Isaiah 3

Isaiah 3 is part of the prophecy concerning Judah and Jerusalem that begins in Isaiah 2. Following the warning at the end of chapter 2, "Cease ye from man" (Isaiah 2:22), it declares that God will take away the things on which Judah relied.

Outline

• Verses 1-7 The Lord, the LORD of hosts, takes away bread and water from Jerusalem and Judah. He also removes the leading classes, such as the mighty man, the judge, the prophet, and the elder. In their place children rule, and the people oppress one another. No one is willing to become a ruler.
• Verses 8-12 The ruin comes because the people have opposed the LORD in word and deed and have sinned openly, as Sodom did. The righteous will eat the fruit of their doings, and the wicked will be repaid according to what they have done. Those who lead the people cause them to err.
• Verses 13-15 The LORD stands as judge and enters into judgment with the elders and princes of His people. They have eaten up the vineyard and plundered the poor.
• Verses 16-23 The LORD rebukes the daughters of Zion for adorning themselves in pride. He declares that He will take away their ornaments, such as anklets, earrings, nose rings, and veils.
• Verses 24-26 Instead of sweet smell there will be stink, and instead of fine clothing they will wear sackcloth. The men will fall by the sword, and Zion, left desolate, will sit upon the ground.

Key Verses

• Isaiah 3:10-11 "Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him … Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him." These verses concisely state the principle of retribution: people reap according to their deeds.
• Isaiah 3:14 "For ye have eaten up the vineyard." This verse indicts the leaders for their exploitation and connects with the Song of the Vineyard in Isaiah 5:1-7.

People and Places

• The LORD: Appears as the judge who brings the leaders to judgment.
• Jerusalem and Judah: Judah was the southern kingdom, with Jerusalem as its capital.
• Zion: A name for Jerusalem. "The daughters of Zion" are the women of Jerusalem.

Points for Reflection

• It is commonly noted that the Hebrew consonants of the word rendered "women" in verse 12 can, if vocalized differently, be read as "creditors." The Septuagint translates the verse in a sense close to this reading. The verse also stands in a context that portrays judgment as the collapse of social order. Readers therefore differ on whether it should be applied as a verdict on women's leadership in general (see Ordination of Women).
• The meaning of some of the ornament names in verses 18-23 is uncertain, and translations render them differently.
• Many interpreters hold that the focus of verses 16-24 is pride and exploitation rather than adornment itself. In the New Testament, 1 Peter 3:3-4 and 1 Timothy 2:9 likewise emphasize the inner person over outward adornment.
• Verses 10-11 are often read alongside the teaching of Galatians 6:8 that one reaps what one sows.
• The material concerning the women of Zion continues into Isaiah 4:1.