Isaiah 22:16-18

22:16 ‘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.

22:17 Look, the Lord will throw you far away, ³  you mere man! ⁴ 

He will wrap you up tightly. ⁵ 

22:18 He will wind you up tightly into a ball

and throw you into a wide, open land. ⁶ 

There you will die,

and there with you will be your impressive chariots, ⁷ 

which bring disgrace to the house of your master. ⁸ 

[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.”

[22:17]  ³ tn Heb “will throw you with a throwing.”

[22:17]  ⁴ tn Heb “O man” (so NASB); NAB “mortal man”; NRSV “my fellow.”

[22:17]  ⁵ tn Heb “and the one who wraps you [will] wrap.”

[22:18]  ⁶ tn Heb “and he will tightly [or “surely”] wind you [with] winding like a ball, to a land broad of hands [i.e., “sides”].”

[22:18]  ⁷ tn Heb “and there the chariots of your splendor.”

[22:18]  ⁸ sn Apparently the reference to chariots alludes to Shebna’s excessive pride, which in turn brings disgrace to the royal family.