Isaiah 3:4

4 I will put children in authority; capriciousness will govern them.

Isaiah 3:4 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 3:4

And I will give children [to be] their princes
Either in age, or in understanding, who are really so, or act like such; and in either sense, when this is the case, it is an unhappiness to a nation, ( Ecclesiastes 10:16 ) : and babes shall rule over them;
which is the same as before. The Targum is,

``the weak shall rule over them;''

such who are weak in their intellectuals, or are of mean pusillanimous spirits, "effeminate", as the Vulgate Latin version renders it; and so as "children" are opposed to the "ancient", that should be taken away, these are opposed to "men of might" and courage, who would now be wanting: or "men of illusions", as in the margin; such as were subtle as foxes, and should deceive them, and impose upon them, and were audacious and impudent, and would mock at them, and despise them. So Jarchi and Abarbinel; and according to this sense of the word the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, render it, "mockers shall rule over them".

Isaiah 3:4 In-Context

2 heroes and warriors, judges and prophets, diviners and leaders,

3 captains of fifty, men of rank and advisers, skillful magicians and expert enchanters.

4 I will put children in authority; capriciousness will govern them.

5 People will oppress each other - everyone his friend, everyone his neighbor. The young will be insolent toward their elders, the insignificant arrogant toward the respected.

6 A man will take hold of his brother in his father's house and say, "You have a coat, so rule us! Take charge of this ruin!"