Isaiah 3:6 - Exposition

When a man shall take hold of his brother . A new departure. In the general anarchy described ( Isaiah 3:4 , Isaiah 3:5 ) it will be felt that something must be done. A man will take hold of his brother ( i.e. his fellow) in his ( i.e. the latter's) father's house, where he lives in seclusion, and say to him, "Thou hast clothing", "thou must be our ruler; let this ruin" ( i.e. "this ruined state") "be under thy band." This ruin ; literally, this stumbling-block (see Zephaniah 1:3 ; and compare the uniform translation of the kindred noun mikshol (Le 19:14; Psalms 119:165 ; Isaiah 57:14 ; Jeremiah 6:21 ; Ezekiel 52:20; Ezekiel 7:10 , etc.). The Jewish community is meant, which was full of stumbling itself, and might well cause all those to stumble who came into contact with it.