Isaiah 3
{continued]
b. Cleansing of Zion. 2:1-4:6.
[1] For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water,
[2] The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,
[3] The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counseller, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.
[4] And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
[5] And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.
[6] When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand:
[7] In that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be an healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people.
[8] For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
Isaiah 3:1-8. In this chapter, the prophet tells the rich upper class of Judah that God will take away their leadership if they keep sinning in private. The stay and the staff are two different forms of the same word, which in Hebrew means "all kinds of things." The statement implies that God will strip them of everything they need to survive as a nation. The powerful or mighty man (Heb gibbo¯r, the heroic leader), the judge (shaphat), the prophet (nabiy'), the wise (prudent quoses, the diviner), the counselor (yo¯'its), and the eloquent speaker (orator lachash, enchanter, or prayer). Instead of these national leaders, God tells them that He will give them children and babies to rule over them. He will let incompetent rulers take the place of competent ones, in other words. The instability of the country will get so bad that people will be oppressed by each other, and the child will act proudly against the old man (ancient zaqen). Archer (p. 614) says that these events really happened when Manasseh became king at the age of twelve and started his long and evil reign. Judah's last three kings (Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah) were politically unstable and acted like children, which was also true. They let the country fall into total ruin within twenty years of King Josiah's death.
Thou hast clothing (Heb. simla, an outer garment or mantle). In the coming days of despair, this simple piece of clothing would show that a man was rich. Individuals unable to afford outer garments would approach him in their undergarments, pleading for him to become their ruler! Isaiah, on the other hand, warned that even he would not rule over them or be a healer (Heb. chobesh, a comforter). The prophetic perfect tense is used to say that Jerusalem is ruined and Judah is fallen, as if the event had already happened. God considered it was already done, even though it would take almost 150 years for it to happen. The steps that would eventually bring down Judah were already in motion. Hezekiah and Josiah would bring about periods of peace, but the end of the world was always imminent.
[9] The shew 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 rewarded evil unto themselves.
[10] Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
[11] Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.
[12] As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
[13] The LORD standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people.
[14] The LORD will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.
[15] What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the LORD GOD of hosts.
Isaiah 3:9-15. Isaiah speaks of "the look of their faces" when he writes about "the show of their countenance" (Heb. hakarath pene¯yhes). The idea was that their faces show their sin, like the phrase "they declare their sin as Sodom." The Bible clarifies that a person's true heart condition frequently manifests on their face.
Once more, the fact that children are their oppressors and women rule over them shows how badly the men in charge of Judah have failed. The whole chapter seems to say that when men can't lead, women will take over and lead like children. The chapter does not intend to condemn women; rather, it critiques the oppressive mindset of female dominance in the context of male vulnerability. All ancient nations understood the imperative of robust male leadership in the context of impending conflict. Failure always meant certain death in the end.
[16] Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:
[17] Therefore the LORD will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts.
[18] In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon,
[19] The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,
[20] The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,
[21] The rings, and nose jewels,
[22] The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,
[23] The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails.
[24] And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.
[25] Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.
[26] And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.
Isaiah 3:16–26. Now, the prophet Isaiah starts a long speech against the proud and fashionable women of Jerusalem. These women cared more about the latest trends in jewelry, hair, and clothing than they did about the spiritual health of the country. People say that the daughters of Zion are either haughty (proud) or wanton (suggestive). The prophet is speaking of the daughters of Zion who are proud, and walk with their heads held high and seductive eyes, and go along with mincing steps, and tinkle the bangles on their feet ... " (cp. Isa 3:16). The prophet warns that the Lord will take away all of their jewelry. In verses 18-23, we again notice their anklets, headbands, crescent ornaments, dangling earrings, bracelets, veils, headdresses, ankle chains, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets, finger rings, nose rings, festal robes, outer tunics, cloaks, money purses, hand mirrors, undergarments, turbans, and veils (cp. Isa 3:18-23). They will die with the men of the nation instead of enjoying these feminine treats. So, on the day of their captivity, instead of a sweet smell (perfume), they will smell bad ("stink") (putrefaction); instead of a girdle, they will have a rent ; and instead of a stomacher (robe), they will wear sackcloth and ashes. The passage ends with a warning that the men will die in battle and the women will be sold as slaves. In the ancient Near East, people who were slaves were often made to feel bad by being stripped naked, chained together, and marched off to be sold as servants or worse.
b. Cleansing of Zion. 2:1-4:6.
[1] For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water,
[2] The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,
[3] The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counseller, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.
[4] And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
[5] And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.
[6] When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand:
[7] In that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be an healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people.
[8] For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
Isaiah 3:1-8. In this chapter, the prophet tells the rich upper class of Judah that God will take away their leadership if they keep sinning in private. The stay and the staff are two different forms of the same word, which in Hebrew means "all kinds of things." The statement implies that God will strip them of everything they need to survive as a nation. The powerful or mighty man (Heb gibbo¯r, the heroic leader), the judge (shaphat), the prophet (nabiy'), the wise (prudent quoses, the diviner), the counselor (yo¯'its), and the eloquent speaker (orator lachash, enchanter, or prayer). Instead of these national leaders, God tells them that He will give them children and babies to rule over them. He will let incompetent rulers take the place of competent ones, in other words. The instability of the country will get so bad that people will be oppressed by each other, and the child will act proudly against the old man (ancient zaqen). Archer (p. 614) says that these events really happened when Manasseh became king at the age of twelve and started his long and evil reign. Judah's last three kings (Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah) were politically unstable and acted like children, which was also true. They let the country fall into total ruin within twenty years of King Josiah's death.
Thou hast clothing (Heb. simla, an outer garment or mantle). In the coming days of despair, this simple piece of clothing would show that a man was rich. Individuals unable to afford outer garments would approach him in their undergarments, pleading for him to become their ruler! Isaiah, on the other hand, warned that even he would not rule over them or be a healer (Heb. chobesh, a comforter). The prophetic perfect tense is used to say that Jerusalem is ruined and Judah is fallen, as if the event had already happened. God considered it was already done, even though it would take almost 150 years for it to happen. The steps that would eventually bring down Judah were already in motion. Hezekiah and Josiah would bring about periods of peace, but the end of the world was always imminent.
[9] The shew 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 rewarded evil unto themselves.
[10] Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
[11] Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.
[12] As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
[13] The LORD standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people.
[14] The LORD will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.
[15] What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the LORD GOD of hosts.
Isaiah 3:9-15. Isaiah speaks of "the look of their faces" when he writes about "the show of their countenance" (Heb. hakarath pene¯yhes). The idea was that their faces show their sin, like the phrase "they declare their sin as Sodom." The Bible clarifies that a person's true heart condition frequently manifests on their face.
Once more, the fact that children are their oppressors and women rule over them shows how badly the men in charge of Judah have failed. The whole chapter seems to say that when men can't lead, women will take over and lead like children. The chapter does not intend to condemn women; rather, it critiques the oppressive mindset of female dominance in the context of male vulnerability. All ancient nations understood the imperative of robust male leadership in the context of impending conflict. Failure always meant certain death in the end.
[16] Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:
[17] Therefore the LORD will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts.
[18] In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon,
[19] The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,
[20] The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,
[21] The rings, and nose jewels,
[22] The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,
[23] The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails.
[24] And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.
[25] Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.
[26] And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.
Isaiah 3:16–26. Now, the prophet Isaiah starts a long speech against the proud and fashionable women of Jerusalem. These women cared more about the latest trends in jewelry, hair, and clothing than they did about the spiritual health of the country. People say that the daughters of Zion are either haughty (proud) or wanton (suggestive). The prophet is speaking of the daughters of Zion who are proud, and walk with their heads held high and seductive eyes, and go along with mincing steps, and tinkle the bangles on their feet ... " (cp. Isa 3:16). The prophet warns that the Lord will take away all of their jewelry. In verses 18-23, we again notice their anklets, headbands, crescent ornaments, dangling earrings, bracelets, veils, headdresses, ankle chains, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets, finger rings, nose rings, festal robes, outer tunics, cloaks, money purses, hand mirrors, undergarments, turbans, and veils (cp. Isa 3:18-23). They will die with the men of the nation instead of enjoying these feminine treats. So, on the day of their captivity, instead of a sweet smell (perfume), they will smell bad ("stink") (putrefaction); instead of a girdle, they will have a rent ; and instead of a stomacher (robe), they will wear sackcloth and ashes. The passage ends with a warning that the men will die in battle and the women will be sold as slaves. In the ancient Near East, people who were slaves were often made to feel bad by being stripped naked, chained together, and marched off to be sold as servants or worse.