Isaiah3
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1For, behold, the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah stay and staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water;
2the mighty man, and the man of war; the judge, and the prophet, and the diviner, and the elder;
3the captain of fifty, and the honorable man, and the counsellor, and the expert artificer, and the skilful enchanter.
4And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
5And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbor: the child shall behave himself proudly against the old man, and the base against the honorable.
6When a man shall take hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand;
7in that day shall he lift up his voice, saying, I will not be a healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: ye shall not make me ruler of the people.
8For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen; because their tongue and their doings are against Jehovah, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
9The show of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have done evil unto themselves.
10Say ye of the righteous, that it shall be well with him; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
11Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him; for what his hands have done shall be done unto him.
12As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they that lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
13Jehovah standeth up to contend, and standeth to judge the peoples.
14Jehovah will enter into judgment with the elders of his people, and the princes thereof: It is ye that have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses:
15what mean ye that ye crush my people, and grind the face of the poor? saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.
16Moreover Jehovah said, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with outstretched necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet;
17therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and Jehovah will lay bare their secret parts.
18In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, and the cauls, and the crescents;
19the pendants, and the bracelets, and the mufflers;
20the headtires, and the ankle chains, and the sashes, and the perfume-boxes, and the amulets;
21the rings, and the nose-jewels;
22the festival robes, and the mantles, and the shawls, and the satchels;
23the hand-mirrors, and the fine linen, and the turbans, and the veils.
24And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet spices there shall be rottenness; and instead of a girdle, a rope; and instead of well set hair, baldness; and instead of a robe, a girding of sackcloth; branding instead of beauty.
25Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.
26And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she shall be desolate and sit upon the ground.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Isaiah 3.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The calamities about to come upon the land. (1-9). The wickedness of the people. (10-15). The distress of the proud, luxurious women of Zion. (16-26).
vv1-9
God was about to deprive Judah of every stay and support. The city and the land were to be made desolate, because their words and works had been rebellious against the Lord; even at his holy temple. If men do not stay themselves upon God, he will soon remove all other supports, and then they must sink. Christ is the Bread of life and the Water of life; if he be our Stay, we shall find that is a good part not to be taken away, John 6:27. Here note, 1. That the condition of sinners is exceedingly woful. 2. It is the soul that is damaged by sin. 3. Whatever evil befals sinners, be sure that they bring it on themselves.
vv10-15
The rule was certain; however there might be national prosperity or trouble, it would be well with the righteous and ill with the wicked. Blessed be God, there is abundant encouragement to the righteous to trust in him, and for sinners to repent and return to him. It was time for the Lord to show his might. He will call men to a strict account for all the wealth and power intrusted to and abused by them. If it is sinful to disregard the necessities of the poor, how odious and wicked a part do they act, who bring men into poverty, and then oppress them!
vv16-26
The prophet reproves and warns the daughters of Zion of the sufferings coming upon them. Let them know that God notices the folly and vanity of proud women, even of their dress. The punishments threatened answered the sin. Loathsome diseases often are the just punishment of pride. It is not material to ask what sort of ornaments they wore; many of these things, if they had not been in fashion, would have been ridiculed then as now. Their fashions differed much from those of our times, but human nature is the same. Wasting time and money, to the neglect of piety, charity, and even of justice, displease the Lord. Many professors at the present day, seem to think there is no harm in worldly finery; but were it not a great evil, would the Holy Spirit have taught the prophet to expose it so fully? The Jews being overcome, Jerusalem would be levelled with the ground; which is represented under the idea of a desolate female seated upon the earth. And when the Romans had destroyed Jerusalem, they struck a medal, on which was represented a woman sitting on the ground in a posture of grief. If sin be harboured within the walls, lamentation and mourning are near the gates.
Key Words
כִּי: (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
הִנֵּה: lo!
אָדוֹן: sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine)
צָבָא: a mass of persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized forwar (an army); by implication, a campaign, literally or figuratively (specifically, hardship, worship)
סוּר: to turn off (literal or figurative)
מִן: properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם: Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine
יְהוּדָה: Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory
מִשְׁעֵן: a support (concretely), i.e. (figuratively) a protector or sustenance
מִשְׁעֵנָה: support (abstractly), i.e. (figuratively) sustenance or (concretely) a walking-stick
Cross References
Isaiah 3Poole links 'stay and staff of bread' with this Levitical phrase meaning bread, the staff of life.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Poole identifies this as the classical parallel for the 'staff of bread' representing divine physical support.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Direct textual link explaining 'the stay of bread' as the staff of bread broken in judgment.
Supported by Matthew Poole
An explicit prophetic parallel where God threatens to break the staff of bread during siege.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Historically fulfilled when Nebuchadnezzar carried away the mighty men, craftsmen, and prudent leaders of Jerusalem.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Identifies the 'vineyard' as the Jewish theocracy, which the corrupt leaders have eaten up.
Supported by JFB
Judah left without king, prince, or reliable guide, matching Hosea's description of Israel's deprivation.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Explains 'prudent' (Hebrew soothsayer/diviner) which God removes to expose their false confidences.
Supported by JFB
Parallels the woe of having childish rulers in understanding, capability, and wisdom.
Supported by JFB
Theological parallel where the righteous eat the fruit of their own way and doings.
Supported by JFB
Illustrates 'lifting up the hand' as the ancient physical gesture used in taking a solemn oath.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Poole cites this to show 'lift up' refers to swearing an oath by raising the hand.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Identifies God's eyes as too pure to behold evil, illuminating 'provoking the eyes of His glory.'
Supported by JFB
Parallel where the pride and countenance of Israel testifies directly to their face.
Supported by JFB