Verses 24-25 refer to Eliakim’s downfall in contrast with his rise to power in verses 20-23, so Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch render And as “But,” which is helpful. They also add a paragraph break here.

They will hang on him the whole weight of his father’s house: This clause builds on the wall peg metaphor in the previous verse. It refers to Eliakim’s family depending heavily on him. This clause raises two questions. First, in this context what is the meaning of the Hebrew word kavod rendered weight? In the previous verse it is translated “honor.” New Jerusalem Bible believes it has the same sense in both verses, so it uses “glory” both times (similarly New International Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible). However, in view of what follows this clause, it seems more likely that the term has a different nuance in the two verses: “glory” or “honor” in verse 23, and weight or “burden” (Good News Translation) in this verse. The negative sense of kavod here is clear from the next verse. It is probably being used ironically here.

The second question concerns whether the phrase the whole weight of his father’s house is the subject or the object of the verb hang. Revised Standard Version treats it as the object of the verb. However, the Hebrew grammar of the verse allows for it to be the subject, so the whole clause may be rendered “the whole weight of his father’s family will hang on him” (similarly Good News Translation, New International Version, Revised English Bible). We consider this to be the better understanding of the Hebrew text.

The offspring and issue, every small vessel, from the cups to all the flagons: This last half of the verse expands on the previous clause, the whole weight of his father’s house. Offspring and issue render two unusual Hebrew terms. The word for offspring comes from a root meaning “to go out,” and is found only in the books of Isaiah and Job. It may well be a rather late, postexilic term. Offspring here refers to the descendants of Eliakim’s father, that is, his relatives. The word for issue is found only in this verse and is of unknown origin. Its meaning has to be determined from this context. Like offspring, it probably refers to his relatives. A possible rendering for these two terms is “his children and relatives” (similarly Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version).

Every small vessel, from the cups to all the flagons is a figurative expression pointing to Eliakim’s children and relatives rather than a literal reference to household containers. They are like containers wanting to be filled with the goods Eliakim is able to provide from his honored position. Eliakim probably became guilty of nepotism (that is, using his position of authority to favor family members), which would explain the judgment on him in verse 25. The vessel here is a “container.” The Hebrew word for cups is better rendered “bowls”. Flagons renders a Hebrew term that refers to containers for liquid. They were often made from animal skins. Flagons may be rendered “jars” (New International Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), “jugs” (New American Bible), “pitchers,” or “bottles.”

For the whole verse Bible en français courant has “But all the branches of his relatives, the big ones and the small ones, are hung from him like pieces of kitchenware, bowls and jars, attached to a peg. What a weight!” Other possible models are:

• But the whole weight of his father’s family will hang on him, his children and relatives; they are like little containers, such as bowls and jars, hanging on him.

• However, the full burden of his father’s family will rest on him. All his descendants and relatives, they are all like small containers, whether cups or jars, hanging on him.

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 .