Isaiah 3:1-6

God Will Remove the Leaders

1 For behold, the Lord GOD of hosts 1is going to remove from Jerusalem and Judah Both supply and support, the whole supply of bread And the whole supply of water;
2 2The mighty man and the warrior, The judge and the prophet, The diviner and the elder,
3 The captain of fifty and the honorable * man, The counselor and the expert artisan, And the skillful enchanter.
4 And I will make mere 3lads their princes, And capricious children will rule over them,
5 And the people will be 4oppressed, Each one by another, and each one by his 5neighbor; The youth will storm against the elder And the inferior against the honorable.
6 When a man 6lays hold of his brother in his father's house, saying, "You have a cloak, you shall be our ruler, And these ruins will be under your charge,"

Isaiah 3:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 3

In this chapter the Jews are threatened with various calamities, on account of their sins, which would issue in their entire ruin and destruction. They are threatened with a famine, Isa 3:1 with a removal of useful men in church and state, and in common life, Isa 3:2,3 with ignorant and effeminate governors; the consequences of which would be oppression and insolence, Isa 3:4,5 yea, that such would be their state and condition, that men, though naturally ambitious of honour, would refuse to have the government of them, Isa 3:6,7 the reasons of these calamities, and of this ruin and fall of them, are their evil words and actions against the Lord, which were highly provoking to him; and their impudence in sinning like Sodom, which was to their own harm, Isa 3:8,9 yet, in the midst of all this, it is the will of God that the righteous should be told it shall be well with them, with the reason of it; when it shall be ill with the wicked, as a just recompence of reward, Isa 3:10,11 the errors and mistakes of the people are attributed to their childish and effeminate governors, Isa 3:12 wherefore the Lord determines to plead their cause, and contend with their elders and rulers, because they had spoiled and devoured the poor, Isa 3:13-15 and particularly the women are threatened, for their pride and luxury, to have their ornaments taken from them, which are particularly mentioned, Isa 3:16-24 and the chapter is concluded with a prophecy, that their mighty men should perish by the sword in war, and the city should be desolate, Isa 3:25,26.

Cross References 6

  • 1. Leviticus 26:26; Isaiah 5:13; Isaiah 9:20; Ezekiel 4:16
  • 2. 2 Kings 24:14; Isaiah 9:14, 15; Ezekiel 17:12, 13
  • 3. Ecclesiastes 10:16
  • 4. Micah 7:3-6
  • 5. Isaiah 9:19; Jeremiah 9:3-8
  • 6. Isaiah 4:1

Footnotes 6

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