Isaías 3
Adam Clarke · Citado em PreceptAustin
Isaías 3:1-5
Clarke notes that The Hebrew words mish'en… mish'enah come from the same root shaan, to lean against, to incline, to support; and here, being masculine and feminine, they may signify all things necessary for the support both of man and woman. Support (04938) (mish'enah) refers to a support such as a walking-stick or staff (Elijah's staff 2Ki 4:29, 30, 31). In Ps 23:4 it refers to the shepherd's staff (with a crook) which is a comfort and guide the straying sheep. The idea of both mish'en and mish'enah is something one leans on. Mish'enah - 11v in OT - Ex 21:19 Nu 21:18 Jdg 6:21 2Ki 4:29, 4:31, 18:21 Ps23:4 Is 3:1, 36:6 Eze 29:6, Zec 8:4 In Leviticus God warned Israel if she disobeyed (cp Lv 26:18)… I will also break down your pride of power; I will also make your sky like iron and your earth like bronze (Ed: figures of speech picturing incredible drought = No rain and no crops). (Lv 26:19) When I break your staff of bread, ten women will bake your bread in one oven (Ed: One oven would suffice to bake the bread for ten families), and they will bring back your bread in rationed amounts, so that you will eat and not be satisfied. (Lv 26:26) Compare Deuteronomy and Ezekiel… The heaven which is over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you, iron. The Lord will make the rain of your land powder and dust; from heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed… You shall bring out much seed to the field but you will gather in little, for the locust will consume it. (Dt 28:23, 24, 38) Moreover, He said to me, “Son of man, behold, I am going to break the staff of bread in Jerusalem, and they will eat bread by weight and with anxiety, and drink water by measure and in horror (Ezekiel 4:16) Whole… whole (03605) (kol) occurs over 5000x in the OT (percentage wise most frequently in Deuteronomy [“with the whole heart, the whole soul, and with all your might”] and Ecclesiastes ["everything is vanity"]) and means the totality of something. When accompanied by a negation, kol acquires the meaning “no.” Kol is all inclusive and speaks of the totality of something, in this case the supply of sustenance, which Israel (much like America today) took for granted in the good times that existed when Isaiah was prophesying. Note the repetition of this word kol serves to further emphasize the totality of the reality and severity of this prophetic warning. Bread (03899) (lehem as in the famous "house of bread" = "Bethlehem" = Beth = house + lehem) means bread and more generally speaks of food and/or anything God has provided for nourishment. Calvin paraphrases this first clause as… God will take away every help and assistance by which you think that you are upheld, so that nothing whatever may be left to support you. Ed Young has a good argument that… The fulfillment is not to be sought in the Babylonian exile but in all the judgments which from that time on came over Israel and which still rest on that unfortunate people (cf. comments on Isa 3:12). Israel’s whole history is seen at a glance, as though the entire drama were completed in the first act. The exile only began the fulfillment (there were still prophets in the exile); it did not complete it. (Young, Ed: The Book of Isaiah - 3 Volume Commentary. Eerdmans Pub. 1992-hardcopy or Logos or Wordsearch) Isaiah 3:2 The mighty man and the warrior, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder, (NASB: Lockman) English Translation of the Greek (Septuagint): the great and mighty man, the warrior and the judge, and the prophet, and the counsellor, and the elder, Amplified: The mighty man and the man of war, the judge and the [professional] prophet, the one who foretells by divination and the old man, (Amplified Bible - Lockman) KJV: The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, NET: the mighty men and warriors, judges and prophets, omen readers and leaders, (NET Bible) NJB: of hero, warrior, judge, prophet, diviner, elder, (NJB) NLT: He will destroy all the nation's leaders--the heroes, soldiers, judges, prophets, diviners, elders, (NLT - Tyndale House) Young's Literal: Hero and man of war, judge and prophet, And diviner and elder, The mighty man and the warrior, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder Is 2:13, 14, 15; 2Ki 24:14, 15, 16; Ps 74:9; La 5:12, 13, 14; Amos 2:3)(Is 9:15; Ezek 8:12; 9:5) So from bread and water, Isaiah turns to Jerusalem and Judah's sources of security (mighty man… warrior) and leadership, both spiritual and secular. These are the categories of people who in general gave Judah a sense of safety and institutional/governmental order. These were categories of individuals that the laity depended on and their removal would lead to virtual anarchy and radical upheaval of the entire order of society. Motyer sums up this list of leading men noting that…Isaiah heaps up titles, moving broadly from the national (judge and prophet) to the local (elder and craftsman), and mixing the legitimate with the illegitimate (counsellor and enchanter). This creates an impression of the total collapse of the command structure of society. The dissolution of society and the abandonment of true religion is always the signal for superstitions and an obsessive interest in prognostication, hence the reference to the soothsayer or ‘fortune-teller’. (Motyer, J. A. The Prophecy of Isaiah. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press) Warrior… judge - God will remove both the military and civil support, for the judges made decisions and undergirded to functioning of the government. These "stays" would be completely removed. Delitzsch comments that as the State, under Uzziah and Jotham, had become a military one, the prophet in both verses begins with the mention of military officers. (Isaiah 3 Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah)
Isaías 3:1-5
Clarke adds that… This also was fully accomplished in the succession of weak and wicked princes, from the death of Josiah to the destruction of the city and temple, and the taking of Zedekiah, the last of them, by Nebuchadnezzar. Young has an excellent word for America… How good God is to give a nation worthy rulers. May we ever appreciate such and constantly render our gratitude to Him for them. May we pray that He will spare us from the calamity of unworthy and unable rulers. Prayer must always be made for the officers of state. (Young, Ed: The Book of Isaiah - 3 Volume Commentary. Eerdmans Pub. 1992-hardcopy or Logos or Wordsearch) Isaiah 3:5 And the people will be oppressed, each one by another, and each one by his neighbor; The youth will storm against the elder and the inferior against the honorable. (NASB: Lockman) English Translation of the Greek (Septuagint): And the people shall fall, man upon man, and every man upon his neighbor: the child shall insult the elder man, and the base the honourable. Amplified: And the people shall be oppressed, each one by another, and each one by his neighbor; the child shall behave himself proudly and with insolence against the old man, and the lowborn against the honorable [person of rank]. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) KJV: And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable. NET: The people will treat each other harshly; men will oppose each other; neighbors will fight. Youths will proudly defy the elderly and riffraff will challenge those who were once respected. (NET Bible) NJB: People will be ill-treated by one another, each by his neighbour; the young will insult the aged, and the low, the respected. (NJB) NLT: People will take advantage of each other--man against man, neighbor fighting neighbor. Young people will revolt against authority, and nobodies will sneer at honorable people. (NLT - Tyndale House) Young's Literal: And the people hath exacted -- man upon man, Even a man on his neighbour, Enlarge themselves do the youths against the aged, And the lightly esteemed against the honoured. And the people will be oppressed, each one by another, and each one by his neighbor; The youth will storm against the elder and the inferior against the honorable: Delitzsch comments that then the people become like the government: passions are let loose, and all restraints of modesty are burst asunder. (Isaiah 3 Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah) In chapter 9 Isaiah records a similar refrain… By the fury (ideas expressed by this Hebrew noun = a surpassing measure or excess) of the LORD of hosts (Jehovah of the armies = a warrior) (See Jehovah Sabaoth, LORD of hosts) the land is burned up, and the people are like fuel for the fire. No man spares his brother. And they slice off what is on the right hand but still are hungry, and they eat what is on the left hand but they are not satisfied. Each of them eats the flesh of his own arm. Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh, and together they are against Judah. In spite of all this His anger does not turn away, and His hand is still stretched out. (Is 9:19, 20, 21) The following passages further amplify Isaiah's picture of a divisive spirit and absorption in self sustenance - Is 11:13; Je 9:3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8; 22:17; Ezek 22:6,7,12; Amos 4:1; Mic 3:1, 2, 3,11; Zec 7:9, 10, 11; Mal 3:5; Jas 2:6; 5:4) Oppressed (05065)(nagas) to oppress, to be pressed or harassed, to drive (be a taskmaster), to exact (to call for forcibly, to force or compel, to extort, to demand as a right, to insist upon), to exert demanding pressure. The root conveys the sense of exertion of demanding oppressive pressure for payment or labor. Although nagas is a verb, the participle is used to describe a taskmaster or slave driver. For example in Ex 3:7 the taskmasters caused affliction of God's people, but in the present context the affliction is not from the Egyptians, but from one Jew to another illustrative of the total breakdown of society in Judah and Jerusalem. Delitzsch comments that nagas signifies to treat as tyrant or taskmaster. The meanest selfishness then stifles all nobler motives; one becomes a tyrant over another, and rude insolence takes the place of reverence, which, by the law of nature, as well as the Torah (Lv 19:32) and custom, is due to the aged and superiors from boys and those in the humbler ranks… When there is disregard of the distinctions due to age and rank, the State in a short time becomes a wild and waste scene of confusion. (Isaiah 3 Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah) Nagas - 23v in the OT - Exod. 3:7; 5:6, 10, 13f; Deut. 15:2f; 1 Sam. 13:6; 14:24; 2 Ki. 23:35; Job 3:18; 39:7; Isa. 3:5, 12; 9:4; 14:2, 4; 53:7; 58:3; 60:17; Dan. 11:20; Zech. 9:8; 10:4. Isaiah use of nagas in chapter 58 helps us get a sense of the meaning of this verb where God answers the peoples' question regarding fasting… Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’ (Jehovah answers) Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, and drive hard (nagas; Lxx = huponusso = to sting, prick and so to prod or goad) all your workers. (Is 58:3) In another use of nagas we read… Now the men of Israel were hard-pressed (nagas) on that day, for Saul had put the people under oath, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food before evening, and until I have avenged myself on my enemies.” So none of the people tasted food.(1Sa 14:24) The NAS translates nagas as drive hard(1), driver(1), exact(2), exacted(1), hard-pressed(2), oppressed(2), oppressor(4), oppressors(2), overseers(1), ruler(1), taskmaster(1), taskmasters(5). The Septuagint translates nagas with the Greek verb sumpipto (literally = fall together) which means to collapse (Lk 6:49), to experience inward breakdown (collapse). The sense in the context seems to be that the people shall experience an inward breakdown as all the pillars of society are removed by Jehovah. Grogan writes that… The people were showing too great a tendency to put their trust in human beings (Is 2:22). The prophet warned them that the objects of their trust were to be removed. Those traditionally respected—"the old," "the honorable," (Is 3:5)—will be violently replaced by the manifestly inadequate and by the base oppressor. (Gaebelein, F, Editor: Expositor's Bible Commentary OT 7 Volume Set: Books - Grogan, G. Isaiah. Zondervan Publishing or Pradis = computer version) Each one by another - Literally "man against man". Each one by his neighbor - Literally "A man against his neighbor". The youth will storm against the elder - A description of chaos and anarchy (cp Jdg 21:25) Storm (proudly defy) (07292) (rahab) means to press one's plea or be in a state of contention with someone, especially describes verbal or legal strife. Rahab denotes a loud-mouthed, tempestuous and then even arrogant attitude. The idea is to act fiercely against, to act boisterously, to act arrogantly, to press upon as in Pr 6:3 (importune). Rahab - 4x in the OT - Ps. 138:3; Pr 6:3; Song 6:5; Isa. 3:5 The Septuagint translates rahab in this verse with the verb proskopto (word study) which literally means to strike against (Mt 4:6), to make contact with someone in a bruising or violent manner (Mt 7:27 "burst against), to cause offense or displeasure. Proskopto in its literal use pictures a traveler who bumps against an obstacle and is caused to stumble. Young adds that… When respect for age goes, moral anarchy is at hand. Youths will storm against, that is, they will act insolently or will press on against the aged. Respect for old age had been coupled in the law with the fear of God, “Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the Lord” (Lv 19:32). When all authority passes, respect for age also passes. One evidence of the degeneration of a government and people is seen in the manner in which the aged are treated. What is here pictured is a war of all against all. (Ibid) Inferior (07034)(qalah) is from a root which signifies the lowering of another’s social position and is frequently (as in this verse) used as the antonym of "glory and honor" (kabod). The idea is the person who is lightly esteemed or even despised. Veritable "nobodies" are coming against those who are Judah and Jerusalem's to be respected. Young rightly observes that… Disrespect for age and for those deserving of respect is a sign of pure barbarism. In such times, when the government itself is no longer responsible, the lowest classes gain the upper hand. It is a time when neither life nor property is safe, and when the decencies of life are constantly violated. Good government is one of God’s best gifts to a sinful race. How great then is the sin of those who refuse to concern themselves with their responsibilities as citizens of the state! (Ibid) Comment: Beloved, does this not make you weep over modern American pop culture which in so many ways displays gross disrespect for parenteral authority (cp children suing their parents for what in former days was deemed acceptable corporeal punishment!) The Septuagint translates qalah in this verse with the adjective atimos meaning literally without honor and thus those who are disrespected, despised or considered insignificant (in this context) in the Judean society. Qalah - 6v in OT - Dt 25:3; 27:16; 1Sa 18:23; Pr 12:9; Is 3:5; 16:14 and rendered in the NAS as degraded(2), dishonors(1), inferior(1), lightly esteemed(2). Honorable (03513) (kabod) is from a root word meaning weighty or heavy and here speaks of a "weighty" person in society, one who is honorable, impressive, worthy of respect and which is the meaning in >50% of uses. Kabod is used to describe God in Is 3:8 (literally = the eyes of His glory) The Septuagint translates kabod in this verse with the adjective entimos (en = in + time = honor, respect, reverence, esteem) meaning literally "in honor" and thus those who are respected, esteemed to be somebodies of considerable worth or those who are highly regarded. The inferior against the honorable - "the lightly esteemed against the honoured" (YLT) The NET Bible has a picturesque rendering of this phrase = "riffraff will challenge those who were once respected". Honor will take a backseat in this society in which the moral order is turned upside down. The picture is that of a society whose underpinnings are broken and which is therefore in total disarray. This is inevitably what happens when God removes the pillars of a society. Beloved, can we as believers in Jesus Christ read these passages and not lament and mourn over the current state of affairs in America, where we have seen prayer and Bible reading removed from schools for over 3 decades. Are we not reaping the bitter harvest from these God rejecting seeds as we witness the foundations of a once strong moral structure crumbling before our very eyes? I cannot write these words without thinking of God's encouraging words of mercy in the midst of His warnings of wrath when He declared… If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways ( = repentance - see word study), then (once all 4 conditions are met!) I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2Chr 7:13, 14) God was speaking to Israel in this passage but the principle surely applies to His Church. Dear believer, are you praying this prayer urgently and incessantly for America? If not please consider making this prayer a priority, for in the absence of a heaven sent revival, America is destined for far more difficult times as we continually remove every vestige of God from our society.
Isaías 3:6-9
Clarke says Jehovah's eyes… cannot look upon iniquity but with abhorrence; therefore, the eyes of his glory might be well provoked by their crimes. Delitzsch sums up this section writing that… Israel, instead of living in the consciousness of being a constant and favoured object of these majestic and earnestly admonishing eyes, is studiously defying them in word and deed, not even hiding its sin through fear of them, but exposing it abashed for all to view (Isaiah 3 Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah) Isaiah 3:9 The expression of their faces bears witness against them, and they display their sin like Sodom; They do not even conceal it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves. (NASB: Lockman) English Translation of the Greek (Septuagint): Wherefore now their glory has been brought low, and the shame of their countenance has withstood them, and they have proclaimed their sin as Sodom, and made it manifest. Amplified: Their respecting of persons and showing of partiality witnesses against them; they proclaim their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil [as a reward upon themselves]. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) KJV: The show of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves. NET: The look on their faces testifies to their guilt; like the people of Sodom they openly boast of their sin. Too bad for them! For they bring disaster on themselves. (NET Bible) NJB: Their complacency bears witness against them, they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not conceal it, all the worse for them, for they have hatched their own downfall. (NJB) NLT: The very look on their faces gives them away and displays their guilt. They sin openly like the people of Sodom. They are not one bit ashamed. How terrible it will be for them! They have brought about their own destruction. (NLT - Tyndale House) Young's Literal: The appearance of their faces witnessed against them, And their sin, as Sodom, they declared, They have not hidden! Woe to their soul, For they have done to themselves evil. The expression of their faces bears witness against them, and they display their sin like Sodom; They do not even conceal it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves: Is 3:16; 1Sa 15:32; 2Ki 9:30; Ps 10:4; 73:6,7; Pr 30:13; Je 3:3; 6:15; Da 7:20 Ge 13:13; 18:20,21; 19:5, 6, 7, 8, 9; Je 44:16,17; Ezek 23:16) (La 5:16; Ho 13:9 The expression of their faces bears witness against them (cp Is 3:16-note) - The brazen sin against the Almighty bears witness in their countenance. It is as if they "wear their sin" on their faces! The Septuagint has the noun aischune which means shame or disgrace, which shows on their faces. The Greek actually says something like this "their shame has set itself against them" which conveys the sense of opposition or resistance (Brenton renders it "the shame of their countenance has withstood them.") Delitzsch comments that this…describes an insolent look which their sinfulness is stamping upon their faces, without the self-condemnation which in others takes the form of dread to commit sin… The expression of their countenance testifies against them, for it is the distorted and troubled image of their sin that cannot and will not hide itself. They do not even content themselves, however, with this open thought silent display; they further speak openly of their sin, making not concealment of it, like the Sodomites who proclaimed their fleshly lust… Jerusalem is, in fact, spiritually Sodom, as the prophet called it in Is 1:10-note. Through such shameful sinning they do themselves harm: this the undeniable fact, the actual experience. (Isaiah 3 Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah) Young comments that…The very expression which appears on the faces of the inhabitants of Judah is such that it enables one to learn what sort of people they are. The emotions of the heart often find expression on the countenance, a fact which should remind us of the importance of keeping the thoughts of the heart true and pure; and inasmuch as these emotions do find expression in the countenance, there is no need for outside witnesses. The very look which the inhabitants of Judah bore on their faces was sufficient to serve as a witness against themselves… While it is true that we cannot always judge the character of a man by his countenance, it is also true that that character often comes to expression in the countenance. In a very true sense, we are what we think. (Young, Ed: The Book of Isaiah - 3 Volume Commentary. Eerdmans Pub. 1992-hardcopy or Logos or Wordsearch) Clarke adds that…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 destroyer. Impure propensities are particularly legible in the eyes: whoever has beheld the face of a debauchee or a prostitute knows this; of these it may be said, they wish to appear what they really are. They glory in their iniquity. This is the highest pitch of ungodliness. The psalmist writes… The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his thoughts are, “There is no God.” (Psalm 10:4-note) As Spurgeon said… Proud hearts breed proud looks and stiff knees. It is an admirable arrangement that the heart is often written on the countenance, just as the motion of the wheels of a clock find their record on its face. A brazen face and a broken heart never go together. We are not quite sure that the Athenians were wise when they ordained that men should be tried in the dark lest their countenances should weigh with the judges; for there is much more to be learned from the motions of the muscles of the face than from the words of the lips. Honesty shines in the face, but villainy peeps out at the eyes. See the effect of pride; it kept the man from seeking God. It is hard to pray with a stiff neck and an unbending knee. Therefore pride is their necklace. The garment of violence covers them. (Psalm 73:6-note)
Isaías 3:6-9
Clarke writes that… Every man’s sin is against his own soul. Evil awaiteth sinners—and he that offends his God injures himself.
Isaías 3:10-12
Clarke summarizes the righteous as… the person, 1. Who fears God. 2. Departs from evil (cp Job 1:1). 3. Walks according to the testimony of God. 4. And expects and prepares for a glorious immortality. (Ed: I agree with all 4 points which speak primarily to practical righteousness or righteous behavior. Remember that the only one who can truly behave righteously is the one who has received righteousness [who has been declared righteous] from God by grace through faith - see He 11:2-note). Martin writes that… God’s judgment is always fair. Wicked people often think that sinful living is the way to get ahead in life. Isaiah noted, however, that it is far better for a person to live righteously. (Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., et al: The Bible Knowledge Commentary. 1985. Victor or Logos) Solomon writes… Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life, still I know that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly. (Eccl 8:12, cp Eccl 3:14, 12:13,14) This principle of preservation of the righteous is promised again in Ezekiel in the time of destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon… And the LORD said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark (Literally = a "taw" = the shape of a cross!) on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst." Zephaniah (a contemporary of Jeremiah prophesying during the reign of Josiah about 625BC) speaking to Judah wrote… Seek the LORD, all you humble (the proud will not seek Him) of the earth who have carried out His ordinances (obedience); Seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you will be hidden (concealed) In the day of the LORD'S anger (Babylon's sacking of Jerusalem in 586BC). (Zeph 2:3) Righteous (06662) (tsaddiq) is from a root which emphasizes conformity to an ethical or moral standard, which is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God Who the psalmist describes as follows… The LORD is righteous in all His ways, and kind in all His deeds. ( Ps 145:17-note) As
Isaías 3:10-12
Clarke comments on "well" (good) writing that… He is a good man, he does nothing but good, and has a good God to deal with, from whom he expects nothing but goodness. It shall be well (good) with such in all circumstances of life. 1. In prosperity. 2. In adversity. 3. In sickness. 4. In health. 5. In death. 6. In judgment. And, 7. Through eternity. In every case, occurrence, and circumstance, he shall eat the fruit of his doings-he shall derive benefit from being a righteous man, and walking in a righteous way. They will eat the fruit of their actions - This passage in no way teaches that actions ("good" deeds or works, attempts to keep the Law) in any way merit salvation, which is always wholly by grace through faith (Ep 2:8, 9-note). Paul is quite clear when he writes… we maintain that a man is justified (declared righteous) by faith apart from (choris = a marker of dissociation = indicates a distinct, definitive separation from) works of the Law. (Ro 3:28-note) The fruit of their actions (Literally = for the fruit of their deeds they will eat) - The principle of sowing and reaping. See Rev 20:12,13, 22:12, Ps 62:12 Isa 3:10,11 Mt 16:27 Ro 2:5, 6, 7, 8,9, 10,11, 14:12 2Co 5:10 Ga 6:7 1Pe 1:17 Je 17:10. Isaiah promises… Behold, the Lord God will come with might, with His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him and His recompense before Him. (Is 40:10, cp Re 22:12-note) Paul gives the most succinct summary of the sowing/reaping principle first warning us… Do not be deceived, (present imperative + negative = stop an action already under way!) God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Gal 6:7, 8) Solomon records that… What the wicked fears will come upon him, And the desire of the righteous will be granted. 25 When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more, But the righteous has an everlasting foundation. (Pr 10:24, 25) Octavius Winslow - Devotional - 27 February - Isaiah 3:10 In all the spiritual exercises through which the believer in Jesus passes, it must in truth be well with him as to his real standing in Christ. You may be walking in darkness, or in light. You may be mourning in the valley, or rejoicing on the mount; now conquering, now foiled; now weeping, now rejoicing; yet it is still well with you as a pardoned, justified, saved sinner. Nothing can touch your interest in the Savior, or expel you from the covenant, or change the love of God towards you. There are tides in the faith and comfort of a child of God, even as there are in the ocean. The believer has his ebb and flow, his fluctuations of spiritual feeling. It is often low tide with his soul. The waves of spiritual joy and peace ebb, and all looks barren and cheerless. And now he begins to question the reality of all his former experience, and the sincerity of all his past professions. He abjures his adoption, doubts his interest in Christ, puts from him the promises, appropriates the judgments, keeps back from the ordinances, and his soul refuses to be comforted. But beloved saint of God - is there no flow, as well as ebb, in the spiritual joy and comfort of the believer? Is there no return of the tide of faith and consolation and hope, in the Christian's experience-the wave of love's infinite ocean, of the soul's perfect peace, of glory's anticipated joy, rolling back again upon the shore, in sweet heavenly cadence? Oh yes! Listen to the Divine assurances of this: "I have loved you with an everlasting love." "I have chosen you, and not cast you away." "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." "I have prayed for you, that your faith frill not." "I will restore comforts unto you." "I will not leave you comfortless." You have a little strength." "Therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you." "He will be very gracious unto you at the voice of your cry: when he shall hear it, he will answer you." "He restores my soul." All these exceeding great and precious promises, beloved, are yours. They are your Father's epistles of love, and He bids you read, believe, and enjoy them. Oh, it is, it must be, well with those whose sins are forgiven through Christ, whose people are accepted in the Beloved, whose God is the Lord, and upon whom His eye of love and delight rests from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. Say not it is ill with your soul, and not well, because the Holy Spirit is inserting the plough more deeply into your heart, thus discovering more of its hidden evil, detecting the lurking sin where its existence was not suspected, and discovering the flaw and the failure in the action, the principle, the motive, the end, which the fair surface, self-flattery, or specious reasoning had concealed. Oh say not that it is ill with your soul, and not well, because Jesus does not speak, God does not smile, and prayer is not answered. "For a small moment," says God, "have I hid myself from you; but with great mercies will I gather you." In the dreary, lonely, trying path you now tread, trace you not the footsteps of the flock, and, yet more distinct and blessed than all, the footprints of the Shepherd of the flock? Do not be, then, cast down. The Lord will bring you through this night of weeping into a morning of joy. And your knowledge will be the deeper, and your faith the stronger, and your joy the fuller, and your hope the brighter, and your song the sweeter and the louder, for all the painful exercises through which your soul has passed, and with deeper emphasis you shall exclaim, "It is well." Isaiah 3:11 Woe to the wicked! It will go badly with him, for what * he deserves * will be done to him. (NASB: Lockman) (NASB: Lockman) English Translation of the Greek (Septuagint): Woe to the transgressor! evils shall happen to him according to the works of his hands. Amplified: Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with them, for what their hands have done shall be done to them. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) KJV: Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him. NET: Too bad for the wicked sinners! For they will get exactly what they deserve. (NET Bible) NJB: woe to the wicked, it will go ill with him, for he will be treated as his actions deserve.' (NJB) NLT: But say to the wicked, "Your destruction is sure. You, too, will get what you deserve. Your well-earned punishment is on the way." (NLT - Tyndale House) Young's Literal: Woe to the wicked -- evil, Because the deed of his hand is done to him. Woe to the wicked! It will go badly with him, for what * he deserves * will be done to him : Woe - Is 48:22; 57:20,21; 65:13, 14, 15,20; Ps 1:3, 4, 5; 11:5,6; Eccl 8:13 Deserves - Ps 28:4; 62:12; Pr 1:31; 2Co 5:10; Jas 2:13) (Done Ps 120:3,4
Isaías 3:10-12
Clarke writes this is… the man who is, 1. Evil in his heart. 2. Evil in his purposes. 3. Evil in his life. As he is wicked, he does that which is wicked; and is influenced by the wicked one, of whom he is the servant and the son… Of him you can speak no good; and to him you can speak no good-all is evil, in him—before him—after him—round about him—above him—below him. Evil in time—evil through eternity! Psalm 1 contrasts the blessed way of the godly/righteous (cp Ps 1:1-note, Ps 1:2-note, Ps 1:3-note) with that of the ungodly/wicked… Psalm 1:4 The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff (the light, worthless husks that surrounds the valuable grain) which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish. (Ps 1:4, 5, 6-note) Badly (07451) (ra) is an adjective which means bad, evil, wicked. It describes the one with inability to come up to good standards (and is the opposite of good). The Septuagint translates ra with poneros which means harmful, toilsome, painful, grievous. For what he deserves will be done to him - Literally “for the work of his hands will be done to him.” Clarke adds… He shall be paid that for which he has laboured, and his reward shall be in proportion to his work. O, what a lot is that of the wicked! Cursed in time, and accursed through eternity! Paul exhorts us… Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Gal 6:7, 8) “Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.” Eccl 8:13 But it will not be well for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God. Isaiah 48:22 "There is no peace for the wicked," says the LORD. Isaiah 57:20 But the wicked are like the tossing sea, For it cannot be quiet, And its waters toss up refuse and mud. 21 "There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked." Psalm 11:5 The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, and the one who loves violence His soul hates. 6 Upon the wicked He will rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup.
Isaías 3:16-23
Clarke comments… It was the barbarous custom of the conquerors of those times to strip their captives naked, and to make them travel in that condition, exposed to the inclemency of the weather; and the worst of all, to the intolerable heat of the sun. But this to the women was the height of cruelty and indignity; and especially to such as those here described, who had indulged themselves in all manner of delicacies of living, and all the superfluities of ornamental dress; and even whose faces had hardly ever been exposed to the sight of man. This is always mentioned as the hardest part of the lot of captives. Isaiah 3:18 In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, headbands, crescent ornaments, (NASB: Lockman) English Translation of the Greek (Septuagint): and the Lord will take away the glory of their raiment, the curls and the fringes, and the crescents, Amplified: In that day the Lord will take away the finery of their tinkling anklets, the caps of network, the crescent head ornaments, (Amplified Bible - Lockman) KJV: In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon, NET: At that time the sovereign master will remove their beautiful ankle jewelry, neck ornaments, crescent shaped ornaments, (NET Bible) NJB: That day the Lord will take away the ornamental chains, medallions, crescents, (NJB) NLT: The Lord will strip away their artful beauty--their ornaments, headbands, and crescent necklaces; (NLT - Tyndale House) Young's Literal: In that day doth the Lord turn aside The beauty of the tinkling ornaments, And of the embroidered works, And of the round tires like moons, In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, headbands, crescent ornaments: Isaiah 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries In that day - The day when Adonai afflicts their scalps and makes them bald, in the time leading up to and culminating in the third and final siege of Jerusalem in 586BC when Judah would be utterly defeated, sacked and plundered by the Babylonian forces who would seize these showy babbles and bangles. As stated earlier, there are some that see a more complete fulfillment in the time of the Jacob's distress = the Great Tribulation. The Lord will take away the beauty - Adonai, the Master, will remove the trappings of their external beauty, the very things they trusted in, instead of placing their trust in God. Anklets (05914) ('ekec) is used only one other place in the OT. In Pr 7:22 'ekec describes fetters or stocks, which serve as instruments for confining persons or for controlling them to lead them to execution! One wonders if there is a double entendre intended in Isaiah's description of these proud women! Headband - Used only here and describes an ornamental decoration which encircled these women's heads. Beginning in this verse Isaiah records 22 Judean "fashion" items that were a clear manifestation of the pomposity and pride of the wearers. With the exception of the amulets, these 22 fashion statements in themselves were not wrong. It was the fact that these fashion statements were manifestations of their proud hearts. Crescent ornaments (07720) (saharon) refers to moon shaped ornaments that were found on camels (Jdg 8:21), kings (Jdg 8:26) and women (Is 3:18). Isaiah 3:19 dangling earrings, bracelets, veils, (NASB: Lockman) English Translation of the Greek (Septuagint): and the chains, and the ornaments of their faces, Amplified: The pendants, the bracelets or chains, and the spangled face veils and scarfs, (Amplified Bible - Lockman) KJV: The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, NET: earrings, bracelets, veils, (NET Bible) NJB: pendants, bracelets, trinkets, (NJB) NLT: their earrings, bracelets, and veils of shimmering gauze. (NLT - Tyndale House) Young's Literal: Of the drops, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, dangling earrings, bracelets, veils: Genesis 24:22,30,53; 38:18,25; Exodus 35:22; Numbers 31:50; Ezekiel 16:11 Isaiah 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Dangling earrings - Ear pendants. Drop shaped ornaments that hang from some point such as ear lobe. Only other use in Jdg 8:26. Bracelets - Only use in the OT Veils - Cloth covering the face to accentuate the beauty. Only use in the OT We need to understand that in this list of 22 fashion items, it is not the items per se that are the problem. The root problem as he has stated is pride, and these fashion items simply reflect the arrogant hearts of these women. As John
Isaías 3:24-26
Clarke notes that… Sitting on the ground was a posture that denoted mourning and deep distress. In Lamentations Jeremiah describes a fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy… The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground, they are silent. They have thrown dust on their heads; They have girded themselves with sackcloth. The virgins of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground. (La 2:10) Deserted she will sit - The Hebrew literally reads "she will be empty, on the ground she will sit.” Deserted (05352) (naqah) conveys the sense of to be emptied and so to be poured out, in this case referring to Jerusalem which has become emptied of people. The Septuagint (LXX) uses hedaphizo meaning to be leveled or razed to the ground and so completely destroyed (which would explain why she is deserted). Ed Young writes that… There is extant a coin from [the time of the Roman emperor] Vespasian which pictures the conquered Jerusalem as a dejected woman sitting under a palm tree, a soldier standing before her, and which bears the inscription Judaea capta, or devicta. Jerusalem alone. Clarke describing such a coin writes that on one side was… tall palm tree, emblem of the land of Palestine, the emperor standing on the left, close to the tree, with a trophy behind him; on the right, Judea under the figure of a female captive sitting on the ground, with her head resting on her hand, the elbow on her knee, weeping.