> ‎Chapter 4‎ > ‎Chapter 5‎ > ‎Chapter 6‎ > ‎Chapter 7‎ > ‎Chapter 8‎ > ‎Chapter 9-10:1-4‎ > ‎Chapter 10:5-34‎ > ‎Chapter 11‎ > ‎Chapter 12‎ > ‎Chapters 13-14‎ > ‎Chapters 15-16‎ > ‎Chapter 17‎ > ‎Chapter 18‎ > ‎Chapter 19‎ > ‎Chapters 20-21‎ > ‎Chapter 22‎ > ‎Chapter 23‎ > ‎Chapter 24‎ > ‎Chapter 25‎ > ‎Chapter 26‎ > ‎Chapter 27‎ > ‎Chapter 28‎ > ‎Chapter 29‎ > ‎Chapter 30‎ > ‎Chapter 31‎ > ‎Chapter 32‎ > ‎Chapter 33‎ > ‎Chapters 34-35‎ > ‎Chapters 36-37‎ > ‎Chapters 38-39‎ > ‎Introduction to the 2nd part of Isaiah‎ > ‎Chapter 40‎ > ‎Chapter 41‎ > ‎Chapter 42‎ > ‎Chapter 43‎ > ‎Chapter 44‎ > ‎Chapter 45‎ > ‎Chapter 46‎ > ‎Chapter 47‎ > ‎Chapter 48‎ > ‎Chapter 49-50:1-3‎ > ‎Chapter 50:4-11‎ > ‎Chapter 51‎ > ‎Chapters 52-53‎ > ‎Chapter 54‎ > ‎Chapter 55‎ > ‎Chapters 56-57‎ > ‎Chapter 58‎ > ‎Chapter 59‎ > ‎Chapter 60‎ > ‎Chapter 61‎ > ‎Chapter 62‎ > ‎Chapters 63-65‎ > ‎Chapter 66‎ >  

 

 

Chapter 3:1- 4:1, Summary

The supreme Lord is taking away all support of food from
Jerusalem, and all warriors, judges, prophets, and officers. Mere
boys will rule over them, and will be insolent to old men, the
base will be disrespectful to the honorable. Someone may even
tell one of his relatives who has a cloak that he should be the
ruler - such will be the poverty.

Their faces will show their guilt, like Sodom. They have
brought all this on themselves. But the innocent will be better
of, and will eat the fruit of their labors, while the guilty will
be repaid for their sin.

Children and women will oppress them.

God arises to judgment. He charges that the princes and
elders have devoured his vineyard, Israel. What they have taken
from the poor, to be seen in their houses, testifies against
them.

The women have been haughty, have gone to extremes to adorn
themselves. But now instead of ornamental chains on their ankles
there will be iron chains. Instead of fine hairdresses their
heads will be shaved, and have scabs. No more perfume, instead a
stench. Sackcloth will replace rich robes. There will be only
shame where there used to be beauty. Their foreheads will be
burned with a branding iron, to mark them as slaves.

Comments on 3:1- 4:1

We do not know to which invasion Isaiah refers, it could be
one from the Assyrians or the Babylonian siege (cf. Lamentations
2:20). Incompetent young people and women will take over - who
normally should respect the elders and those in authority. They
even ask someone who has no more than a cloak to take control of
a "heap of ruins", the city. They are so wicked that they are
open about their sins, like Sodom. Romans 1:31 says the lowest
degradation is found in those who not only sin, but even say sin
is good.

Then comes a scene in which there is an imaginary court, in
which the Lord charges the leaders of the people, on whom the
chief blame falls. They have abused their office to make
themselves rich at the expense of the poor.

Then the prophet specially rebukes the proud and
ostentatious women who went about with necks raised, flirting
with their eyes, taking mincing steps - since they had ornamental
chains on their ankles, which prevented large steps. Zion was the
part of the city where the royal palace was located. It was
especially the ladies of the court who were guilty of this vain
display, who did everything they could to entice men into sex.
Zion here is used to refer to the entire city. God will change
their adornments into things that oppress them. There will even
be branding on their foreheads, done by the enemy, to mark them
as slaves.

Women who once were proud, will have fallen so low that seven at
a time they will come to any man asking him to give them his name
so they will be protected.