Isaiah 3

CHAPTER 3

Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah (3:1–26)

1–3 In this chapter, Isaiah turns from thoughts of a far-off day of judgment and speaks instead of the judgment that was about to fall on Jerusalem and Judah. That judgment fell more than a century after Isaiah wrote these words, yet his description here is highly accurate. That judgment was to come at the hands of the Babylonians.

Though all the people of Judah would suffer as the result of God’s judgment, its leaders would suffer the most. Leaders bear the greater responsibility not only for what goes right but also for what goes wrong (James 3:1). In these verses, Isaiah lists the important groups of leaders who would be taken from Jerusalem, leaving only the poor people behind (see 2 Kings 24:14; 25:18–21).

4–7 With the leaders gone, social chaos would inevitably follow (verses 4–5). An ordinary person might be asked to take leadership, to take charge of this heap of ruins—Jerusalem (verse 6). But knowing the situation was hopeless, he would decline: “I have no remedy,” he’d say (verse 7). There’d be no one to lead. Normally it doesn’t take much encouragement to get people to be leaders!

8–11 Here Isaiah continues to picture the fall of Jerusalem and Judah. Right to the end, the people of Judah remain defiant and arrogant, and thus are doomed (verses 8–9). But the righteous among them will be spared (verse 10). Even when everything around them is corrupt and crumbling, God’s people must continue to walk in God’s ways; if they do, they will be saved.

12–15 Here Isaiah continues to describe the failed leadership of Judah; the leaders are the ones who have led the people astray (verse 12). Therefore, God will enter into judgment against them; they have ruined God’s vineyard—Israel (verse 14). These leaders, who should have protected the poor, have instead taken advantage of them; they have “crushed” them and “ground” them (verse 15).

16–23 In these verses, Isaiah describes the fate of the proud and wealthy women of Jerusalem. The Lord will bring a disease upon their beautiful heads (verses 16–17), and He will snatch away all their finery (verses 18–23).

24–26 Here we see the reversal of fortune that will come upon the citizens of Jerusalem. After living in luxury, they will go into captivity as slaves. The young men will die in battle (verse 25). Even the gates of Jerusalem²¹ will mourn, because the leaders that used to meet there are now gone.