Isaiah 22:1. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the house-tops?
This, as Alexander observes, (com. in loco,) is “a lively description of an Oriental city in commotion.” The flat roofs were used not only for promenading (see note on 2 Sam. 11:2, #275), but also as places of general gathering in times of excitement, just as we gather in the streets. From the roofs the inhabitants were accustomed to look down into the streets or afar off on the roads. This they could not do from the windows, as these seldom opened on the street. The prophet represents the entire people assembled on the tops of their houses. The precise object of their gathering he does not state, nor is it here necessary to discuss. Whether for mere curiosity, or to assail the invaders, or to indulge in idolatrous worship, these gatherings on the housetops give a striking illustration of Oriental customs.