Isaiah 3:1-12 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

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Bible Comments

Judah to be Punished with Anarchy. The date is uncertain. That it was early in the reign of Ahaz is a dubious inference from Isaiah 3:12. The pillars of society will be removed, and control will thus be thrown into the hands of young, inexperienced upstarts. Social distinctions will be swept away, age and rank no longer secure respect. Tired of the anarchy, the people will offer the headship of their district to one whom they imagine equal to it, apparently because he belongs to the old order and has hereditary instincts for administration. But he will refuse, disclaiming the qualification. This impending ruin is due to Judah's rebellious provocation of Yahweh, its respect of persons (mg.), Sodom-like shamelessness in its sin. Blessed is the righteous, woe to the wicked; each shall reap what he has sown. The people is governed by oppressors and usurers, its leaders mislead it.

Isaiah 3:1. the whole. water: a gloss; stay and staff are the pillars of society.

Isaiah 3:6. Render, When a man shall take hold of his brother saying, In thy father's (reading 2nd person) house is a mantle (? robe of office), come be thou our ruler.

Isaiah 3:10 f. Perhaps a gloss; the Heb. is elliptical, the thought generalising, the standpoint that of the later individualism, which sharply differentiated the pious and wicked and asserted a corresponding difference in their fate. Say ye of: read Blessed is (-' ashre for -' imru).

Isaiah 3:12. Render, tormentors are their oppressors, and usurers (nô shim) rule over them. destroy: confuse.

Related Commentaries of Isaiah 3:1

Isaiah 3:1-12

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,

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 honourablea man, and the counsellor, and the cunning 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 neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.

6 When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand:

7 In that day shall he swear,b saying, I will not be an healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people.

8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory.

9 The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.

10 Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.

11 Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be givenc him.

12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which leadd thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.