Isaiah 3:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And I will make boys their princes, and infants shall rule over them.

NIV: I will make mere youths their officials; children will rule over them.'

NASB: And I will make mere boys their leaders, And mischievous children will rule over them,

CSB: "I will make youths their leaders, and unstable rulers will govern them."

NLT: I will make boys their leaders, and toddlers their rulers.

KJV: And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.

NKJV: “I will give children to be their princes, And babes shall rule over them.

The leaders of Judah and Jerusalem were not leading God's people toward dependence on Yahweh. Still, the people thought of their leaders as wise, strong and, trustworthy. Isaiah now writes that when the Lord removes these seemingly strong leaders from Judah (Isaiah 3:2–3), those left to take their places will be incompetent.

Isaiah seems to be pointing forward to the time when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon will carry way "all the officials and all the mighty men of valor, 10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained, except the poorest people of the land" (2 Kings 24:14). Those left behind to rule over Judah will be young, perhaps teenagers, and inexperienced in comparison to the leaders hauled off to Babylon. Everyone will know that these new leaders cannot be trusted to defend Israel or bring justice to her people.

Isaiah 3:1–15 describes what will happen when God removes all the men of importance from Jerusalem . From soldiers to commanders and judges to charms experts. Those left behind will soon turn on each other for survival, oppressing the poor and old. Any man offered the role of Jerusalem's leader will refuse, knowing he cannot bring healing or provision to God's people. The Lord will bring charges against Judah's current leaders for mistreating the poor and taking everything from them.

Isaiah reveals that the Lord will take away all the qualified men from Judah and Jerusalem in His judgment. This includes military, political, and spiritual leaders. After they're gone, the people will turn on each other to survive, trying to convince anyone with the slightest advantage to be their leader. The Lord makes his case against Judah's leaders for taking from the poor instead of providing for them. The Lord will take away from Judah's women all the adornments they displayed in public in their arrogance and immorality. Jerusalem's men will fall, and she will be left empty.

Isaiah 3 picks up where the last verse in Isaiah 2 left off (Isaiah 2:22). There Isaiah warned the people not to trust in mere men and now he proclaims that the Lord will remove all the qualified men from Jerusalem. Those left behind will turn on each other. The Lord will bring charges against Jerusalem's current leaders for mistreating the poor. Because the wealthy women of Jerusalem and Judah are arrogant and immoral, the Lord will take away all their adornments, replacing hair with baldness and beauty with enemy brands. Jerusalem's men will die, leaving her broken and empty. This likely refers to the eventual invasion of Jerusalem and the capture of her people (2 Kings 24:14).

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).

Accessed 5/4/2024 6:54:28 PM