You made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool: The reservoir was a cistern or pool. Between the two walls could refer to the outer and inner walls of Jerusalem (see the comments on verses 9-10), or to a specific area in the southeast of the city (see Jer 39.4; 52.7). The old pool is different from “the lower pool” in verse 9. The location of this pool is also unknown.

But you did not look to him who did it: The people of Judah did not consider God’s role in the siege when they took defensive actions against it. The contrastive connector But highlights the most significant element that the people overlooked. The verb look here means “consider” or “take into account.” They “looked” to their weapons (verse 8), but not to God. The pronoun him refers to God. You did not look to him may be rendered more strongly as “you gave no thought to Yahweh.” Good News Translation is helpful with “you paid no attention to God.” In the phrase who did it, the pronoun it probably refers to the divine plan for the “day” noted in Isa 22.5. Good News Translation makes this explicit in a general way with “all this.” However, the pronoun it is feminine in Hebrew, so it could refer to the city of Jerusalem. This is the view we find in Revised English Bible, which renders this whole clause as “You did not look to the Maker of the city” (similarly New American Bible). Both views are possible, but Revised English Bible‘s view has less support.

Or have regard for him who planned it long ago is parallel to the previous clause. Have regard for is literally “saw.” They “saw” the gaps in the city wall (verse 9), but not God. Planned is literally “created” (see Gen 2.7, where the same Hebrew verb is rendered “formed”). New Jerusalem Bible and Revised English Bible say “fashioned,” and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “designed.” As in the previous clause, the pronoun it probably refers to the divine plan of an attack on the city. Both Revised English Bible and New American Bible see it as a reference to the city again. A translation could be made general enough to allow for both views. This divine plan was put in place long ago.

We offer the following examples to translate this verse:

• You formed a reservoir between the two walls [of the city]
to hold the water of the Old Pool.
However, you did not note the one who did all this,
nor did you consider the one who created this long ago.

• You stored water between the two walls, water from the Old Pool.
Yet you did not consider the one who planned these things,
nor did you depend on the one who created them so long ago.

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 .