Isaiah 22:16
Context22:16 ‘What right do you have to be here? What relatives do you have buried here? 1
Why 2 do you chisel out a tomb for yourself here?
He chisels out his burial site in an elevated place,
he carves out his tomb on a cliff.
Isaiah 52:5
Context52:5 And now, what do we have here?” 3 says the Lord.
“Indeed my people have been carried away for nothing,
those who rule over them taunt,” 4 says the Lord,
“and my name is constantly slandered 5 all day long.


[22:16] 1 tn Heb “What to you here? And who to you here?” The point of the second question is not entirely clear. The interpretation reflected in the translation is based on the following context, which suggests that Shebna has no right to think of himself so highly and arrange such an extravagant burial place for himself.
[22:16] 2 tn Heb “that you chisel out.”
[52:5] 3 tn Heb “and now what [following the marginal reading (Qere)] to me here?”
[52:5] 4 tn The verb appears to be a Hiphil form from the root יָלַל (yalal, “howl”), perhaps here in the sense of “mock.” Some emend the form to יְהוֹלָּלוֹ (yÿhollalo) and understand a Polel form of the root הָלַל meaning here “mock, taunt.”
[52:5] 5 tn The verb is apparently a Hitpolal form (with assimilated tav, ת) from the root נָאַץ (na’ats), but GKC 151-52 §55.b explains it as a mixed form, combining Pual and Hitpolel readings.