In this chapter the Jews are threatened with various calamities, on account of their sins, which would issue in their entire ruin and destruction. They are threatened with a famine, Isa. 3:1 with a removal of useful men in church and state, and in common life, Isa. 3:2, Isa.

For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts These titles of Jehovah, expressive of power and authority, are used to show that he is able to execute what he threatens to do; and the word “behold” is prefixed, to excite attention to what is about to be said: doth take away from Jerusalem, and from…

The mighty man, and man of war The meaning is either that these should die in war, as thousands of them did; or that men fit to be generals of armies should be removed by death before this time, so that they should have none to go out with their armies, and meet the enemy: the judge and the…

The captain of fifty A semi-centurion, such an one as in . So far should there be from being captains of thousands, and of hundreds, that there should not be one of fifty: and the honourable man; by birth, breeding, and behaviour, through riches and greatness; and one of power and authority among…

And I will give children to be their princes Either in age, or in understanding, who are really so, or act like such; and in either sense, when this is the case, it is an unhappiness to a nation, : and babes shall rule over them; which is the same as before.

And the people shall be oppressed, everyone by another, and everyone by his neighbour There being no governors, or such as were unfit for government, no decorum was kept and observed, but a mere anarchy; and so everyone did as he pleased, as when there was no king in Israel; and everyone rushed…

When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father One of the same country, kindred, and family; for only one of their brethren, and not a stranger, might rule over them, this taking hold of him may design not so much a literal taking hold of his person, his hand or garment, much…

In that day shall he swear Or “lift up”, that is, his hand [[4]], which was a gesture used in swearing, and therefore is so rendered; the meaning is, that he shall at once immediately give an answer, and for the solemn confirmation of it shall say an oath with it, saying, I will not be a healer, or…

For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen, &e.] This is a reason given why the government of them is refused; they were fallen into such a ruinous condition, that there was no probability of recovering them.

The shew of their countenance doth witness against them, &c.] 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” [[5]]; that is, that which may be known by their…

Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him The Lord always has some righteous ones, in the worst of times, whom he can and does distinguish, single out, and take care of; and it is his will that they should be comforted by his prophets and ministers, who seem to be the persons to whom…

Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him In time, and to eternity, in times of public calamity, and under all afflictions, and adverse dispensations of Providence; he has no God to go to; all that befalls him is in wrath; at death he is driven away in his wickedness; at judgment he will be bid…

As for my people, children are their oppressors Or rulers; for (נוגש) , in the Ethiopic language, signifies a king: or “exactors”, as in princes are so called, because they exact tribute of their subjects, and sometimes in a tyrannical and oppressive manner, and so get the name of oppressors.

The Lord standeth up to plead His own cause, or the cause of his son against the Jews that rejected him, and the Scribes and Pharisees that led them to an ill opinion of him: and standeth to judge the people.

The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof Both civil and ecclesiastical; the princes, chief priests, and elders of the people, who set themselves and took counsel together against the Lord and his Christ; would not suffer the people to be gathered to…

What mean ye, that ye beat my people to pieces Reduce them to the utmost poverty; so the Targum, “wherefore do ye impoverish my people?” as they did by exacting tithes of all that they possessed; by requiring large sums for their long prayers; and by various traditions they enjoined them to…

Moreover the Lord saith, because the daughters of Zion are haughty The wives or daughters of the rulers, princes, or elders; these were “high”, affected to look high and tall, and therefore stretched out their necks, and walked on tiptoes; or “were lifted up” with pride, which is the root and…

Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion This is opposed to the lifting up of their heads in that haughty manner they did, and to the binding, and plaiting, and curling of their hair, which now will fall off, through the scab or leprosy upon them, or…

In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet With which they made a tinkling as they went, it being about the shoe, and made a noise; or seeing the word used signifies “stocks”, and is so rendered , it may design some sort of attire about the feet, as…

The chains According to Kimchi and R. Levi ben Gersom on these were drop bottles, or vessels of gold, in which were put stacte or balsam; and the former says here, they were such in which balsam was put, and women hung about their necks; though, he observes, some interpret them of chains, which…

The bonnets This word is used sometimes for the tire of the heads of men, (Ezek. 24:17, Ezek. 24:23) and even for the bonnets of the priests, . The Targum renders the word “crowns”; the Jewish women wore golden crowns on their heads, in the form of the city of Jerusalem, with which they might not…

The rings On their finger, as Aben Ezra observes: and nose jewels; the same with the jewels on the forehead or nose, not that they hung upon the nose, but were fastened upon the forehead, and hung down to the nose, see ; an allusion to this is in though Austin says it was a custom of the women of…

The changeable suits of apparel To put on and off upon occasion; Kimchi says they were beautiful garments, and so they stand opposed to filthy ones, (Zech. 3:3, Zech. 3:4) (Judg. 14:12, Judg.

The glasses Looking glasses, by which they dressed themselves, see and so Kimchi explains the word; but elsewhere [[4]] he says it signifies thin garments, so called because the flesh is seen through them, being so exceeding thin; which sense is favoured by the Septuagint version, which renders it…

And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be a stink Instead of “spice”, or in the place where they put spices, carried musk, or had their smelling bottles, of precious and aromatic ointment, balsam, and myrrh, and such like things [[6]], namely, in their bosoms, there…

Thy men shall fall by the sword Of the Romans; which would be a punishment to the women for their pride and luxury, being deprived thereby of their husbands: and thy mighty in the war; of Vespasian and Titus, and which the Jews [[8]] call (פולמוס של אספסינוס) , “the war of Vespasian”: in which…

And her gates shall lament and mourn These being utterly destroyed; or there being none to pass through them, meaning the gates of the city of Jerusalem: and she [being} desolate; clear of inhabitants, quite emptied, and exhausted of men; being laid even with the ground, and her children within…