Verse

Isaiah 22:9

ESV and you saw that the breaches of the city of David were many. You collected the waters of the lower pool,
NIV You saw that the walls of the City of David were broken through in many places; you stored up water in the Lower Pool.
NASB And you saw that the breaches In the wall of the city of David were many; And you collected the waters of the lower pool.
CSB You saw that there were many breaches in the walls of the city of David. You collected water from the lower pool.
NLT You inspect the breaks in the walls of Jerusalem. You store up water in the lower pool.
KJV 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.
NKJV You also saw the damage to the city of David, That it was great; And you gathered together the waters of the lower pool.

What does Isaiah 22:9 mean?

The prophet is probably laying out what the king and the people of Jerusalem did to prepare for the siege by the Assyrian army. Another possibility is that this refers to the siege by the Babylonian army at a much later date—well after Isaiah's life. He has already said that they checked on, and likely distributed, the weapons from the armory (Isaiah 22:8).

Next, he describes an assessment of Jerusalem's walls. Many spots in the wall were discovered to need repair. The people figured out how to redirect water from outside the gates into Jerusalem. This was essential so that the siege would not deprive them of drinking water. This tactic would also limit the water supply available to the invaders.

King Hezekiah had famously dug a long tunnel all the way from the spring of Gihon in the Kidron Valley into the city itself (2 Kings 32:30). This king specifically dug this tunnel to provide water to the city during any future siege.
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