Isaiah 3:1-11

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 3:1-8

The prophet, in the close of the foregoing chapter, had given a necessary caution to all not to put confidence in man, or any creature; he had also given a general reason for that caution, taken from the frailty of human life and the vanity and weakness of human powers. Here he gives a particular reason for it?God was now about to ruin all their creature-confidences, so that they should meet with nothing but disappointments in all their expectations from them (Isa. 3:1): The stay and the staff... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 3:9-15

Here God proceeds in his controversy with his people. Observe, I. The ground of his controversy. It was for sin that God contended with them; if they vex themselves, let them look a little further and they will see that they must thank themselves: Woe unto their souls! For they have rewarded evil unto themselves. Alas for their souls! (so it may be read, in a way of lamentation), for they have procured evil to themselves, Isa. 3:9. Note, The condition of sinners is woeful and very deplorable.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 3:1

For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts ,.... These titles of Jehovah, expressive of power and authority, are used to show that he is able to execute what he threatens to do; and the word "behold" is prefixed, to excite attention to what is about to be said: doth take away from Jerusalem, and from Judea ; the present tense is used for the future, because of the certainty of what would be done to the Jews, both in city and country; for as in the preceding chapter Isaiah 2:1 it is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 3:2

The mighty man, and man of war ,.... The meaning is either that these should die in war, as thousands of them did; or that men fit to be generals of armies should be removed by death before this time, so that they should have none to go out with their armies, and meet the enemy: the judge and the prophet ; there should be none to sit upon the bench, and administer justice to the people in civil affairs, and to determine causes relating to life and death; and none to instruct them in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 3:3

The captain of fifty ,.... A semi-centurion, such an one as in 2 Kings 1:9 . So far should there be from being captains of thousands, and of hundreds, that there should not be one of fifty: and the honourable man ; by birth, breeding, and behaviour, through riches and greatness; and one of power and authority among the people, and in their favour and esteem: and the counsellor ; one able to give advice in matters of moment and difficulty, and in controversy between man and man; it... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 3:4

And I will give children to be their princes ,.... Either in age, or in understanding, who are really so, or act like such; and in either sense, when this is the case, it is an unhappiness to a nation, Ecclesiastes 10:16 , and babes shall rule over them ; which is the same as before. The Targum is, "the weak shall rule over them;' such who are weak in their intellectuals, or are of mean pusillanimous spirits, "effeminate", as the Vulgate Latin version renders it; and so as... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 3:5

And the people shall be oppressed, everyone by another, and everyone by his neighbour ,.... There being no governors, or such as were unfit for government, no decorum was kept and observed, but a mere anarchy; and so everyone did as he pleased, as when there was no king in Israel; and everyone rushed into the house of his neighbour, and plundered his goods; this was the case of Jerusalem, at the time of the siege, it abounding with robbers and spoilers: the child shall behave himself... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 3:6

When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father ,.... One of the same country, kindred, and family; for only one of their brethren, and not a stranger, might rule over them, Deuteronomy 17:15 this taking hold of him may design not so much a literal taking hold of his person, his hand or garment, much less using any forcible measures with him; though indeed the Jews would have took Christ by force, who was one of their brethren, and would have made him a temporal king,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 3:7

In that day shall he swear ,.... Or "lift up", that is, his hand F5 ישא "attollet manum", Piscator. , which was a gesture used in swearing, and therefore is so rendered; the meaning is, that he shall at once immediately give an answer, and for the solemn confirmation of it shall say an oath with it, saying, I will not be a healer , or "a binder"; that is, of wounds, of political wounds, made in the nation, and which were incurable. See Isaiah 1:6 for the meaning is, that he... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 3:8

For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen , This is a reason given why the government of them is refused; they were fallen into such a ruinous condition, that there was no probability of recovering them. And the reason of this their fall and ruin is, because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord ; against the Lord Jesus Christ, whom they reproached and vilified as an impostor, a blasphemer, and a seditious person; and whom they spit upon, buffeted, scourged, and... read more

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