Isaiah 3:1

1 For behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole store of bread and the whole store of 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 For behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole store of bread and the whole store of water,

2 the mighty man and the man of war, the judge and the prophet, and the prudent and the ancient,

3 the captain of fifty and the honorable man, and the counselor and the skilled artificer and the eloquent orator.

4 "And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.

5 And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another and every one by his neighbor; the child shall behave himself proudly against the elder, and the base against the honorable."