Isaiah 3

Grievous and manifold threatening and judgements, that should befall the Jews, as well the common people, as the Rulers because of their manifold sins, v.1, etc. But the righteous are comforted, 10. Especially the women kind or female sex are onely threatening for their pride and haughtiness, 16.

1. For behold, the Lord LORD of Hosts, will take away from Jerusalem, and from Juda, the staff stay and the staff, [That is all that whereon men do rely, whether great or small, honourable or mean: Oth. The leaning (man) and the leaning (woman)] all the staff of bread, and all the staff of water. [That is, all the nourishing virtue of bread, and all the nourishing virtue of water, so that they shall not be filled and satisfied, though they eat much bread, and drink much water. With this kind of judgement the Lord also threateneth the transgressors of his Law, Levit,26.26. See the annotate. There. And see an example thereof, Hagg.1.6.]

2. The Champion, and the man of war, the Judge, and the Prophet, and the Diviner, [That is, the far-seeing, provident, prudent man, that seeth a thing coming afar off, or fore-seeth it, before it come to pass. See Prov.16.10.] and the ancient. [To wit, not onely ancient in years, but also well expert, wise, and skilful in governing, whether Church, or Common-wealth.]

3. The Captain of fifty, and the honourable man, [Hebr. The man lifted up in face, or, countenance; that is, the honourable man, or the man in authority] and the Counsellor, [oth. Counsel-giver] and the wise [or, cunning expert] one among the artificers, and him that is eloquent speech. [That is, he hath a fluent tongue, and is able to utter himself upon any occasion; an eloquent or well-spoken man]

4. And I will appoint young men [To wit, young in years, or young in understanding, or in both. See Eccles.10.3,16.] (to be) their Princes, and children [oth. Childish men] shall rule over them.

5. And the people shall be pressed; [Or, be driven hard; to wit, to payment of taxes, etc. Or, to heavy service and labour] one shall be against another, and every one against his neighbour: the young man shall be stout [or, proud, bold] against the ancient, the contemptible [that is, the mean ones, or not esteemed among the people] against the honourable.

6. When any one shall take hold of his brother [That is, of his kinsman] (of) the house of his father, [That is, that is of his fathers house, or kindred] (saying,) Thou hast a garment, [that is, Thou art well to pass, or thou hast means enough to live: Thou art one of the chiefest and honourablest persons among us. Commonly riches are seen, or do discover themselves in men’s apparel, or clothing] be (thou) our Ruler, let, I pray thee, this stumbling [or, this calamity, or, ruin, or, destruction] be under thine hand: [That is, under thy conduct. The meaning is, Take, I pray thee, the sad and decayed case of our State or Common-wealth into thine hand, and help to support and underprop it, as much as thou canst. Oth. Let now thine hand be under this ruin. A phrase borrowed from a decaying or falling house]

7. (Then) shall he lift up (his hand) [To wit, toward heaven; that is, he shall swear. See Gen.14.22. Oth. He shall lift up (his voice)] in that day, [that is, forthwith, without taking long deliberation] saying, I cannot be an healer, [Heb. Binder up; to wit, of your wounds. I cannot be a Chirurgion, or Physician. As if he had said, things are too far decayed in our State, the wound of our Common-wealth is too corrupted: I am not able to remedy the matter that is so decayed. In brief, the Prophet doth intimate, that the case of the Jews should be so sad and miserable, that notwithstanding every one would fain be great, yet no man would be ready to embrace the government of the Jewish Common-wealth, though it were offered unto him; as is further shewed in the verse. See also Job 34.on v.17.] there is also no bread, nor clothing in mine house: [As if he had said, I am so poor, as that I am not able to provide necessaries for my self, and mine own relations, much less am I able to succour and help you] make me not a Ruler of the people.

8. For Jerusalem hath stumbled, [That is, it will surely fall very shortly] and Juda is fallen, because their tongue and dealings are against the LORD, to incense the eyes of his glory.

9. The behaviour of their face doth witness against them, [That is, a man may see by their looks, and by their very countenance, that they are wicked impudent people. Oth. The hardness of their face; in which signification the Hebrew word is also taken, Job 19:3.] and they speak openly of their sins, [or, proclaim them, brag of them. Hebr. They publish their sins] as Sodom [that is, as the inhabitants of Sodom did theirs. See Genes.13.13. and 18.20. and 19.5.] they hide them not: wo unto their soul, for they do evil to themselves. [To wit, by provoking the Lord to Judgement by their sins. See of the Hebrew word gamal, Psal.13.on vers.6.]

10. Say unto the righteous, that it shall go well (with him:) [See of such use of the Hebrew word Tob, Jer.22.15,16.] that they shall eat [That is, enjoy] the fruit of their works. [That is, God will graciously reward their piety. See Prov.chap.3. the annotate. On vers.31.]

11. Wo unto the wicked, it shall go ill (with him:) [In the Hebrew the word evil, or, wicked is onely mentioned. Oth. When he is wicked; that is, when he continueth wicked] for the reward of his hands shall be done unto him: [That is, the very same which he hath done unto others, shall befall him; he shall be punished for his evil deeds.]

12. The drivers [That is, severe Rulers, or oppressors] of my people are children, [That is, unexpert, or unexperienced men, that follow their own lusts, like unto children] and women [that is, effeminate men, that have no courage at all] rule over them: O my people, they which lead thee, mislead (you,) [Or, your Leaders, that is, your Teachers and Rulers, they seduce you, and cause you to erre. Oth. Those that count you happy; or call you blessed: Meaning such preachers as sow pillows under mens elbews, crying. There is no danger] and they swallow down the way of thy paths. [That is, they destroy the way, which thou oughtest to walk in, as he that devoureth or swalloweth down a thing that he putteth in his mouth: or they cover and darken the way, as a thing that is swallowed down, is hid, and as it were swooned up. Compare Num.4.20. or, they pass over it very lightly. Compare Job 39:27. with the annotate.]

13. The LORD setteth himself to plead, [That is, to argue and debate the matter, as Isa.1.18.] and he standeth to judge the nations. [To wit, the people of Israel, which is great, and many in number, as Acts 4:27.]

14. The LORD cometh to judgement against the Eldest of his people, and the Princes thereof, [That is, against the Judges, Rulers, Magistrates, which were wont to be chosen out of ancient grave men. These shall the LORD summon before the bar of his justice, because they have oppressed his people by injustice] for ye have devoured this vineyard: [Hebr. Burned, or consumed it with fire. See Numb.14.22. The meaning is, in stead of dressing and manuring my vineyard, and bringing me good fruits from it, ye waste and destroy it, and bring reproach and contempt upon it. By the vineyard is meant here the Church of God, or the people of God, that were committed to their charge. See Isa.5.1. Matth.21.33.] the spoil of the afflicted one is in your houses.

15. What mean ye, that ye bruise my people, [That is, what cause or equity have ye for it? That ye, etc.] and grind the faces [That is, the persons] of the afflicted ones? [That is, use, them most cruelly, and most inhumanely. Oth. Beat them as in a mortar, or, deface them with scratching etc. filthiness] saith the Lord LORD of hosts.

16. Moreover, the LORD said, because the daughters of Zion [That is, the women and maidens of Jerusalem, who in the following words are threatened with sore judgements for their abominable pride] lift up themselves, [that is, carry their heads high through pride and stateliness] and go with a neck stretched out, [Heb. Stretched out in neck, or, in throat] and wandering with (their) eyes, [Heb. Deceiving with (their) eyes; or, leering with (their) eyes; that is, bewraying their loosens with their eyes] tread along, going and tripping, [oth. They go tripping along, as if they were little children, making small steps] as if their feet were bound. [Or, fettered. Oth. Yea, they wear little fetters at their feet. Oth. Making a sounding or tinkling with their feet, as if there hung little bells at them. Others take it thus, they go half dancing, keeping certain measures or time in their treading. But the most and chiefest Interpreters understand it of certain costly tying ornaments on the feet, other the manner of little or small fetters]

17. Therefore the LORD will make the head of the daughters of Zion scabby: [Or, a scab. Oth. Bald. Upon scabbiness, baldness, or, falling out of the hair doth commonly follow. Others understand it thus that they should fall into the hand and power of the enemy, that should shave their hair clean off with a razor, and make them bald, as slaves and vassals are wont to be used] and the LORD shall make bare (or, uncover) their shame. [That is, the LORD shall cause them to be stripped of their garments, so that they shall be fain to go naked, and shall not have so much, as to cover their shame withal.]

18. In that day the LORD shall take away the ornament of the garters, [Concerning the 18,19,20,21,22,23, and 24. Verses, they are very variously translated. Also the proud dames in those times had many others braveries and dressings, which ours have not now, so that many of those names are unknown to us, many of them bringing the name along with them from the country where they were first invented. They are here set down as nigh as we could guess at them. For ornament of the garters, Oth. Have networks, or, grated garments, which were knit or made transparent, or pinked, which some call windows of dishonesty] and the little nets, [Or, scarfs, or, chain-work, such as are your fine-knitted small nets, or tiffenies, thin cloth, and all kind of knitting, or weaving, that is transparent] and the little moons. [This was a kind of ornament in the form or fashion of little moons. See Judg.8.v.21. Now a days some do wear in their ear tips, jewels of gold, silver, pearls, or, precious stone, like to little moons]

19. The sweet boxes, [Understand here the gold or silver boxes, which had musk, or other sweet-smelling spices in them, which the young women wore about their neck, or upon their breasts, or between them. Oth. Neck-chains, neck-laces, or such like thing] and the little chains, and the glittering garments. [That is, clothes be-spread with gold or silver spangles, which glittered when the sun did shine upon them, as if they had been glistering stars. Oth. Shaking, or, quavering leaves]

20. The Head-tire, [See Ezech.24.on v.17. and 44.on v.18.] and the arm-bracelets, [See 2 Sam.1.10.] and the bindings [Or, head-strings, head-bands. See Jer.2.on vers.32.] and the sweet-balls, [Hebr. Little houses of the soul, or, of the breath: so are the sweet-balls called, because, they cheer the heart, and strengthen breathing] and the ear-rings.

21. The rings, and the fore-head-ornaments. [These were certain ornaments, that hang from the fore-head down upon the nose, Genes.24.22.]

22. The changeable suits of apparel, [As Judg.chap.14.on v.12.] and the little mantles, [Heb. The upper-coverings. It may well be, they were great vails, which are now called in French la grand voile] and the small hats, and the hags: [As 2 Kings 5:23. Oth. Needles, or, pins, to wit, of gold or silver, such as now also some young daughters wear in their hair]

23. The mirrors and the fine linen coverings, and the hoods, [Or, top quivers] and the scarfs. [Oth. Laune’s, or, thin, vails, or fine, thin, and light garments, which were worn in Judea, and in the hot countries round about]

24. And it shall come to pass, that for spice, [That is, in stead of sweet smell] there shall be stink [Or, consumption, rottenness, as below chap.5.24.] and looseness [As when women are unlaced,] instead for a girdle, and baldness in stead of plaiting the hair, [Or, frizzled hair, or, hair combed smooth, or, hair laid neatly] and girding of a sack about (the body) in stead of a wide coat, [Or, loose gown] and burning or peeling of the face, occasioned by the heat of the sun] in stead of beauty.

25. Thy men [O Jerusalem, or, Zion] shall fall by the sword, and thy Champions [Heb. Thy strength: so we use to say, the Nobility of the land, for the Noble men of the land] in the battle.

26. And her gates [To wit, Jerusalems, or Zion’s gates] shall lament and mourn, [By the gates of Jerusalem, or of Zion, are meant the Courts of justice, or public places, of judicature in Jerusalem, which should lament and mourn, because the Judges and Counsellors should perish, or be destroyed] and she being made empty, [To wit, of inhabitants goods and household-stuff. See likewise of the Hebrew word, Prov.14. on vers.4.] shall sit upon the ground. [As sad, mournful, and dejected persons use to do. See Job 1:20.]