Chapter Overview
Summary
Isaiah 3 announces judgment on-Jerusalem-and-Judah's-leadership (vv. 1–15) and on-the-haughty-women-of-Zion (vv. 16–24, with chapter 4:1 closing the section). The catalog-of-female-finery (vv. 18–23) is the Hebrew Bible's most-detailed-list of-women's-luxury-items.
Notable Variants
3:9 'their look bears witness against them' physiognomic-judgment; 3:14–15 'you have devoured the vineyard, the plunder of the poor is in your houses' — leadership-corruption; 3:16–24 women's-luxury catalog.
Structural Notes
MT Isaiah 3 = LXX Isaiah 3. 26 verses.
For look — the Lord, the LORD of Hosts, is removing from Jerusalem and from Judah every support and every prop: the entire supply of bread and the entire supply of water;
'For behold, the Lord GOD of hosts is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah support and supply, all support of bread, and all support of water' tracks MT.
the warrior and the soldier, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder;
'The mighty man and the soldier, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder' tracks MT.
the captain of fifty, the dignitary, the counselor, the skilled craftsman, and the expert in charms.
'The captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor and the skillful magician and the expert in charms' tracks MT. LEADERSHIP-CLASSES catalog — every-pillar of society removed-in-judgment.
"I will make boys their leaders, and children will rule over them.
'And I will make boys their princes, and infants shall rule over them' tracks MT. INFANT-RULERS — Eccl 10:16 ('woe to you, O land, when your king is a child') parallels.
The people will oppress one another — each person against another, each against his neighbor. The young will act insolently toward the old, the despised toward the honored.
'And the people will oppress one another, every one his fellow and every one his neighbor; the youth will be insolent to the elder, and the despised to the honorable' tracks MT.
When a man grabs his brother in his father's house: 'You have a cloak — you be our leader! Take charge of this heap of ruins!'
'For a man will take hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying: You have a cloak; you shall be our leader, and this heap of ruins shall be under your rule' tracks MT.
On that day he will protest: 'I am no healer! In my house there is neither bread nor cloak — do not make me leader of this people!'
'In that day he will speak out, saying: I will not be a healer; in my house there is neither bread nor cloak; you shall not make me leader of the people' tracks MT.
For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen, because their speech and their deeds are against the LORD, defying the eyes of his glory.
'For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen, because their speech and their deeds are against the LORD, defying his glorious presence' tracks MT.
The expression on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom — they do not hide it. Woe to them! For they have brought disaster on themselves.
'For the look on their faces bears witness against them; they proclaim their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves' tracks MT. PROCLAIM-SIN-LIKE-SODOM — open-shamelessness.
Tell the righteous it will go well with them, for they will eat the fruit of their deeds.
'Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds' tracks MT.
Woe to the wicked — it will go badly! For what their hands have done will be done to them.
'Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him' tracks MT.
My people — children oppress them, and creditors rule over them. My people, your guides mislead you and confuse the direction of your paths.
'My people — infants are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, your guides mislead you and they have swallowed up the course of your paths' tracks MT.
The LORD takes his stand to press charges; he rises to judge the peoples.
'The LORD has taken his place to contend; he stands to judge peoples' tracks MT. COURTROOM-IMAGERY.
The LORD enters into judgment with the elders of his people and their princes: "It is you who have devoured the vineyard! The plunder of the poor is in your houses.
'The LORD will enter into judgment with the elders and princes of his people: It is you who have devoured the vineyard, the spoil of the poor is in your houses' tracks MT. DEVOURED-THE-VINEYARD. The vineyard-of-Israel image (Isa 5:1–7 develops). Mark 12:1–12 (parable of the wicked tenants) Christologically-extends.
What gives you the right to crush my people and grind the faces of the poor?" — declares the Lord GOD of Hosts.
'What do you mean by crushing my people, by grinding the face of the poor? declares the Lord GOD of hosts' tracks MT. GRINDING-THE-FACE-OF-THE-POOR — vivid oppression-imagery.
And the LORD said: "Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with outstretched necks, flirting with their eyes, walking with dainty steps, jingling the anklets on their feet —
'The LORD said: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with outstretched necks, glancing wantonly with their eyes, mincing along as they go, tinkling with their feet' tracks MT. DAUGHTERS-OF-ZION-HAUGHTY catalog begins.
the Lord will afflict the scalps of the daughters of Zion with sores, and the LORD will lay bare their foreheads.
'Therefore the Lord will strike with a scab the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will lay bare their secret parts' tracks MT.
On that day the Lord will strip away the finery: the anklets, the headbands, and the crescent pendants;
'In that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, the headbands, and the crescents' tracks MT. WOMEN'S-FINERY catalog — most-detailed-list of female-luxury in the OT (vv. 18–23, ~21 items).
the earrings, the bracelets, and the veils;
'The pendants, the bracelets, and the scarves' tracks MT.
the headdresses, the ankle chains, the sashes, the perfume bottles, and the amulets;
'The headdresses, the armlets, the sashes, the perfume boxes, and the amulets' tracks MT.
the signet rings and the nose rings;
'The signet rings and nose rings' tracks MT.
the fine robes, the cloaks, the shawls, and the purses;
'The festal robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the handbags' tracks MT.
the mirrors, the linen garments, the turbans, and the outer veils.
'The mirrors, the linen garments, the turbans, and the veils' tracks MT.
And it will be: instead of perfume — rottenness; instead of a sash — a rope; instead of styled hair — baldness; instead of fine clothing — sackcloth; branding instead of beauty.
'Instead of perfume there will be rottenness; and instead of a belt, a rope; and instead of well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a rich robe, a skirt of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty' tracks MT. INSTEAD-OF-PERFUME-ROTTENNESS — five-fold reversal-imagery.
Your men will fall by the sword, and your warriors in battle.
'Your men shall fall by the sword and your mighty men in battle' tracks MT.
Her gates will lament and mourn; she will sit on the ground, emptied out.
'And her gates shall lament and mourn; empty, she shall sit on the ground' tracks MT. SIT-ON-THE-GROUND — mourning-posture. Lamentations 1:1's 'how lonely sits the city' Christologically extends to-Jerusalem-fallen.