Isaiah 3:11-21

11 Woe to the wicked man into evil; for why the yielding of his hands shall be made to him. (Woe to the wicked person unto evil; for the reward of his hands, or the fruit of his labour, shall be given to him.)

12 The wrongful askers of my people robbed it, and women were lords thereof. My people, they that say thee blessed, deceive thee, and destroy the way of thy steps. (The oppressors of my people rob them, and women be their lords. My people, those who say that thou art blessed, deceive thee, and destroy the way of thy steps.)

13 The Lord standeth for to deem, and he standeth for to deem [the] peoples; (The Lord cometh forth to judge, yea, he cometh forth to judge the people;)

14 the Lord shall come to doom, with the elder men of his people, and with his princes; for ye have wasted my vineyard, and the raven of a poor man is in your house. (the Lord shall come to judge the elders of his people, and their leaders; for ye have destroyed my vineyard, and the spoils of the poor be in your house.)

15 Why all-break ye my people, and grind together the faces of poor men? saith the Lord God of hosts. (Why altogether break ye my people, and altogether grind down the poor? saith the Lord God of hosts.)

16 And the Lord God said, For that that the daughters of Zion were raised (up), and went with neck stretched forth, and went by signs of eyes, and clapped with hands, and went, and with their feet went in well-arrayed going (and went with their feet in well-arrayed fashion, and with bangles on their ankles),

17 the Lord shall make bald the noll of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord shall make naked the hair of them. (the Lord shall make the daughters of Zion bald, yea, the Lord shall shave off all their hair.)

18 In that day the Lord shall take away the ornament of shoes, and golden little bells like the moon, (On that day the Lord shall take away all the ornaments for shoes, the little gold bells like the moon,)

19 and (also the) ribbons, and brooches, and (the) ornaments of arms nigh the shoulders,

20 and mitres, either chaplets, and combs, and ornaments of arms nigh the hands, and (the) golden ornaments like lampreys, and little vessels of ointments, and earrings,

21 and rings, and precious stones hanging in the forehead, (and rings, and precious stones that hang upon the forehead,)

Isaiah 3:11-21 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.