2. Fulfilled ( :-). prudent—the Hebrew often means a "soothsayer" ( :-); thus it will mean, the diviners, on whom they rely, shall in that day fail. It is found in a good sense ( :-), from which passage the Jews interpret it a king; "without" whom Israel long has been ( :-). ancient—old and experienced (1 Kings 12:6-8). read more
The folly of trusting in people 3:1-4:1This section gives particular examples of the general statements that precede it. Isaiah’s point was that depending on people will not yield the glorious destiny of Israel depicted in Isaiah 2:1-4. The prophet used imagery to make his point rather than logical argumentation. read more
The dearth of leadership 3:1-15The emphasis in this pericope is on the lack of qualified leaders and the consequent collapse of society that would result because God’s people put their trust in people rather than in Him. The name "the Lord [sovereign] God of Hosts [the Almighty]" forms an inclusio around this section (Isaiah 3:1; Isaiah 3:15)."To make great men the source of a nation’s greatness is always to end up with a dearth of great men. Unless the greatness comes from within the community... read more
The Lord would remove the leading men in the military, political, religious, and commercial spheres of life. These were people the Israelites depended on. This happened when the Babylonians conquered the city and the land (cf. 2 Kings 24:14), and earlier when the Assyrians defeated Israel. read more
1. Stay and the staff] A prophecy of famine: cp. Isaiah 3:7, as the clause following explains. But if the latter clause is a gloss then ’stay and staff’ would refer to the classes upon which the stability of the life of the community depends. ’Staff’ in the Heb. is the fern, form of ’stay.’2. The prudent] RV ’the diviner,’ at this time in high estimation (Isaiah 2:6). The ancient] RM ’the elder,’ who held offices in villages and towns (Ruth 4:2, Ruth 4:4; 2 Kings 10:1). 3. Artificer] cp.... read more
(2) The mighty man, and the man of war.—The first word points to the aristocracy of landed proprietors, the latter to those who, whether of that class or not, had been prominent as leaders in the king’s armies.The judge, and the prophet.—Each is named as the representative of a class. The latter was that to which Isaiah himself belonged, but in which he found, as Jeremiah did afterwards, his chief opponents.The prudent, and the ancient.—The former word has the more definite meaning of... read more
CHAPTER IITHE THREE JERUSALEMS740-735 B.C.Isaiah 2:1-22; Isaiah 3:1-26; Isaiah 4:1-6AFTER the general introduction, in chapter 1, to the prophecies of Isaiah, there comes another portion of the book, of greater length, but nearly as distinct as the first. It covers four chapters, the second to the sixth, all of them dating from the same earliest period of Isaiah’s ministry, before 735 B.C. They deal with exactly the same subjects, but they differ greatly inform. One section (chapters 2-4.)... read more
CHAPTER 3 Judgments upon the Rulers and the Daughters Of Zion 1. The judgment against the rulers (Isaiah 3:1-7 ) 2. Jerusalem’s sad condition (Isaiah 3:8-9 ) 3. Jehovah’s message (Isaiah 3:10-15 ) 4. The worldliness of the daughters of Zion (Isaiah 3:16-23 ) 5. Their humiliation in judgment (Isaiah 3:24-26 ; Isaiah 4:1 ) This chapter describes the corrupt conditions among the professing people of God in Isaiah’s day. A similar corruption and worldliness prevailing in our age demands... read more
3:2 The mighty man, and the man of war, {b} the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,(b) The temporal governor and the minister. read more
Get Bible verse every day in your inbox
Read on Mobile
Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Isaiah 3:2
"The mighty man, and the man of war; the judge and the prophet, and the diviner and the elder; the captain of fifty and the honorable man, the counselor, and the expert artificer, and the skillful enchanter."All of these popular supports of the nation were to be taken away as a result of the divine judgment, beginning, even then, to descend upon the apostate people, and destined, finally, to result in the complete overthrow and destruction of the Jewish state, defined in the prophets as "the... read more