ISAIAH 3 JUDGMENT ON JUDAH AND JERUSALEM

 

ISAIAH 3

Judgment on Judah and Jerusalem

Isa 3:1  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,

This chapter continues with the Lord’s judgments upon the people He has forsaken.  The Lord is about to take away their basic needs, reducing them from a life of luxury to one of scarcity. Additionally, He will remove people of all ranks – great and small, strong and weak – who uphold the governance of Judah, temple activities in Jerusalem and the nation’s trade and commerce.

Isa 3:2  The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,

 The Lord will take away their kings, rulers, princes, priests and prophets, as well as elders, wisemen, and young able-bodied men of valour.

Isa 3:3  The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator. 

God will remove their army commanders, men of repute, honour and influence,  dignified officials, advisors to statesmen, and skilled artisans – architects, smiths and craftsmen – taking them captive into enemy lands.

Isa 3:4  And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. 

With all the older generation taken away, leadership will fall into the hands of immature and inexperienced rulers.

Isa 3:5  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. 

As the nation declines, oppression will prevail, with individuals asserting dominance over one another and exercising authority over their neighbours. In such chaos, inexperienced youths will exalt themselves over their elders, and the lowly, placed in positions of power, will boast over the truly honourable.

Isa 3:6  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: 

This verse expresses a time of great distress and anarchy, when there would be no ruler and each man would seek leadership for himself. In their desperation, people will willingly submit to a fellow tribesman or relative who possesses wealth, evidenced by his garments, hoping he might take control and provide for them in their broken, ruinous state.

Isa 3:7  In that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be an healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people. 

That man who is urged to be their ruler will cry out in dismay, offering excuses. He insists that he cannot remedy the dire situation, protesting that he himself lacks food and clothing. Thus, he would be unable to exercise the generosity and hospitality expected of someone in a position of authority.

Isa 3:8  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. 

Both Jerusalem and Judah have fallen into devastation because they provoked God. Their speech—marked by pride, arrogance, rebellion, and possibly blasphemy—along with their sinful deeds, defied the presence of the LORD, who dwelt among them in His Shekinah glory.

Isa 3:9  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. 

Their very countenance reveals the bitterness and wickedness within them. They feel no shame for their sins; instead, they boldly display their crimes, without any attempt at concealment. Woe to them, for they have rightfully earned their punishment. Those that are past shame are past grace, and then past hope!

Isa 3:10  Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. 

Encourage the righteous, for their goodness will be rewarded. Those who fear God, depart from evil, follow His testimonies, and live in expectation of eternal glory will reap the benefits of their righteousness in every season of life.

Isa 3:11  Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him. 

For those who harbour evil in their heart, thoughts, and actions, no words of blessing can be spoken. They, too, will reap the consequences of their wicked labour, receiving their just punishment.

Isa 3:12  As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths. 

The people of God are ruled by immature princes–usurers and exactors who strip them bare, much like grape gleaners who rob the vineyard of its fruit. The priests, prophets and princes, whom the people trust, are the very ones leading them astray. Some preach falsehood and corruption, while others proclaim truth yet contradict it with their actions and poor examples—effectively obliterating the very paths they are meant to uphold.

Isa 3:13  The LORD standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people. 

The Lord will not remain silent. Seeing their wickedness, He will rise to contend with them and execute just punishment.

Isa 3:14  The LORD will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses. 

The Lord shall examine and judge the senior counsellors and rulers who have corrupted the people and devastated the nation through oppression and exploitation. The wealth they have seized from the poor—hoarded in their own homes—serves as clear evidence against them. Those entrusted to safeguard the vineyard from destruction have instead consumed it themselves.

Isa 3:15  What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord GOD of hosts. 

The LORD, the God of heaven, condemns their severe oppression, likening it to trampling the people into the dust and grinding the faces of the poor between millstones—a vivid image of cruelty and injustice.

Isa 3:16  Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet: 

Now the prophet shifts the focus to the women of Jerusalem, warning them of their sins as revealed by the LORD. They carry themselves with pride and vanity, lifting their heads in arrogance. Their eyes, full of deceit, cast alluring and enticing glances, drawing men into their snares. They tiptoe delicately, adorned with foot ornaments that jingle as they walk.

Isa 3:17  Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts.

The Lord will judge them by afflicting them with disease, causing their hair to fall and leaving them bald—a visible sign of humiliation. This will force them to lower their heads in disgrace. Additionally, their nakedness will be exposed when they are led as captives into foreign lands.

Isa 3:18  In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon, 

On the day of judgment, the Lord will strip them of their extravagant adornments, including their anklets, decorative headbands, and crescent-shaped jewellery worn around their necks.

Isa 3:19  The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, 

By the hands of their captors and enemies, the Lord will strip them of their chains, bracelets, and shimmering ornaments.

Isa 3:20  The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings, 

Their adorned scarves, headbands, decorative leg ornaments, fragrance containers, and earrings will also be taken from them.

Isa 3:21  The rings, and nose jewels, 

They will be stripped of their finger rings and nose rings.

Isa 3:22  The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins, 

Their richly adorned robes, cloaks, fine garments, and pouches will also be taken from them.

Isa 3:23  The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails. 

They will be deprived of their looking glasses, elegant linen wraps, head coverings and veils.

Isa 3:24  And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty. 

Due to the impending judgment and the removal of their ornaments and fine clothing, they will be exposed to harsh conditions. Their bodies, once perfumed, will reek of sweat and distress; their belts will be replaced by mere ropes; baldness will replace their carefully arranged hair; fine garments will be exchanged for the roughness of sackcloth; and their beauty will fade, replaced by the marks of suffering.

Isa 3:25  Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war. 

Even the strongest among them—the mighty men—will perish in war, struck down by the sword.

Isa 3:26  And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground. 

Having lost their husbands and protectors, the women of the city will be overwhelmed with grief. Their sorrow will lead them to sit in mourning upon the earth, stripped of all dignity, left utterly desolate.

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