Isaiah 3:9 NIV

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 3:9

The shew of their countenance doth witness against them ,.... The word translated "shew" is only used in this place. Some derive it from נכר , "to know", in the conjugations Piel and Hiphil; and render it, "the knowledge of their countenance" F6 הכרת פניהים "cognitio vultus eorum", Munster, Vatablus, V. L. ; that is, that which may be known by their countenances; the countenance oftentimes shows what is in the heart, the cruel disposition of the mind, the pride and vanity of it,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 3:9

The show of their countenance - Bishop Lowth has it the steadfastness of their countenance - they appear to be bent on iniquity, their eyes tell the wickedness of their hearts. The eye is the index of the mind. Envy, hatred, malice, malevolence, concupiscence, and murder, when in the heart, look most intelligently out at the eye. They tell the innocent to be on their guard; and serve the same purpose as the sonorous rings in the tail of the rattlesnake - they announce the presence of the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 3:8-15

The reasons of judgment. In man's sufferings they must own they are subject to the reasonable rule of him who is eternal Reason. I. ANTAGONISM TO THE DIVINE RULE . In word and deed. 1. In current talk, writing, speechifying, it is difficult to detect where the falsehood lies. It consists in the suppression of certain important sides of truth, and in putting forward interested, partial views of things. The literature of a people cannot be sound, if it be sunk in greed of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 3:8-26

THE CAUSE OF THE JUDGMENT SHOWN TO BE THE SINS OF JERUSALEM . 1. The sins of the men . ( Isaiah 3:8-15 ). These are declared to be partly sins of speech, but mainly sins of act ( Isaiah 3:8 ). Of sins of speech the only one specified is the open and shameless declaration of their wickedness ( Isaiah 3:9 ). Under the head of sins of act are enumerated The enumeration of the sins is mixed with exhortation and comment in such a way as to give rise to the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 3:9

The show of their countenance doth witness against them. This is not in itself a sin, but it is a sign of frequent and habitual sin. Vice, long indulged in, stamps its mark upon the countenance, giving men what is called "a bad expression"—a guilty and hardened look. It does not require a skilled physiognomist to detect at a glance the habitual criminal or sensualist. They declare their sin as Sodom. Not only does their countenance betray them, but, like the Sodomites ( Genesis 19:5 , ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 3:9

The revealings of the face. "The show of their countenance doth witness against them." We are "fearfully and wonderfully made." Just as the countenance reveals the state of our physical health, so do thought and character manifest themselves in the face. All our nature, with its complexity of being, has yet a subtle and mysterious oneness, and the tone of the mind and the inclination of the heart are made manifest, not alone in speech, but in look and gesture and manner. In the simple... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 3:9-11

The law of retributive justice not mechanical, but moral. The doctrine of future rewards and punishments is sometimes preached in a way that is, if not offensive, at any rate unsatisfactory. God is made to deal with men as not even judicious parents would deal with their children—viz, for so much obedience, so much bestowal of pleasure or indulgence; for so much disobedience, an equal award of pain and punishment. But this is certainly not the doctrine of Holy Scripture. Scripture... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 3:9-11

The path of sin and the rest of righteousness. I. THAT SIN CANNOT BE CONCEALED . "The show of their countenance doth witness against them" ( Isaiah 3:9 ). Whether Isaiah's words point to the unconscious revelation of sin is uncertain, but they clearly suggest the fact. The evil that is in men's hearts is shown in their countenance, whether they wish to conceal it or whether they take a shameful pride in it. The thoughts that flit through the mind, the passions that burn... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 3:9

The show of their countenance - The word rendered “the show” is probably derived from a word signifying “to know,” or “to recognize,” and here denotes “impudence” or “pride.” Septuagint, ‘The shame of their face.’Doth witness against them - “Answers” to them; or “responds” to them (ענתה ‛ânetâh). There is a correspondence between the feeling of the heart and the looks, an “answering” of the countenance to the purposes of the soul that shows their true character, and betrays their plans. The... read more

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

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 3:9

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 3:9

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 3:8-15

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 3:8-26

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 3:9

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 3:9

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 3:9-11

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 3:9-11

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 3:9

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