Isaiah 3:4 — Word Study
WLCוְנָתַתִּ֥י נְעָרִ֖ים שָׂרֵיהֶ֑ם וְתַעֲלוּלִ֖ים יִמְשְׁלוּ־ בָֽם׃
BSAI will makenâthan mere ladsnaʻar [youths, boys] their leaderssar [princes, rulers] ◂and childrentaʻălûwl [babes, foolish ones] will rulemâshal▸ [have power, govern]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְנָתַתִּ֥י | and I will make | Verb, Qal, sequential perfect first person common singular |
| נְעָרִ֖ים | youths | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| שָׂרֵיהֶ֑ם | leaders their | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| וְתַעֲלוּלִ֖ים | and wantonness | Conjunction, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| יִמְשְׁלוּ־ | they will rule | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| בָֽם׃ | over them | Preposition, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | “I will make mere lads their leaders, and children will rule over them.” |
| KJV | And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. |
| ASV | And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. |
| YLT | And I have made youths their heads, And sucklings rule over them. |
| WEB | I will give boys to be their princes, and children shall rule over them. |
| BBE | And I will make children their chiefs, and foolish ones will have rule over them. |
Where they part company is תַּעֲלוּלִ֖ים — see How Translations Differ.
One main clause with additional phrases providing details about the subjects and actions of the verse.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectתַּעֲלוּלִים
verbנָתַן
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Isaiah 3:4
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Prophetic Warninggenerated
Isaiah 3:4 reveals a troubling scenario where God will appoint inexperienced youths as leaders, indicating a time of societal decline and moral confusion. This prophecy serves as a warning about the consequences of turning away from wise and experienced leadership, reflecting a broader theme in the book of Isaiah about judgment and restoration.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Kings 3:7–9 | And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in my father David’s place. But I am only a little child, not knowing how to go out or come in. |
| 2 | 2 Chronicles 33:1 | Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. |
| 3 | 2 Chronicles 34:1 | Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. |
| 4 | 2 Chronicles 36:2–5 | Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. |
| 5 | Ecclesiastes 10:16 | Woe to you, O land whose king is a youth, and whose princes feast in the morning. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — נָתַן, ve.na.ta.Tigenerated
The verb נָתַן (natan) means 'to give' and indicates the act of appointing or assigning roles. Its usage here suggests a divine decision to place youths in positions of authority, which carries implications of instability and inexperience.
The Qal form indicates a straightforward action — God will actively make these changes in leadership. The word's frequent appearances throughout the Hebrew Bible highlight its significance in contexts of authority and provision.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb וְנָתַתִּ֥י (and I will make) anchors the sentence, indicating God's action. It governs the noun phrase נְעָרִ֖ים (youths) as the object, while the subject תַּעֲלוּלִ֖ים (and children) describes those who will rule.
The structure emphasizes the stark contrast between the youthful leaders and the foolish rulers, highlighting the chaotic state of leadership described in the prophecy.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates וְנָתַתִּ֥י as ἐπιστήσω, indicating a deliberate act of appointing. This choice aligns with the Hebrew meaning but may carry a slightly different connotation of establishing authority.
The term תַּעֲלוּלִ֖ים is rendered as ἐμπαῖκται, which emphasizes mockery or derision, suggesting that the leadership described is not only immature but also contemptible.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Isaiah 3:4 tells us that God will appoint young boys as leaders, and foolish children will govern over the people. This reflects a time of decline in Israel, where wise leadership is replaced with immature and capricious rulers, leading to chaos and disorder.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
This indicates a time of instability in leadership, where those lacking experience and wisdom are placed in positions of authority, leading to poor governance.
This reflects God's judgment on the people for their disobedience, resulting in a reversal of expected leadership roles.
It serves as a warning that without wisdom and experience, leadership can lead to chaos and suffering for the people.
It connects with themes in other prophetic books that address the consequences of turning away from God and the need for righteous leadership.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What qualities do you think are essential for good leadership, and how can we ensure those qualities are present in our leaders?
- In what ways can we support wise leadership in our communities today?
- How does this verse challenge our understanding of authority and power?
- What steps can we take to cultivate wisdom and experience in our own lives?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Jerome comments on this verse, interpreting it as a prophetic warning about the decline of leadership in Israel, emphasizing the consequences of turning away from God.
And I will give their children as princes. If this is said in the person of the Prophet: Behold, for the Lord God of hosts will take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the strong and the mighty: all the strength of bread,Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 3 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Isaiah 3:4 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd 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
Read John Gill on Isaiah 3 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. And I will give children - in ability for governing: antithesis to the "ancient" (see Isaiah 3:12; Ecclesiastes 10:16).
Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 3 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleChildren; either, 1. In age, whose minority corrupt ministers of state commonly abuse to great mischiefs; or, 2. In understanding, experience, and manners; foolish, froward, unteachable, &c.
Read Matthew Poole on Isaiah 3 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsIsaiah 3:4 And I will give children [to be] their princes, and babes shall rule over them.Ver. 4. And I will give children to be their princes.] Si non annis, at animis; If not with years but with life, such as were Ahaz, Manasseh, the four last kings of Judah, the calamity of that kingdom. Princes that are witless, wilful, weak, or wicked, are the people’ s woe; this childhood of theirs is the maturity of their subjects’ misery. And babes shall rule over them.] Sept., Mockers; some render it foxes, others effeminate persons, but babes is best. Such a one was Rehoboam, and Honorius the Emperor, who when he heard that his city of Rome was taken by Alarichus, grieved most of all for the loss…
Read John Trapp on Isaiah 3 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(4) I will give children to be their princes.—Better, youths. The words may point obliquely to Ahaz, who had ascended the throne at the age of twenty (2 Chronicles 28:1). Manasseh was but twelve when he became king; Josiah but eight (2 Chronicles 33:1; 2 Chronicles 34:1). In an Eastern monarchy the rule of a young king, rash and without experience, guided by counsellors like himself, was naturally regarded as the greatest of evils, and the history of Rehoboam had impressed this truth on the mind of every Israelite. (Comp. Ecclesiastes 10:16.)
Read Charles John Ellicott on Isaiah 3 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 4. I will give children to be their princes - "I will make boys their princes"] 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. Babes shall rule over them.] Dymennysche men schul lordschopen to hem. - Old MS. Bible.
Read AdamClarke on Isaiah 3 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges4. The supreme power passing into the hands of weaklings, a Reign of Terror ensues among the people. The sudden change of speaker is very striking. and babes …] Rather, and Outrage shall rule over them. The word rendered “babes” is really an abstract noun, occurring again only in ch. Isaiah 66:4 (A.V. “delusions”). It is derived from a verb meaning “to outrage” or “to insult” (see Judges 19:25; 1 Samuel 31:4; Jeremiah 38:19; Numbers 22:29), and seems here to denote those personal affronts and outrages which invariably accompany social confusions. The rendering “capriciousness,” preferred by many, does not suit Isaiah 66:4. Some take the word as adverbial acc. (see R.V. marg. “with…
Read Cambridge on Isaiah 3 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleAnd I will give children - Not children in respect to age so much as in regard to talent for governing. I will commit the land to the government of weak and imbecile princes.
Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 3 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
“I will make mere lads their leaders, and children will rule over them.”
I will give boys to be their princes, and children shall rule over them.
“I will make mere lads their leaders, and children will rule over them.”
The Lord says, “I will make youths their officials; malicious young men will rule over them.
Tyndale line
And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
And I will appoint children to bee their princes, and babes shall rule ouer them.
Strictly literal
And I will appoint youths as their princes, and children shall rule over them.
And I have made youths their heads, And sucklings rule over them.
And I have made youths their heads, || And sucklings rule over them.
And I will set up boys as their princes, and children shall rule over them.
“I will place mere youths as their leaders, and the young will rule over them.
From the Latin
And I will give children to be their princes, and the effeminate shall rule over them.
Simplified
I will give them boys as their leaders who will rule over them in childish ways.
And I will make children their chiefs, and foolish ones will have rule over them.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely, with all six words matched in the Hebrew and Greek versions. The Dead Sea Scrolls preserve the same wording as the Masoretic Text, indicating consistency across these ancient witnesses.
וְנָתַתִּ֥י נְעָרִ֖ים שָׂרֵיהֶ֑ם וְתַעֲלוּלִ֖ים יִמְשְׁלוּ־ בָֽם׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
ונתתי נערים שרי׳הם ותעלולים ימשולו ב׳ם
6 words on the leather.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Isaiah 3:4
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word נָתַן (natan) means 'to give' and encompasses a wide range of applications such as putting, setting, and making. It can also indicate actions like bestowing, delivering, and assigning. The entries describe its use in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Hophal, but do not present any significant disagreements among lexicons.
נָתַן 2007 vb. give, put, set
Qal 1917
give
Put, set
Make, constitute
Niph.
82be given
Be put, set
Hoph.
be given, bestowed
= be given to one for wife
be put upon
base
H5414 נָתַן give, put, set .. give
. Put, set
. Make, constitute
. . be given
. Be put, set
. . . be given, bestowed
. = be given to one for wife
. be put upon
5414 nathan naw-than'
a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of
application (put, make, etc.):--add, apply, appoint, ascribe,
assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth,
hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, +
cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X
without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up),
grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up),
(give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that,
occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X
pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send
(out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander,
strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade,
turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to)
God, yield.
נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: give.
: give/deliver/send/produce
1) to give, put, set
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend
1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate
1a3) to make, constitute
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned
1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted
1c) (Hophal)
1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up
1c2) to be put upon
נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: put.
: put/set/apppoint
1) to give, put, set
1a) (Qal)
Conj | V-Qal-1cs — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect first person common singularHc/Vqq1cs
נַ֫עַר (na`ar) generally refers to a boy, lad, or youth, covering ages from infancy to adolescence. It can also imply a servant or retainer and, in some contexts, may refer to a girl of similar age. The term appears in various forms across different lexicons, with Brown-Driver-Briggs noting its usage as a shaking or scattering.
נַ֫עַר 239 n.m. 1. boy, lad, youth. 2. retainer (not in P)
boy, lad, youth (c. 133 t.)
servant, retainer (c. 105 t.)
base
H5288a נַ֫עַר usu. interpr. as a shaking, scattering H5288b נַ֫עַר, נַ֫עַר . boy, lad, youth
. retainer
5288 na`ar nah'-ar
from 5287; (concretely) a boy (as active), from the age of
infancy to adolescence; by implication, a servant; also (by
interch. of sex), a girl (of similar latitude in age):--babe,
boy, child, damsel (from the margin), lad, servant, young
(man).
see HEBREW for 05287
נַ֫עַר (na.ar) — youth.
1) a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer
1a) boy, lad, youth
1b) servant, retainer
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
שַׂר (sar) refers to a leader or ruler, encompassing a range of meanings from prince and chief to official and captain. It denotes various ranks, including military commanders and religious leaders, and can also imply a noble or merchant of high status. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to rule'.
שַׂר 420 n.m. chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince
base
H8269 שַׂר chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince
8269 sar sar
from 8323; a head person (of any rank or class):--captain
(that had rule), chief (captain), general, governor, keeper,
lord, ((-task- ))master, prince(-ipal), ruler, steward.
see HEBREW for 08323
שַׂר (sar) — ruler.
1) prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain
1a) chieftain, leader
1b) vassal, noble, official (under king)
1c) captain, general, commander (military)
1d) chief, head, overseer (of other official classes)
1e) heads, princes (of religious office)
1f) elders (of representative leaders of people)
1g) merchant-princes (of rank and dignity)
1h) patron-angel
1i) Ruler of rulers (of God)
1j) warden
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3mp
תַּעֲלוּלִים (ta`aluwl) refers to concepts of wantonness and caprice, indicating a sense of vexation or whimsy. It is derived from a root meaning to be vexed or to experience a fit. The term can also concretely refer to a tyrant or delusion, suggesting a range of meanings related to erratic behavior.
תַּעֲלוּלִים n.m.pl.abstr. wantonness, caprice
base
H8586 תַּעֲלוּלִים wantonness, caprice
8586 ta`aluwl tah-al-ool'
from 5953; caprice (as a fit coming on), i.e. vexation;
concretely a tyrant:--babe, delusion.
see HEBREW for 05953
תַּעֲלוּלִים (ta.a.lul) — caprice.
wantonness, caprice, vexation
Conj | N-mp — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural absoluteHC/Ncmpa
מָשַׁל (mashal) is a Hebrew verb meaning to rule or have dominion. It can refer to human authority, the dominion of heavenly bodies, or God's sovereignty. The word has a Qal form indicating direct rule and a Hiphil form that implies causing someone to rule or exercising dominion.
מָשַׁל vb. rule, have dominion, reign
Qal
human subj., rule, have dominion over
of heavenly bodies
of God
Hiph. cause to rule; exercise dominion
base
H4910 מָשַׁל rule, have dominion, reign .. human subj., rule, have dominion over
. of heavenly bodies
. of God
. cause to rule; exercise dominion
4910 mashal maw-shal'
a primitive root; to rule:--(have, make to have) dominion,
governor, X indeed, reign, (bear, cause to, have)
rule(-ing, -r), have power.
מָשַׁל (ma.shal) — to rule.
1) to rule, have dominion, reign
1a) (Qal) to rule, have dominion
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to cause to rule
1b2) to exercise dominion
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVqi3mp
הֶם (hem) — them.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine plural
HR/Sp3mp — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp3mp