1For, behold, the LordH113, the LORDH3068 of hostsH6635, doth take awayH5493 from JerusalemH3389 and from JudahH3063 the stayH4937 and the staffH4938, the whole stayH4937 of breadH3899, and the wholeH3605 stayH4937 of waterH4325, 2The mighty manH1368, and the manH376 of warH4421, the judgeH8199, and the prophetH5030, and the prudentH7080, and the ancientH2205, 3The captainH8269 of fiftyH2572, and the honourableH5375 manH6440, and the counsellorH3289, and the cunningH2450 artificerH2791, and the eloquentH995 oratorH3908. 4And I will giveH5414 childrenH5288 to be their princesH8269, and babesH8586 shall ruleH4910 over them. 5And the peopleH5971 shall be oppressedH5065, every oneH376 by anotherH376, and every oneH376 by his neighbourH7453: the childH5288 shall behave himself proudlyH7292 against the ancientH2205, and the baseH7034 against the honourableH3513 . 6When a manH376 shall take holdH8610 of his brotherH251 of the houseH1004 of his fatherH1, saying, Thou hast clothingH8071, be thou our rulerH7101, and let this ruinH4384 be under thy handH3027: 7In that dayH3117 shall he swearH5375, sayingH559, I will not be an healerH2280 ; for in my houseH1004 is neither breadH3899 nor clothingH8071: makeH7760 me not a rulerH7101 of the peopleH5971. 8For JerusalemH3389 is ruinedH3782, and JudahH3063 is fallenH5307 : because their tongueH3956 and their doingsH4611 are against the LORDH3068, to provokeH4784 the eyesH5869 of his gloryH3519. 9The shewH1971 of their countenanceH6440 doth witness against themH6030 ; and they declareH5046 their sinH2403 as SodomH5467, they hideH3582 it not. WoeH188 unto their soulH5315! for they have rewardedH1580 evilH7451 unto themselves. 10SayH559 ye to the righteousH6662, that it shall be wellH2896 with him: for they shall eatH398 the fruitH6529 of their doingsH4611. 11WoeH188 unto the wickedH7563! it shall be illH7451 with him: for the rewardH1576 of his handsH3027 shall be givenH6213 him. 12As for my peopleH5971, childrenH5953 are their oppressorsH5065, and womenH802 ruleH4910 over them. O my peopleH5971, they which leadH833 thee cause thee to errH8582, and destroyH1104 the wayH1870 of thy pathsH734. 13The LORDH3068 standeth upH5324 to pleadH7378, and standethH5975 to judgeH1777 the peopleH5971. 14The LORDH3068 will enterH935 into judgmentH4941 with the ancientsH2205 of his peopleH5971, and the princesH8269 thereof: for ye have eaten upH1197 the vineyardH3754; the spoilH1500 of the poorH6041 is in your housesH1004. 15What mean ye that ye beatH1792 my peopleH5971 to piecesH1792, and grindH2912 the facesH6440 of the poorH6041? saithH5002 the LordH136 GODH3069 of hostsH6635. 16Moreover the LORDH3068 saithH559, BecauseH3282 the daughtersH1323 of ZionH6726 are haughtyH1361, and walkH3212 with stretched forthH5186 necksH1627 and wantonH8265 eyesH5869, walkingH1980 and mincingH2952 as they goH3212, and making a tinklingH5913 with their feetH7272: 17Therefore the LordH136 will smite with a scabH5596 the crown of the headH6936 of the daughtersH1323 of ZionH6726, and the LORDH3068 will discoverH6168 their secret partsH6596. 18In that dayH3117 the LordH136 will take awayH5493 the braveryH8597 of their tinkling ornamentsH5914 about their feet, and their caulsH7636, and their round tires like the moonH7720, 19The chainsH5188, and the braceletsH8285, and the mufflersH7479, 20The bonnetsH6287, and the ornaments of the legsH6807, and the headbandsH7196, and the tabletsH5315 H1004, and the earringsH3908, 21The ringsH2885, and noseH639 jewelsH5141, 22The changeable suits of apparelH4254, and the mantlesH4595, and the wimplesH4304, and the crisping pinsH2754, 23The glassesH1549, and the fine linenH5466, and the hoodsH6797, and the vailsH7289. 24And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smellH1314 there shall be stinkH4716; and instead of a girdleH2290 a rentH5364; and instead of well setH4639 hairH4748 baldnessH7144; and instead of a stomacherH6614 a girdingH4228 of sackclothH8242; and burningH3587 instead of beautyH3308. 25Thy menH4962 shall fallH5307 by the swordH2719, and thy mightyH1369 in the warH4421. 26And her gatesH6607 shall lamentH578 and mournH56 ; and she being desolateH5352 shall sitH3427 upon the groundH776.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 (Isa. 3:1-26)
For--continuation of
Isa 2:22.
Lord of hosts--therefore able to do as He says.
doth--present for future, so certain is the accomplishment.
stay . . . staff--the same Hebrew word, the one masculine, the other feminine, an Arabic idiom for all kinds of support. What a change from the previous luxuries (
Isa 2:7)! Fulfilled in the siege by Nebuchadnezzar and afterwards by Titus (
Jer 37:21;
Jer 38:9).
2 Fulfilled (
2Kgs 24:14).
prudent--the Hebrew often means a "soothsayer" (
Deut 18:10-
Deut 18:14); thus it will mean, the diviners, on whom they rely, shall in that day fail. It is found in a good sense (
Pro 16:10), from which passage the Jews interpret it a king; "without" whom Israel long has been (
Hos 3:4).
ancient--old and experienced (
1Kgs 12:6-8).
3 captain of fifty--not only captains of thousands, and centurions of a hundred, but even semi-centurions of fifty, shall fail.
honourable--literally, "of dignified aspect."
cunning--skilful. The mechanic's business will come to a standstill in the siege and subsequent desolation of the state; artisans are no mean "stay" among a nation's safeguards.
eloquent orator--rather, as Vulgate, "skilled in whispering," that is, incantation (
Ps 58:5). See
Isa 8:19, below; and on "prudent," see on
Isa 3:2.
4 children--in ability for governing; antithesis to the "ancient" (see
Isa 3:12;
Eccl 10:16).
babes--in warlike might; antithesis to "the mighty" and "man of war."
5 The anarchy resulting under such imbecile rulers (
Isa 3:4); unjust exactions mutually; the forms of respect violated (
Lev 19:32).
base--low-born. Compare the marks of "the last days" (
2Tim 3:2).
6 Such will be the want of men of wealth and ability, that they will "take hold of" (
Isa 4:1) the first man whom they meet, having any property, to make him "ruler."
brother--one having no better hereditary claim to be ruler than the "man" supplicating him.
Thou hast clothing--which none of us has. Changes of raiment are wealth in the East (
2Kgs 5:5).
ruin--Let our ruined affairs be committed to thee to retrieve.
7 swear--literally, "lift up," namely, his hand; the gesture used in solemn attestation. Or, his voice, that is, answer; so Vulgate.
healer--of the body politic, incurably diseased (
Isa 1:6).
neither . . . clothing--so as to relieve the people and maintain a ruler's dignity. A nation's state must be bad indeed, when none among men, naturally ambitious, is willing to accept office.
8 Reason given by the prophet, why all shrink from the government.
eyes of his glory--to provoke His "glorious" Majesty before His "eyes" (compare
Isa 49:5;
Hab 1:13). The Syriac and LOWTH, by a slight change of the Hebrew, translate, "the cloud of His glory," the Shekinah.
9 show--The Hebrew means, "that which may be known by their countenances" [GESENIUS and WEISS]. But MAURER translates, "Their respect for person"; so Syriac and Chaldee. But the parallel word "declare" favors the other view. KIMCHI, from the Arabic, translates "their hardness" (
Job 19:3, Margin), or impudence of countenance (
Jer 3:3). They have lost not only the substance of virtue, but its color.
witness--literally, "corresponds" to them; their look answers to their inner character (
Hos 5:5).
declare-- (
Jude 1:13). "Foaming out their own shame"; so far from making it a secret, "glorying" in it (
Phil 3:19).
unto themselves--Compare "in themselves" (
Pro 1:31;
Pro 8:36;
Jer 2:19;
Rom 1:27).
10 The faithlessness of many is no proof that all are faithless. Though nothing but croaking of frogs is heard on the surface of the pool, we are not to infer there are no fish beneath [BENGEL]. (See
Isa 1:19-
Isa 1:20).
fruit of doings-- (
Pro 1:31) in a good sense (
Gal 6:8;
Rev 22:14). Not salvation by works, but by fruit-bearing faith (
Isa 45:24;
Jer 23:6). GESENIUS and WEISS translate, Declare as to the righteous that, &c. MAURER, "Say that the righteous is blessed."
11 ill--antithesis to "well" (
Isa 3:10); emphatic ellipsis of the words italicized. "Ill!"
hands--his conduct; "hands" being the instrument of acts (
Eccl 8:12-
Eccl 8:13).
12 (See
Isa 3:4).
oppressors--literally, "exactors," that is, exacting princes (
Isa 60:17). They who ought to be protectors are exactors; as unqualified for rule as "children," as effeminate as "women." Perhaps it is also implied that they were under the influence of their harem, the women of their court.
lead--Hebrew, "call thee blessed"; namely, the false prophets, who flatter the people with promises of safety in sin; as the political "rulers" are meant in the first clause.
way of thy paths-- (
Jer 6:16). The right way set forth in the law. "Destroy"--Hebrew, "Swallow up," that is, cause so utterly to disappear that not a vestige of it is left.
13 standeth up--no longer sitting in silence.
plead--indignant against a wicked people (
Isa 66:16;
Ezek 20:35).
14 ancients--Hence they are spoken of as "taken away" (
Isa 3:1-
Isa 3:2).
vineyard--the Jewish theocracy (
Isa 5:1-
Isa 5:7;
Ps 80:9-
Ps 80:13).
eaten up--"burnt"; namely, by "oppressive exactions" (
Isa 3:12). Type of the crowning guilt of the husbandmen in the days of Jesus Christ (
Matt 21:34-
Matt 21:41).
spoil . . . houses-- (
Matt 23:14).
15 What right have ye to beat, &c. (
Ps 94:5;
Mic 3:2-
Mic 3:3).
grind--by exactions, so as to leave them nothing.
faces--persons; with the additional idea of it being openly and palpably done. "Presence," equivalent to "face" (Hebrew).
16 Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, &c.--Luxury had become great in Uzziah's prosperous reign (
2Chr 26:5).
stretched forth--proudly elevated (
Ps 75:5).
wanton--rather, "making the eyes to glance about," namely, wantonly (
Pro 6:13) [MAURER]. But LOWTH, "falsely setting off the eyes with paint." Women's eyelids in the East are often colored with stibium, or powder of lead (see on
Job 42:14;
Jer 4:30, Margin).
mincing--tripping with short steps.
tinkling--with their ankle-rings on both feet, joined by small chains, which sound as they walk, and compel them to take short steps; sometimes little bells were attached (
Isa 3:18,
Isa 3:20).
17 smite with a scab--literally, "make bald," namely, by disease.
discover--cause them to suffer the greatest indignity that can befall female captives, namely to be stripped naked, and have their persons exposed (
Isa 47:3; compare with
Isa 20:4).
18 bravery--the finery.
tinkling--(See
Isa 3:16).
cauls--network for the head. Or else, from an Arabic root, "little suns," answering to the "tires" or neck-ornaments, "like the moon" (
Judg 8:21). The chumarah or crescent is also worn in front of the headdress in West Asia.
19 chains--rather, pendants, hanging about the neck, and dropping on the breast.
mufflers--veils covering the face, with apertures for the eyes, close above and loosely flowing below. The word radically means "tremulous," referring to the changing effect of the spangles on the veil.
20 bonnets--turbans.
ornaments of the legs--the short stepping-chains from one foot to another, to give a measured gait; attached to the "tinkling ornaments" (
Isa 3:16).
headbands--literally, "girdles."
tablets--rather, "houses of the breath," that is, smelling boxes [Vulgate].
earrings--rather, amulets suspended from the neck or ears, with magic formulć inscribed; the root means to "whisper" or "conjure."
21 nose jewels--The cartilage between the nostrils was bored to receive them; they usually hung from the left nostril.
22 Here begin entire articles of apparel. Those before were single ornaments.
changeable--from a root, "to put off"; not worn commonly; put on and off on special occasions. So, dress-clothes (
Zech 3:4).
mantles--fuller tunics with sleeves, worn over the common one, reaching down to the feet.
wimples--that is, mufflers, or hoods. In
Ruth 3:15, "veils"; perhaps here, a broad cloak, or shawl, thrown over the head and body.
crisping pins--rather, money bags (
2Kgs 5:23).
23 glasses--mirrors of polished metal (
Exod 38:8). But the Septuagint, a transparent, gauze-like, garment.
hoods--miters, or diadems (
Isa 62:3;
Zech 3:5).
veils--large enough to cover the head and person. Distinct from the smaller veils ("mufflers") above (
Gen 24:65). Token of woman's subjection (
1Cor 11:10).
24 stink--arising from ulcers (
Zech 14:12).
girdle--to gird up the loose Eastern garments, when the person walked.
rent--the Septuagint, better, a "rope," an emblem of poverty; the poor have nothing else to gird up their clothes with.
well-set hair-- (
1Pet 3:3-4).
baldness-- (
Isa 3:17).
stomacher--a broad plaited girdle.
sackcloth-- (
2Sam 3:31).
burning--a sunburnt countenance, owing to their hoods and veils being stripped off, while they had to work as captives under a scorching sun (
Song 1:6).
25 Thy men--of Jerusalem.
26 gates--The place of concourse personified is represented mourning for the loss of those multitudes which once frequented it.
desolate . . . sit upon . . . ground--the very figure under which Judea was represented on medals after the destruction by Titus: a female sitting under a palm tree in a posture of grief; the motto, Judća capta (
Job 2:13;
Lam 2:10, where, as here primarily, the destruction by Nebuchadnezzar is alluded to).
that day--the calamitous period described in previous chapter.
seven--indefinite number among the Jews. So many men would be slain, that there would be very many more women than men; for example, seven women, contrary to their natural bashfulness, would sue to (equivalent to "take hold of,"
Isa 3:6) one man to marry them.
eat . . . own bread--foregoing the privileges, which the law (
Exod 21:10) gives to wives, when a man has more than one.
reproach--of being unwedded and childless; especially felt among the Jews, who were looking for "the seed of the woman," Jesus Christ, described in
Isa 4:2;
Isa 54:1,
Isa 54:4;
Luke 1:25.