Read Isaiah chapter 3 online with LogosAI Bible study tools, highlights, and cross references.
Isaiah 3 is part of “Judgment on Judah and Nations” (1–12) in the outline of Isaiah.
Isaiah 3 summary
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, I. To deprive them of all the supports both of their life and of their government (Isa 3:1-3). II. To leave them to fall into confusion and disorder (Isa 3:4, Isa 3:5, Isa 3:12). III. To deny them the blessing of magistracy (Isa 3:6-8). IV. To strip the daughters of Zion of their ornaments (Isa 3:17-24). V. To lay all waste by the sword of war (Isa 3:25, Isa 3:26). The sins that provoked God to deal thus with them were, 1. Their defiance of God (Isa 3:8). 2. Their impudence (Isa 3:9). 3. The abuse of power to oppression and tyranny (Isa 3:12-15). 4. The pride of the daughters of Zion (Isa 3:16). In the midst of the chapter the prophet is directed how to address particular persons. (1.) To assure good people that it should be well with them, notwithstanding those general calamities (Isa 3:10). (2.) To assure wicked people that, however God might, in judgment, remember mercy, yet it should go ill with them (Isa 3:11). O that the nations of the earth, at this day, would hearken to rebukes and warnings which this chapter gives!
Source: Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706–21; Romans–Revelation completed by Nonconformist ministers). Public domain. Digital text: Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org).
1 For lo, the Lord God of hostes will take away from Ierusalem and from Iudah the stay and the strength: euen all the staye of bread, and all the stay of water,
2 The strong man, and the man of warre, the iudge and the prophet, the prudent and the aged,
3 The captaine of fiftie, and the honourable, and the counseller, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent man.
4 And I will appoint children to bee their princes, and babes shall rule ouer them.
5 The people shalbe oppressed one of another, and euery one by his neighbour: the children shall presume against the ancient, and the vile against the honourable.
6 When euery one shall take holde of his brother of the house of his father, and say, Thou hast clothing: thou shalt bee our prince, and let this fall be vnder thine hand.
7 In that day hee shall sweare, saying, I cannot bee an helper: for there is no bread in mine house, nor clothing: therefore make me no prince of the people.
8 Doubtlesse Ierusalem is fallen, and Iudah is fallen downe, because their tongue and workes are against the Lord, to prouoke the eyes of his glory.
9 The triall of their countenance testifieth against them, yea, they declare their sinnes as Sodom, they hide them not. Wo be vnto their soules: for they haue rewarded euil vnto themselues.
10 Say ye, Surely it shalbe well with the iust: for they shall eate the fruite of their workes.
11 Woe be to the wicked, it shalbe euill with him: for the reward of his handes shalbe giuen him.
12 Children are extortioners of my people, and women haue rule ouer them: O my people, they that leade thee, cause thee to erre, and destroy the way of thy paths.
13 The Lord standeth vp to pleade, yea, hee standeth to iudge the people.
14 The Lord shall enter into iudgement with the Ancients of his people and the princes thereof: for ye haue eaten vp the vineyarde: the spoyle of the poore is in your houses.
15 What haue ye to do, that ye beate my people to pieces, and grinde the faces of the poore, saith the Lord, euen the Lord of hoasts?
16 The Lord also saith, Because the daughters of Zion are hautie, and walke with stretched out neckes, and with wandering eyes, walking and minsing as they goe, and making a tinkeling with their feete,
17 Therefore shall the Lord make the heades of the daughters of Zion balde, and the Lord shall discouer their secrete partes.
18 In that day shall the Lord take away the ornament of the slippers, and the calles, and the round tyres,
19 The sweete balles, and the brasselets, and the bonnets,
20 The tyres of the head, and the sloppes, and the head bandes, and the tablets, and the earings,
21 The rings and the mufflers,
22 The costly apparell and the vailes, and the wimples, and the crisping pinnes,
23 And the glasses and the fine linen, and the hoodes, and the launes.
24 And in steade of sweete sauour, there shall be stinke, and in steade of a girdle, a rent, and in steade of dressing of the heare, baldnesse, and in steade of a stomacher, a girding of sackecloth, and burning in steade of beautie.
25 Thy men shall fall by the sworde, and thy strength in the battell.
26 Then shall her gates mourne and lament, and she, being desolate, shall sit vpon the ground.