And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men [and] horsemen,.... Or the Elamites, as the Targum and Septuagint, that is, the Persians, who were at this time subject to the Assyrians, and served in Sennacherib's army, which consisted of many nations; see Isa 29:7 these bore the quiver, a case for arrows, being expert in the use of the bow, which was the chief of their might, Jer 49:35 and so Strabo reports, that the Elamites had many archers among them; and along with them wentchariots of men, full of men, of military men; these were chariots for war, and brought men to fight against Jerusalem;[and] horsemen also, these were the cavalry, as those that carried bows and arrows seem to be the foot soldiers.
The Targum is,"and the Elamites bore arms in the chariot of a man, and with it a couple of horsemen;''as in the vision or prophecy concerning Babylon, Isa 21:7:and Kir uncovered the shield; this was a city in Media, and signifies the Medes, who were in subjection to the Assyrians, and fought under them; see 2Ki 16:9 though Ben Melech says it was a city belonging to the king of Assyria; these prepared for battle, uncased their shields, which before were covered to keep them clean, and preserve them from rust and dirt; or they polished them, made them bright, as the word in the Ethiopic language signifies, as De Dieu has observed; see Isa 21:5 these might be most expert in the use of the shield and sword, as the others were at the bow and arrow.
Some render "Kir" a "wall": so the Targum,"and to the wall the shields stuck;''and the Vulgate Latin version, "the shield made bare the wall": but it is best to understand it as the proper name of a place.
Geograph. l. 16. p.