Isaiah 3:6 When a man lays hold of his brother in his father's house, saying, "You have a cloak, you shall be our ruler, and these ruins will be under your charge (NASB: Lockman) |
English Translation of the Greek (Septuagint): For a man shall lay hold of his brother, as one of his father's household, saying, Thou hast raiment, be thou our ruler, and let my meat be under thee. Amplified: When a man shall take hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying, You have a robe, you shall be our judge and ruler, and this heap of ruins shall be under your control— (Amplified Bible - Lockman) KJV: 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: NET: Indeed, a man will grab his brother right in his father's house and say, 'You own a coat– you be our leader! This heap of ruins will be under your control.' (NET Bible) NJB: Yes, a man will catch hold of his brother in their father's house, to say, 'You have a cloak, so you be leader, and rule this heap of ruins.' (NJB) NLT: In those days a man will say to his brother, "Since you have a cloak, you be our leader! Take charge of this heap of ruins!" (NLT - Tyndale House) Young's Literal: When one layeth hold on his brother, Of the house of his father, by the garment, 'Come, a ruler thou art to us, And this ruin is under thy hand.' |
When a man lays hold of his brother in his father's house, saying, "You have a cloak, you shall be our ruler, and these ruins will be under your charge: (Is 4:1; Judges 11:6, 7, 8; John 6:15)
When a man lays hold of his brother - Normally envy reigns when it comes to who rules, but the desperate conditions override even the envy of natural man. MacArthur reasons that…
You have a cloak - Given the horrible conditions, the people would become so desperate that anyone even possessing a cloak would be considered worthy of being the leader of the people. How unlike this pattern is when compared with that seen when times are "good" where men covet and seek and go to great lengths to win positions of public power and prestige. After Judah experiences the hand of God's judgment, these "power positions" will actually be shunned. Calvin says…
Constable observes that in regard to a man laying hold of one with a cloak…
The NET Bible has an interesting note writing that…
Grogan writes…
W A Criswell writes that…
Cloak (08071) (simlah) a relatively large external garment but one often worn by the poor, here another sign of the abject poverty. Young says…
Be our ruler - Failure to govern with integrity has resulted in dissolution of the government and removal of those rulers, with no one competent left to rule. A society without rule is not a society but is anarchy. One is reminded of the repetitive phrase in Judges where the root problem was that there was no king (alluding to God Who should have been their King) in Israel and every man did that which was right in his own eyes (i.e., they did wrong but saw it as "right" = deceived - when you are deceived you don't even know it!). The results of no ruler (those times when the judge God had raised up died and the next generation reverted to being lovers of self, etc) was total and even abominable degrees of anarchy (if you have never read Judges 17:1-21:1ff [notes - Judges 17; Judges 18; Judges 19; Judges 20; Judges 21], you need to read this "x rated" torrid tale of what happens when men have no ruler). (cp Jdg 21:25-note) Ruler (07101) (qasiyn) is one who governs by pronouncing decisions. The translates this with the Greek noun archegos meaning one who has a preeminent position. The people would be desperate for any type of leadership to restore order out of the chaos created by the loss of the leading men of Judah and Jerusalem. Indeed God has so structured this world that leadership and government are imperative for a civil state to exist without chaos…
Qasiyn - 12v in the OT - Jos 10:24; Jdg 11:6, 11; Pr 6:7; 25:15; Is 1:10; 3:6, 7; 22:3; Da 11:18; Mic. 3:1, 9 and is rendered in NAS as chief(3), chiefs(1), commander(1), ruler(3), rulers(4). Ruins (04384)(makselah from kasal = to cause to stumble or fall, cp Is 3:8-note) means a heap of ruins or pile of rubble, which is what the tottering city of Jerusalem and the barren land of Judah would look like after the judgment of Jehovah (cp Zeph 1:3). The next verse explains that the people are looking for this "conscripted" ruler to be their healer, instead of looking to the true healer Jehovah Rapha: (Jehovah Rophe) The LORD our Healer. This begs the question of where do I go for help and healing when my life is seemingly in "ruins", especially as a result of sin? Do we go to human counselors or to the ultimate Counselor, God Himself? While it is not wrong to seek human counselors, to do so in place of seeking God is not the best path to true healing. Jehovah's pattern for healing is seen in the following passage…
Young adds that…
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Isaiah 3:7 He will protest on that day, saying, "I will not be your healer, for in my house there is neither bread nor cloak; You should not appoint me ruler of the people." (NASB: Lockman) |
English Translation of the Greek (Septuagint): And he shall answer in that day, and say, I will not be thy ruler; for I have no bread in my house, nor raiment: I will not be the ruler of this people. Amplified: In that day he will answer, saying, I will not be a healer and one who binds up; I am not a physician. For in my house is neither bread nor clothing; you shall not make me judge and ruler of the people. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) KJV: 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. NET: At that time the brother will shout, 'I am no doctor, I have no food or coat in my house; don't make me a leader of the people!'" (NET Bible) NJB: And, that day, the other will protest, 'I am no healer; in my house there is neither food nor clothing; do not make me leader of the people.' (NJB) NLT: "No!" he will reply. "I can't help. I don't have any extra food or clothes. Don't ask me to get involved!" (NLT - Tyndale House) Young's Literal: He lifteth up, in that day, saying: 'I am not a binder up, And in my house is neither bread nor garment, Ye do not make me a ruler of the people.' |
He will protest on that day, saying, "I will not be your healer, for in my house there is neither bread nor cloak; You should not appoint me ruler of the people: (Swear - Ge 14:22; Dt 32:40; Re 10:5,6) (Is 58:12; Je 14:19; La 2:13; Ho 5:13; 6:1)
He will protest - The one with a cloak who has been sought out to fill the void of leadership will refuse this mantle of responsibility. The NET Bible renders it this way…
On that day - This phrase describes the time of the anarchy discussed in the previous verses (Is 3:5, 6) but might have a broader meaning as described below. When is that day? Remember Isaiah's prophecy was given in 740-680BC and Jerusalem and Judah fell to the Babylonians in 586BC which would be on that day. Some commentators (eg, John MacArthur) feel that the fall in 586BC was only a partial fulfillment, and the final fulfillment would occur in the Great Tribulation which terminates with the Second Coming of Christ. Healer (02280) (habas) is a verb which means to bind up or wrap (cp Ps 147:3) in this case referring to the ruined state of the city and land. The Amplified Bible adds " I am not a physician". Earlier Isaiah had described Judah this way…
For in my house there is neither bread nor cloak - The assumption that he had a cloak was incorrect. He refutes any claim by those would conscript him into service, explaining that he has nothing that should make him a ruler over others. You should not appoint me ruler - The call for him to rule is flatly refused. The point is that there would be no honor to rule over Judah during this time. Men would seek help from one another, but in light of the fact that all would be helpless, none would be able to provide remedy, rations or rule. |
Isaiah 3:8 For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen, because their speech and their actions are against the LORD, to rebel against His glorious presence. (NASB: Lockman) |
English Translation of the Greek (Septuagint): For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judea has fallen, and their tongues have spoken with iniquity, disobedient as they are towards the Lord. Amplified: For Jerusalem is ruined and Judah is fallen, because their speech and their deeds are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of His glory and defy His glorious presence. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) KJV: 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. NET: Jerusalem certainly stumbles, Judah falls, for their words and their actions offend the LORD; they rebel against his royal authority. (NET Bible) NJB: For Jerusalem has collapsed and Judah has fallen, because their words and deeds affront Yahweh and insult his glorious gaze. (NJB) NLT: Judah and Jerusalem will lie in ruins because they speak out against the LORD and refuse to obey him. They have offended his glorious presence among them. (NLT - Tyndale House) Young's Literal: For stumbled hath Jerusalem, and Judah hath fallen, For their tongue and their doings are against Jehovah, To provoke the eyes of His glory. |
For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen, because their speech and their actions are against the LORD, to rebel against His glorious presence: (Jerusalem - 2Chr 28:5, 6, 7,18; 33:11; 36:17, 18, 19; Je 26:6,18; La 5:16,17; Mic 3:12) (Because - Is 5:18,19; 57:4; Ps 73:8,9; Ezek 8:12; 9:9; Ho 7:16; Mal 3:13, 14, 15; Mt 12:36,37; Jude 1:15) (To provoke - Is 65:3, 4, 5; 2Chr 33:6,7; Ezek 8:4, 5, 6,17,18; Hab 1:13; 1Co 10:22)
The KJV is very blunt…
For - This conjunction explains God's judgment manifest in a complete collapse of the social order of Jerusalem and Judah. Young writes that…
Stumbled (03762) (kasal) (used 59x in OT and 10 of those uses in Isaiah = Is 3:8; 5:27; 8:15; 28:13; 31:3; 35:3; 40:30; 59:10, 14; 63:13) speaks of physical falling and thus means to stagger or totter (cp Israel "stumbled" in Ho 14:1). In the OT uses of kasal, the stumbling in individuals is usually from weakness or weariness or in nations the result of attackers. The Septuagint translates kasal with aniemi (also in Is 1:14; 2:6, 9; 3:8; 5:6, 24; 25:11; 27:10; 35:3; 37:27; 42:2; 46:4; 62:1) which has the basic sense of relaxation of tension and so to unloose or unfasten (e.g., chains in Ac 16:26) and figuratively conveys the idea of to give up (Ep 6:9). The idea of aniemi in Isa 3:8 is to be "loosed", to be neglected, to be left to oneself and so to be ruined. It is interesting that in Hebrews 13:5 aniemi conveys the opposite sense regarding believers - that God will never desert or abandon us (aniemi is used this same way in Moses' exhortation to Israel before they crossed the Jordan Dt 31:6). Fallen (05307) (naphal) (used over 400x in the OT - 24x in Isaiah - Is 3:8, 25; 8:15; 9:8, 10; 10:4, 34; 13:15; 14:12; 16:9; 21:9; 22:25; 24:18, 20; 26:18, 19; 30:13, 25; 31:3, 8; 34:17; 37:7; 47:11; 54:15) The Septuagint translates naphal with sumpipto (also in Is 3:5, 34:7, 64:10, in NT only in Lk 6:49) meaning to fall in, fall together in a heap, to collapse (secular use describes houses collapsing from downfall of rain and hail). Both of the Hebrew verbs for stumbled and fallen (and the corresponding Greek verbs, aniemi and sumpipto respectively) are in the perfect mood which pictures the fall as occurring at some specific point in time with the effects of that fall continuing to exist. Because their speech and their actions - The conjunction because explains why Jerusalem and Judah have stumbled. It has to do with their bold faced rebellion (Is 3:9-note) manifest in their godless words and deeds. To rebel against His glorious presence - This identifies their godless speech and actions as not just "lapses" but as their deliberate provocation and direct affront against God's glorious presence. Rebel (04784)(marah) is a verb which means to rebel or be contentious. Most uses are in the context of rebellion against God. An individual (Dt. 21:18, 20), a nation (Nu 20:24), and a city (Zeph 3:1) may be described as “being rebellious.” Marar describes Israel's rebellion as a nation in (Dt 9:23, 24; Ps 78:8; Je 5:23). Marah also clearly conveys the sense of to rebelliously disobey (Is 63:10, Dt 9:7, 1Ki 13:21). The Septuagint (LXX) translates marah in Is 3:8 with the verb apeitheo (see word study) which means to disobey, to refuse to comply, to refuse to believe (see use of apeitheo in Ac 14:2). This disobedience is always toward God, His ordinances, or His revelation. Zephaniah gives us a vivid picture of the rebellious spirit associated with marar…
Marah - 45v in the OT - Ex 23:21; Nu 20:10, 24; 27:14; Dt. 1:26, 43; 9:7, 23f; 21:18, 20; 31:27; Jos. 1:18; 1 Sam. 12:14f; 1 Ki. 13:21, 26; 2 Ki. 14:26; Neh. 9:26; Job 17:2; Ps. 5:10; 78:8, 17, 40, 56; 105:28; 106:7, 33, 43; 107:11; Isa. 1:20; 3:8; 50:5; 63:10; Jer. 4:17; 5:23; Lam. 1:18, 20; 3:42; Ezek. 5:6; 20:8, 13, 21; Hos. 13:16; Zeph. 3:1 The NAS renders marah as became disobedient(1), bitter(1), disobedient(1), disobeyed(2), provocation(1), rebel(6), rebelled(18), rebellious(12), rebels(2), very rebellious(1). His glorious majesty - Literally this reads “the eyes of His majesty” or "the eyes of His glory", His eyes which observe everything that profanes His holy Name and character. Have you ever had someone wantonly, rebelliously commit an act before you simply to provoke you to react? Then you have some sense of the brazen affrontery of Judah's sin against the glorious God. John describes the "eyes" of the Lord in his face to face encounter on the Isle of Patmos writing that…
Solomon records that…
This phrase reminds one of the repeated phrase "the splendor of His majesty" (Isa 2:10-note, Is 2:19-note, Is 2:21-note) from which rebels will attempt to flee! Rebellion is especially bold and wicked when it in the eyes of His glory. It is interesting to note that at the time of Isaiah's prophecy (740-680BC) Solomon's Temple was still intact and the glory (the "Shekinah glory cloud") of the Lord was still present in Jerusalem. Ezekiel describes the departure of the glory of Jehovah prior to the final destruction of the Temple (586BC)…
Glorious (03519) (kabod related to kabed = verb = to be heavy) frequently refers to the Lord’s royal splendor that is an outward manifestation of his authority as king (Ex 33:18; Ps 72:19; Ezek 1:28) Kabod - 189v in OT - Gen. 31:1; 45:13; 49:6; Exod. 16:7, 10; 24:16f; 28:2, 40; 29:43; 33:18, 22; 40:34f; Lev. 9:6, 23; Num. 14:10, 21f; 16:19, 42; 20:6; 24:11; Deut. 5:24; Jos. 7:19; 1 Sam. 2:8; 4:21f; 6:5; 1 Ki. 3:13; 8:11; 1 Chr. 16:24, 28f; 17:18; 29:12, 28; 2 Chr. 1:11f; 5:14; 7:1ff; 17:5; 18:1; 26:18; 32:27, 33; Neh. 9:5; Est. 1:4; 5:11; Job 19:9; 29:20; Ps. 3:3; 4:2; 7:5; 8:5; 16:9; 19:1; 21:5; 24:7ff; 26:8; 29:1ff, 9; 30:12; 49:16f; 57:5, 8, 11; 62:7; 63:2; 66:2; 72:19; 73:24; 79:9; 84:11; 85:9; 96:3, 7f; 97:6; 102:15f; 104:31; 106:20; 108:1, 5; 112:9; 113:4; 115:1; 138:5; 145:5, 11f; 149:5; Prov. 3:16, 35; 8:18; 11:16; 15:33; 18:12; 20:3; 21:21; 22:4; 25:2, 27; 26:1, 8; 29:23; Eccl. 6:2; 10:1; Is 3:8; 4:2, 5; 5:13; 6:3; 8:7; 10:3, 16, 18; 11:10; 14:18; 16:14; 17:3, 4; 21:16; 22:18, 23, 24; 24:23; 35:2; 40:5; 42:8, 12; 43:7; 48:11; 58:8; 59:19; 60:1, 2, 13; 61:6; 62:2; 66:11, 12, 18, 19; Jer. 2:11; 13:16; 14:21; 17:12; 48:18; Ezek. 1:28; 3:12, 23; 8:4; 9:3; 10:4, 18f; 11:22f; 31:18; 39:21; 43:2, 4f; 44:4; Dan. 11:39; Hos. 4:7; 9:11; 10:5; Mic. 1:15; Nah. 2:9; Hab. 2:14, 16; Hag. 2:3, 7, 9; Zech. 2:5, 8; Mal. 1:6; 2:2. The NAS renders kabod as bosom(1), glorious(8), glory(147), honor(33), honorable(1), honored(1), riches(1), soul(2), splendid(1), splendor(2), wealth(3). As Clarke says Jehovah's eyes…
Delitzsch sums up this section writing that…
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Isaiah 3:9 The expression of their faces bears witness against them, and they display their sin like Sodom; They do not even conceal it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves. (NASB: Lockman) |
English Translation of the Greek (Septuagint): Wherefore now their glory has been brought low, and the shame of their countenance has withstood them, and they have proclaimed their sin as Sodom, and made it manifest. Amplified: Their respecting of persons and showing of partiality witnesses against them; they proclaim their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil [as a reward upon themselves]. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) KJV: The show 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. NET: The look on their faces testifies to their guilt; like the people of Sodom they openly boast of their sin. Too bad for them! For they bring disaster on themselves. (NET Bible) NJB: Their complacency bears witness against them, they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not conceal it, all the worse for them, for they have hatched their own downfall. (NJB) NLT: The very look on their faces gives them away and displays their guilt. They sin openly like the people of Sodom. They are not one bit ashamed. How terrible it will be for them! They have brought about their own destruction. (NLT - Tyndale House) Young's Literal: The appearance of their faces witnessed against them, And their sin, as Sodom, they declared, They have not hidden! Woe to their soul, For they have done to themselves evil. |
The expression of their faces bears witness against them, and they display their sin like Sodom; They do not even conceal it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves: (Is 3:16; 1Sa 15:32; 2Ki 9:30; Ps 10:4; 73:6,7; Pr 30:13; Je 3:3; 6:15; Da 7:20) (Ge 13:13; 18:20,21; 19:5, 6, 7, 8, 9; Je 44:16,17; Ezek 23:16) (La 5:16; Ho 13:9)
The expression of their faces bears witness against them (cp Is 3:16-note) - The brazen sin against the Almighty bears witness in their countenance. It is as if they "wear their sin" on their faces! The Septuagint has the noun aischune which means shame or disgrace, which shows on their faces. The Greek actually says something like this "their shame has set itself against them" which conveys the sense of opposition or resistance (Brenton renders it "the shame of their countenance has withstood them.") Delitzsch comments that this…
Young comments that…
Clarke adds that…
The psalmist writes…
Display (05046) (nagad) means to make know by declaring something. To announce or inform. This root basically denotes “to place a matter high, conspicuous before a person” (TWOT). The idea is to bring something to another's attention. In this context Judah is flaunting their sin publicly, casting off all fear of God and respect for men even reveling in or glorying in their sin! This is the essence of self delusion or deception and is one of the awful effects of sin (Heb 3:13-note). Nagad is used 29 times in Isaiah - Is 3:9; 7:2; 19:12; 21:2, 6, 10; 36:22; 40:21; 41:22, 23, 26; 42:9, 12; 43:9, 12; 44:7, 8; 45:19, 21; 46:10; 48:3, 5, 6, 14, 20; 57:12; 58:1; 66:19. Like Sodom (See note Sodom) - Flagrant sin is the idea. Modesty has been jettisoned. Out in the open. Woe to the nation makes no attempt to conceal its sins, sins that speak of a morally corrupt heart! Do we see this in post-Christian America? (Obviously that is a rhetorical question!) Lot warned the Sodomites but they flatly rejected his warning. As Judah's sin was like Sodom, so too would be their punishment (cp Is 1:9-note, Is 1:10-note) Moses describes Sodom as follows…
Jeremiah who like Isaiah also prophesied primarily against Judah (627-585BC cp Isaiah whose prophecy ended some 50 years earlier circa 680BC) described their flagrant "Sodom-like" sin…
Jeremiah records an example of Judah's brazen attitude…
Woe to them - Isaiah literally cries out “Woe to their soul”, which is an apt exclamation for their sin sick souls were the source of the societal collapse. "The chickens would soon come home to roost" or as the KJV renders it "they have rewarded evil unto themselves"! Woe (0188)('owy/'oy) is an impassioned onomatopoetic (word whose sound suggest the sense or meaning) interjection (act of uttering an exclamation) used to express grief, despair, regret, distress, sorrow, pain, discomfort, or unhappiness. Woe is a distinctive form of prophetic speech, found both in the OT and in the NT. {46x in 35v in the NT - Mt 11:21; 18:7; 23:13, 15, 16, 23, 25, 27, 29; 24:19; 26:24; Mk 13:17; 14:21; Lk 6:24, 25 (twice), Lk 6:26; 10:13 (2x); Lk 11:42, 43, 44, 46, 37, 52; 17:1; 21:23; 22:22; 1Co. 9:16; Jude 1:11; Re 8:13 (3x); Re 9:12 (2x); Re11:14(2x); Re 12:12; 18:10(2x), Re 18:16(2x), Re 18:19(2x)} The Lxx translates the Hebrew with the interjection ouai which expresses extreme displeasure, much like the Hebrew equivalent. 'Owy/'oy - 22v in the OT - Nu 21:29; 24:23; 1Sa 4:7, 8; Is 3:9, 11; 6:5; 24:16; Je 4:13, 31; 6:4; 10:19; 13:27; 15:10; 45:3; 48:46; La 5:16; Ezek 16:23; 24:6, 9; Ho 7:13; 9:12 is translated "Woe" 19 times and "Alas" 2 times. Martin adds that woe…
Brought evil upon themselves - Judah and Jerusalem had sown the evil seed of pride and would reap its rotten fruit (Gal 6:7, 8). Sin always results in just requital. Indeed the wages Sin pays its workers are death (Ro 6:23-note). Hosea records a parallel thought…
Motyer aptly puts it that…
Clarke writes that…
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