12 As for my people, H5971 children H5953 are their oppressors, H5065 and women H802 rule H4910 over them. O my people, H5971 they which lead H833 thee cause thee to err, H8582 and destroy H1104 the way H1870 of thy paths. H734
And I will give H5414 children H5288 to be their princes, H8269 and babes H8586 shall rule H4910 over them.
Speak H1696 unto Aaron H175 and unto his sons, H1121 saying, H559 On this wise H3541 ye shall bless H1288 the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 saying H559 unto them, The LORD H3068 bless H1288 thee, and keep H8104 thee: The LORD H3068 make his face H6440 shine H215 upon thee, and be gracious H2603 unto thee: The LORD H3068 lift up H5375 his countenance H6440 upon thee, and give H7760 thee peace. H7965 And they shall put H7760 my name H8034 upon the children H1121 of Israel; H3478 and I will bless H1288 them.
The ancient H2205 and honourable, H6440 H5375 he H1931 is the head; H7218 and the prophet H5030 that teacheth H3384 lies, H8267 he is the tail. H2180 For the leaders H833 of this people H5971 cause them to err; H8582 and they that are led H833 of them are destroyed. H1104
Wherefore hear H8085 the word H1697 of the LORD, H3068 ye scornful H3944 men, H582 that rule H4910 this people H5971 which is in Jerusalem. H3389 Because ye have said, H559 We have made H3772 a covenant H1285 with death, H4194 and with hell H7585 are we H6213 at agreement; H2374 when the overflowing H7857 scourge H7752 H7885 shall pass through, H5674 H5674 it shall not come H935 unto us: for we have made H7760 lies H3577 our refuge, H4268 and under falsehood H8267 have we hid H5641 ourselves:
Behold, thy people H5971 in the midst H7130 of thee are women: H802 the gates H8179 of thy land H776 shall be set wide H6605 open H6605 unto thine enemies: H341 the fire H784 shall devour H398 thy bars. H1280
Let G863 them G846 alone: G863 they be G1526 blind G5185 leaders G3595 of the blind. G5185 And G1161 if G1437 the blind G5185 lead G3594 the blind, G5185 both G297 shall fall G4098 into G1519 the ditch. G999
But G1161 woe G3759 unto you, G5213 scribes G1122 and G2532 Pharisees, G5330 hypocrites! G5273 for G3754 ye shut up G2808 the kingdom G932 of heaven G3772 against G1715 men: G444 for G1063 ye G5210 neither G3761 go in G1525 yourselves, neither G3756 suffer ye G863 them that are entering G1525 to go in. G1525
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Isaiah 3
Commentary on Isaiah 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
The prophet, in this chapter, goes on to foretel the desolations that were coming upon Judah and Jerusalem for their sins, both that by the Babylonians and that which completed their ruin by the Romans, with some of the grounds of God's controversy with them. God threatens,
O that the nations of the earth, at this day, would hearken to rebukes and warnings which this chapter gives!
Isa 3:1-8
The prophet, in the close of the foregoing chapter, had given a necessary caution to all not to put confidence in man, or any creature; he had also given a general reason for that caution, taken from the frailty of human life and the vanity and weakness of human powers. Here he gives a particular reason for it-God was now about to ruin all their creature-confidences, so that they should meet with nothing but disappointments in all their expectations from them (v. 1): The stay and the staff shall be taken away, all their supports, of what kind soever, all the things they trusted to and looked for help and relief from. Their church and kingdom had now grown old and were going to decay, and they were (after the manner of aged men, Zec. 8:4) leaning on a staff: now God threatens to take away their staff, and then they must fall of course, to take away the stays of both the city and the country, of Jerusalem and of Judah, which are indeed stays to one another, and, if one fail, the other feels from it. He that does this is the Lord, the Lord of hosts-Adon, the Lord that is himself the stay or foundation; if that stay depart, all other stays certainly break under us, for he is the strength of them all. He that is the Lord, the ruler, that has authority to do it, and the Lord of hosts, that has the ability to do it, he shall take away the stay and the staff. St. Jerome refers this to the sensible decay of the Jewish nation after they had crucified our Saviour, Rom. 11:9, 10. I rather take it as a warning to all nations not to provoke God; for if they make him their enemy, he can and will thus make them miserable. Let us view the particulars.
Isa 3:9-15
Here God proceeds in his controversy with his people. Observe,
Isa 3:16-26
The prophet's business was to show all sorts of people what they had contributed to the national guilt and what share they must expect in the national judgments that were coming. Here he reproves and warns the daughters of Zion, tells the ladies of their faults; and Moses, in the law, having denounced God's wrath against the tender and delicate woman (the prophets being a comment upon the law, Deu. 28:56), he here tells them how they shall smart by the calamities that are coming upon them. Observe,