Isaiah 3
3
Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah
1#These verses suggest deportation, with resulting social upheaval, and thus may date to sometime after Ahaz submitted as vassal to Assyria. The deportation practiced by Assyria, as later by Babylon, exiled the leading elements of society, such as those named in vv. 2–3; cf. 2 Kgs 24:12, 14–16 for a similar list of those exiled by the Babylonians. Denuding society of its leaders opens the way to near anarchy and a situation in which leadership is seized by or thrust upon those unqualified for it (vv. 5–7). The situation has been provoked by sinfully inept leadership (vv. 4, 8–9, 12). Some suggest that vv. 4 and 12 refer to Ahaz, who may have come to the throne at an early age. Verses 10–11 form a wisdom couplet that was inserted later. The Lord, the Lord of hosts,
will take away from Jerusalem and from Judah
Support and staff—
all support of bread,
all support of water:#Lv 26:26; Ez 4:16.
2Hero and warrior,
judge and prophet, diviner and elder,
3The captain of fifty and the nobleman,
counselor, skilled magician, and expert charmer.
4I will place boys as their princes;
the fickle will govern them,#Eccl 10:16.
5And the people will oppress one another,
yes, each one the neighbor.
The child will be insolent toward the elder,
and the base toward the honorable.#Mi 7:5–6.
6When anyone seizes a brother
in their father’s house, saying,
“You have clothes! Be our ruler,
and take in hand this ruin!”—
7He will cry out in that day:
“I cannot be a healer,#Is 1:6.
when there is neither bread nor clothing in my own house!
You will not make me a ruler of the people!”
8Jerusalem has stumbled, Judah has fallen;
for their speech and deeds affront the Lord,
a provocation in the sight of his majesty.
9Their very look bears witness against them;#Jer 3:3.
they boast of their sin like Sodom,#Is 1:10.
They do not hide it.
Woe to them!
They deal out evil to themselves.
10Happy the just, for it will go well with them,
the fruit of their works they will eat.
11Woe to the wicked! It will go ill with them,
with the work of their hands they will be repaid.
12My people—infants oppress them,
women rule over them!
My people, your leaders deceive you,#Mi 3:5.
they confuse the paths you should follow.
13#The princes and the elders, here accused of despoiling the poor, are the very ones who should be their defenders. Loot: by the Hebrew term (gazela) Isaiah conveys the idea of violent seizure, though 10:1–4 suggests the poor could be plundered by legal means. The Lord rises to accuse,
stands to try his people.
14The Lord enters into judgment
with the people’s elders and princes:
You, you who have devoured the vineyard;
the loot wrested from the poor is in your houses.
15What do you mean by crushing my people,
and grinding down the faces of the poor?
says the Lord, the God of hosts.
The Haughty Women of Zion#3:16–4:1] Here and again in 32:9–14 Isaiah condemns the women of the ruling class for their part in Jerusalem’s plight.
16The Lord said:#Is 32:9–14; Ez 16:50; Am 4:1–3.
Because the daughters of Zion are haughty,
and walk with necks outstretched,
Ogling and mincing as they go,
their anklets tinkling with every step,
17The Lord shall cover the scalps of Zion’s daughters with scabs,
and the Lord shall lay bare their heads.#A shaven head is a mark of social disgrace; cf. Nm 5:18. #Jer 13:26; Ez 16:37.
18#The long list of women’s apparel in these verses suggests luxury and vanity; it contains a number of rare words, and the precise meaning of many of the terms is uncertain. On that day the Lord will do away with the finery of the anklets, sunbursts, and crescents; 19the pendants, bracelets, and veils; 20the headdresses, bangles, cinctures, perfume boxes, and amulets; 21the signet rings, and the nose rings; 22the court dresses, wraps, cloaks, and purses; 23the lace gowns, linen tunics, turbans, and shawls.
24Instead of perfume there will be stench,
instead of a girdle, a rope,
And instead of elaborate coiffure, baldness;
instead of a rich gown, a sackcloth skirt.
Then, instead of beauty, shame.
25Your men will fall by the sword,
and your champions,#Your men…your champions: the second person feminine singular pronoun here shows that the prophet has shifted his attention from the women of Zion to the personified city of Zion. in war;#Hos 14:1.
26Her gates will lament and mourn,
as the city sits desolate on the ground.#Is 47:1; Lam 2:10.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Isaiah 3
3
Judah’s Leaders Judged
1Note this: The Lord God of Armies
is about to remove from Jerusalem and from Judah
every kind of security:
the entire supply of bread and water,
2heroes and warriors,#2Kg 24:14; Ezk 17:13–14
judges and prophets,
fortune-tellers and elders,
3commanders of fifty and dignitaries,
counselors, cunning magicians,#3:3 Or skilled craftsmen and necromancers.#3:3 Or mediums
4“I will make youths their leaders,#Ec 10:16
and unstable rulers#3:4 Or mischief-makers will govern them.”
5The people will oppress one another,#Mc 7:3–6
man against man, neighbor against neighbor;
the young will act arrogantly toward the old,
and the worthless toward the honorable.
6A man will even seize his brother
in his father’s house, saying,
“You have a cloak — you be our leader!
This heap of rubble will be under your control.”
7On that day he will cry out, saying,
“I’m not a healer.
I don’t even have food or clothing in my house.
Don’t make me the leader of the people!”
8For Jerusalem has stumbled
and Judah has fallen
because they have spoken and acted against the Lord,#Ps 73:9–11
defying his glorious presence.#Nm 14:22–23; Is 43:7; 48:11; 59:19
9The look on their faces testifies against them,
and like Sodom,#Is 1:9–10; 13:19 they flaunt their sin;
they do not conceal it.
Woe to them,
for they have brought disaster on themselves.#Rm 6:23
10Tell the righteous that it will go well for them,
for they will eat the fruit of their labor.
11Woe to the wicked — it will go badly for them,
for what they have done will be done to them.
12Youths oppress my people,#Is 3:4
and women rule over them.
My people, your leaders mislead you;
they confuse the direction of your paths.#Is 28:14–22
13The Lord rises to argue the case
and stands to judge the people.#Ps 7:6; Hs 4:1
14The Lord brings this charge
against the elders and leaders of his people:#Mc 3:1–3
“You have devastated the vineyard.
The plunder from the poor is in your houses.#Ezk 18:10–18; 33:15
15Why do you crush my people
and grind the faces of the poor?”
This is the declaration of the Lord God of Armies.
Jerusalem’s Women Judged
16The Lord also says:
Because the daughters of Zion are haughty,#Is 32:9–15; 1Pt 3:3–4
walking with heads held high
and seductive eyes,
prancing along,
jingling their ankle bracelets,
17the Lord will put scabs on the heads
of the daughters of Zion,
and the Lord will shave their foreheads bare.
18On that day#Is 27:12 the Lord will strip their finery: ankle bracelets, headbands, crescents,#Jdg 8:21,26 19pendants, bracelets, veils, 20headdresses, ankle jewelry, sashes, perfume bottles, amulets,#Ezk 24:17 21signet rings, nose rings,#Gn 24:47; Ezk 16:12 22festive robes, capes, cloaks, purses, 23garments, linen clothes, turbans, and shawls.
24Instead of perfume there will be a stench;
instead of a belt, a rope;
instead of beautifully styled hair,#1Pt 3:3 baldness;#Is 15:2; 22:12; Ezk 27:31; Am 8:10; Mc 1:16
instead of fine clothes, sackcloth;#Gn 37:34; Is 15:3; Jr 48:36–38; Lm 2:10
instead of beauty, branding.#3:24 DSS read shame
25Your men will fall by the sword,
your warriors in battle.
26Then her gates#Jr 14:2; Lm 1:4 will lament and mourn;
deserted, she will sit on the ground.#Jb 2:13; Is 47:1; Lm 2:10
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