in Revelation in the context of spiritual doors: "The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens" (Revelation 3:7).
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