Isaiah 3:1

Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah

1 See now, the Lord, the LORD Almighty, is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah both supply and support: all supplies of food and all supplies of water,

Isaiah 3:1 in Other Translations

KJV
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,
ESV
1 For behold, the Lord GOD of hosts is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah support and supply, all support of bread, and all support of water;
NLT
1 The Lord, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, will take away from Jerusalem and Judah everything they depend on: every bit of bread and every drop of water,
MSG
1 The Master, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, is emptying Jerusalem and Judah Of all the basic necessities, plain bread and water to begin with.
CSB
1 Observe this: The Lord God of Hosts is about to remove from Jerusalem and from Judah every kind of security: the entire supply of bread and water,

Isaiah 3:1 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 3:1

For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts
These titles of Jehovah, expressive of power and authority, are used to show that he is able to execute what he threatens to do; and the word "behold" is prefixed, to excite attention to what is about to be said: doth take away from Jerusalem, and from Judea;
the present tense is used for the future, because of the certainty of what would be done to the Jews, both in city and country; for as in the preceding chapter ( Isaiah 2:1-22 ) it is foretold what shall befall the antichristian party among the nations of the world, this is a prophecy of the destruction of the Jews by the Romans; at which time there would be a dreadful famine, signified by the taking away the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay
of water;
bread and water being the stay and staff of man's life, which support and maintain it; and, in case of disobedience, a famine was threatened this people very early, and in much such terms as here, ( Leviticus 26:26 ) and as there was a very sore famine at the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, ( Jeremiah 52:6 ) so there was a very dreadful one when the city was besieged by the Romans, as related by Josephus, and predicted by Christ, ( Matthew 24:7 ) .

Isaiah 3:1 In-Context

1 See now, the Lord, the LORD Almighty, is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah both supply and support: all supplies of food and all supplies of water,
2 the hero and the warrior, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder,
3 the captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor, skilled craftsman and clever enchanter.
4 “I will make mere youths their officials; children will rule over them.”
5 People will oppress each other— man against man, neighbor against neighbor. The young will rise up against the old, the nobody against the honored.

Cross References 3

  • 1. S Psalms 18:18
  • 2. S Leviticus 26:26; Amos 4:6
  • 3. Isaiah 5:13; Isaiah 65:13; Ezekiel 4:16
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