Regarding the use or nonuse of quotation marks at the beginning of this verse, see the introductory comments on this section [22.15-25].
What have you to do here and whom have you here…? is literally “What to you here and whom to you here…?” These rhetorical questions begin in a similar way to the one in verses 1b-2a (see the comments on Isa 22.1). They do not ask Shebna for information, but condemn him. Revised Standard Version and some other English translations express the Hebrew literally here, so they are unnatural; for example, Revised English Bible says “What have you here, or whom have you here…?” (similarly New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Bible en français courant has natural questions, but is forced to add implicit information as follows: “Which right of ownership or which right of family relationship do you have here…?” Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, and Bible en français courant have two separate questions, which are both linked to the following reason for asking them. However, many versions link only the second question to it (so Good News Translation); for example, New Jerusalem Bible has “What do you own here, who gave you the right…?” We prefer two questions here, which may be rendered “What do you think you are doing? Who do you think you are?” The first question tells Shebna not to do what he is doing; the second one says he has no authority to do it. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “Who do you think you are? Who or what gives you the right…?” If rhetorical questions are not appropriate, then we can say “You ought not to be doing this! You have no authority to do it!”
That you have hewn here a tomb for yourself: This is the immediate reason for the divine condemnation. Although Shebna was only a servant in the royal palace, he had a tomb cut for himself in the rocky hillside of the Kidron Valley, where kings and important officials were buried. This burial area was just outside the old city wall. Remains of tombs from this period are still visible today. The verb hewn means “to cut rock” here. The third use of the adverb here in this verse adds strength to the condemnation. It may be rendered “here, of all places.”
You who hew a tomb on the height is literally “the one who cuts his tomb on the height.” This clause refers to Shebna in the third person even though he is being addressed. New Jerusalem Bible and Revised English Bible keep the third person, but Revised Standard Version and others use second person pronouns. Hebrew often switches between second and third person for the same referent, so this is probably not a matter of exegetical significance. Shebna’s tomb is on the height, which probably refers to the upper side of the valley. Revised English Bible believes it is “in an eminent place.”
And carve a habitation for yourself in the rock follows the pattern of the previous clause by using the third person for Shebna. It is literally “the one who carves in the rock a habitation for himself.” New International Version renders carve as “chiseling,” which refers to the tool used for cutting rock. It can also be rendered “cut.” A habitation usually refers to a place to live, but here it is a euphemism for the grave. New International Version, Revised English Bible, and New Jerusalem Bible use the euphemism “resting place.” In the rock refers to the rocky side of the valley.
Translation examples for this verse are:
• ‘What do you think you are doing here? Who do you think you are, cutting out a tomb for yourself here, of all places? You are cutting out a tomb in a prominent place, a resting place for yourself in the rock!
• ‘What are you doing here? Who gave you authority to carve out a tomb for yourself, here, in this very place? You are digging a tomb on this height, carving a burial place for yourself in the rock.
Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .