Netbible notes of \u201cin the last days\u201d: \u201cThis phrase may refer generally to the future, or more technically to the final period of history.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBe established\u201d can also be translated as \u201cwill endure.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the future
\nthe mountain of the Lord\u2019s temple will endure
\nas the most important of mountains,
\nand will be the most prominent of hills.
\nAll the nations will stream to it,<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
This is quite to awesome picture of Israel, in contrast to how it was when the Nephites left it and how they understood that it would become via the Babylonians. If we \u201cliken\u201d it to ourselves, it suggests that there is a future glorious day for the Lord\u2019s creations, including humans, including me, including people I don\u2019t like, despite the weakness of their present state.<\/p>\n
Thomas Constable: \u201cThe term \u201cmountain\u201d is sometimes a symbol of a kingdom, nation, authority, or rule elsewhere in the prophetic writings (e.g., Dan. 2:35, 44-45; Amos 4:1; Rev. 17:9-11). The ancients also regarded mountains as the homes of the gods. If Isaiah was using \u201cmountain\u201d as a figure of speech, he meant that Israel and her God would be the most highly exalted in the earth eventually. This will be the case during Messiah\u2019s earthly reign.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas Constable (quoting Grogen): \u201c\u201cThe analogy of streams is particularly apt, because the major traditional oppressors of Israel were associated with great rivers\u2014the Nile, the Tigris, and the Euphrates (cf. 8:6-8).\u201d<\/p>\n
(The KJV has \u201cflow\u201d where he refers to \u201cstreams\u201d here.)<\/p>\n
I like the idea that these oppressing nations, normally associated with their great rivers, will instead become streams themselves, headed for the desert and then Jrsm.<\/p>\n
The idea of all of the nations flowing may also be an expansion of the OT law that required (male) Jews to make three yearly pilgrimages to Jrsm. In that case, we see a good example of what Nephi was talking about above with the idea that the Law of Moses was a type to help us better understand future events. If the fulfillment of the idea of three yearly trips to Jrsm by male Israelites is that all nations will go to Jrsm all the time, then that is a lovely picture of the expansion of people\u2019s ability to be in the presence of God and worship.<\/p>\n
Usually, they associate nations streaming into Jrsm with conquest and threat; here, the nations are streaming in because Jrsm is literally the beautiful city on the hill. It is a provocative inversion.<\/p>\n
What do you think the Nephites made of this verse?<\/p>\n
3 And many people shall go and say,<\/strong>
\nCome ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,<\/strong>
\nto the house of the God of Jacob;<\/strong>
\nand he will teach us of his ways,<\/strong>
\nand we will walk in his paths;<\/strong>
\nfor out of Zion shall go forth the law,<\/strong>
\nand the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.<\/strong><\/p>\nThis verse is virtually identical to Isaiah 2:3.<\/p>\n
The \u201chouse of the God of Jacob\u201d means \u201cthe temple.\u201d Why do you think Isaiah referred to the temple this way?<\/p>\n
These nations see going to the temple as a way to learn of God\u2019s ways and how to follow God. What do you make of that description of the purpose of the temple?<\/p>\n
NetBible translates the 6th line as \u201cFor Zion will be the center for moral instruction.\u201d What can we do today to fulfill that prophecy?<\/p>\n
A lot of the time we focus on the resistance or disinterest that people have in God\u2019s law. What do you make of these verses that focus on the almost magnetic attraction that people will have to God\u2019s law? How might this view inform our approach to missionary work and teaching the gospel?<\/p>\n
I think we sometimes get so caught up in the \u201cOo, he saw the Salt Lake Temple!\u201d approach to this verse that we miss what (else) is happening. What does the image of God\u2019s law going out from the temple suggest to you? In what others ways, besides the SL temple, might this verse find fulfillment?<\/p>\n
What do you make of the inversion of people streaming into Jrsm but the law streaming out of Jrsm?<\/p>\n
It sounds in this verse as if the people want to be a part of Jrsm because they are seeking righteousness and they want commandments and laws. Does this image surprise you? What, if anything, can we do to cultivate those feelings in other people?<\/p>\n
What does this verse (along with v2) suggest about the best way(s) to do missionary work?<\/p>\n
4 And he shall judge among the nations,<\/strong>
\nand shall rebuke many people:<\/strong>
\nand they shall beat their swords into plow-shares,<\/strong>
\nand their spears into pruning-hooks\u2014<\/strong>
\nnation shall not lift up sword against nation,<\/strong>
\nneither shall they learn war any more.<\/strong><\/p>\nThis verse is virtually identical to Isaiah 2:4.<\/p>\n
Joel 3:10 (\u201cBeat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.\u201d). This, folks, is why you need a living prophet.<\/p>\n
NetBible translates the first two lines of this verse as:<\/p>\n
He will judge disputes between nations;<\/p>\n
he will settle cases for many peoples.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
To me, that makes the linkage of ideas much more clear: the reason that people do not need the instruments of war is because they will not need to go to war, and they will not need to go to war anymore because, as the first two verses suggest, the Lord will settle disputes before they reach the point of warfare. This concept relates, I think, to a little tangent we went on when I taught lesson #7: in the context of discussing the fact that a main theme of the Psalm of Nephi (2 Nephi 4) was Nephi\u2019s struggles with his anger, but that the psalm is bracketed by references to the anger of his brothers, I talked a little bit about how the full spectrum of human emotions was found in the psalms and that an appropriate thing to do with one\u2019s anger is to turn it over to God, as Nephi does in the Psalm. (I even suggested in class that I might start making my kids write psalms instead of beating up their brothers.) Anyway, I think that concept links to this verse: the need for war disappears when we turn over the issue of settling our disputes to the Lord.<\/p>\n
Imagine feeling so secure that not only did you no longer bother to lock your door, but that you melted down the metal from the lock to make a, um, metal spatula or something. I\u2019m not suggesting that anyone do that now; I am suggesting that Isaiah is writing of a future time when such a thing will be possible.<\/p>\n
Do you read this verse to suggest that we should wait around until the Lord accomplishes this peaceful state for us (in other words: human efforts at this kind of pacifism are futile without the Lord getting things going) or that we should be bringing about this kind of peace and, if the latter, in what ways might we go about doing that?<\/p>\n
I\u2019m interesting in the juxtaposition of \u201crebuking\u201d and creating a peaceful environment. It seems that rebuking might lead to resentment, which would disturb the peace. What does this verse suggest about that conundrum?<\/p>\n
NB that this verse presents this peaceful state as the outgrowth of people desiring to live the law of the Lord. If we are living that law, we would not engage in warfare.<\/p>\n
Interestingly, the last four verses are not only virtually identical to Isaiah but to Micah 4:1-4. One wonders if Micah was quoting Isaiah, or if Micah and Isaiah were both quoting an otherwise-unknown text, or what.<\/p>\n
5 O house of Jacob,<\/strong>
\ncome ye and let us walk in the light of the Lord;<\/strong>
\nyea, come, for ye have all gone astray,<\/strong>
\nevery one to his wicked ways.<\/strong><\/p>\nKJV Isaiah 2:5 lacks the final two lines. Do you think the presence of these lines in the BoM suggests that they were part of an earlier text of Isaiah, or might they be commentary by Nephi? Most scholars do see this verse as introducing a section related to the wickedness of the people, so these lines definitely fit into Isaiah\u2019s context.<\/p>\n
Netbible notes on walking in the light of the Lord: \u201cIn this context, which speaks of the Lord\u2019s instruction and commands, the \u201clight of the Lord\u201d refers to his moral standards by which he seeks to guide his people. One could paraphrase, \u201clet\u2019s obey the Lord\u2019s commands.\u201d\u201d<\/p>\n
I see this verse as an invitation for the House of Jacob to lead the way in being the people described in the above verses–people who seek the law of God and, therefore, are peaceful. This message might have been particularly compelling to the Nephites, who had to move away from the Lamanites recently. This passage from Isaiah gives them a context in which they don\u2019t look like wimps, but rather like people who listened to the Lord (remember, they didn\u2019t leave on their own initiative, but because the Lord told Nephi to go) and were able to avoid warfare.<\/p>\n
6 Therefore, O Lord,<\/strong>
\nthou hast forsaken thy people,<\/strong>
\nthe house of Jacob,<\/strong>
\nbecause they be replenished from the east,<\/strong>
\nand hearken unto soothsayers like the Philistines,<\/strong>
\nand they please themselves in the children of strangers.<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 2:6 lacks \u201cO Lord.\u201d I suspect this is Nephite commentary included to clarify speaker and audience. (Interestingly enough, the NetBible also adds the words \u201cO Lord\u201d to the text for the purpose of clarification, although they are not in the text.)<\/p>\n
Netbible translates \u201cbecause they be replenished from the east\u201d as \u201cFor diviners from the east are everywhere,\u201d suggesting a parallel to the next line, with the effect that the people of Israel were surrounded by divination\/soothsayers\/false worship.<\/p>\n
Isaiah 2:6 reads, \u201cand are soothsayers like the Philistines.\u201d This changes the Nephite record from being soothsayers to listening to soothsayers. Any ideas as to why this change might have been made?<\/p>\n
Netbible translates the final line as \u201cPlenty of foreigners are around,\u201d but they concede that the Hebrew is uncertain. The thrust is clear, however, that the problem is that they are intermixing with foreign people in inappropriate ways.<\/p>\n
The KJV and BoM suggest that the Lord has abandoned his people because of their participation in these false traditions; modern translations suggest that the people took up these traditions because they felt abandoned by God. Either way, there is a strong contrast with v2, the ideal state, where Gentiles pour into Jrsm and want to follow God\u2019s law, with this verse, where the children of the covenant adopt the religions of their neighbors. What factors might have made them more likely to follow outside influences as opposed to God\u2019s law? How might we do the same thing today? What makes a soothsayer more appealing than a prophet?<\/p>\n
7 Their land also is full of silver and gold,<\/strong>
\nneither is there any end of their treasures;<\/strong>
\ntheir land is also full of horses,<\/strong>
\nneither is there any end of their chariots.<\/strong><\/p>\nThis verse is virtually identical to Isaiah 2:7.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir land\u201d is Israel here.<\/p>\n
NetBible notes: \u201cJudah\u2019s royal bureaucracy had accumulated great wealth and military might, in violation of Deut 17:16-17.\u201d<\/p>\n
Interesting that wealth and arms are bracketed by references to false religious traditions (v6 and v8).<\/p>\n
Again, a telling and condemning contrast with the other nations in v3-4 who sought out God\u2019s law and path with what Israel (who should know better!) is doing here, as they seek out what other people treasure.<\/p>\n
8 Their land is also full of idols;<\/strong>
\nthey worship the work of their own hands,<\/strong>
\nthat which their own fingers have made.<\/strong><\/p>\nThis verse is virtually identical to Isaiah 2:8.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m curious about the relationship between v7 and v8–is there a link between wealth, arms, and false religion? It seems to me that a focus on wealth and arms could make it more likely that someone is primed to \u201cworship the work of their own hands.\u201d Moving back to v6, it is likely that too much intermixing with foreigners led them to wealth (through trade) but also military build-up (needed because of entangling alliances). So there seems to be a progression here, with all of the material in these verses related.<\/p>\n
Thoughts as to how we might do something similar today? What\u2019s the line between taking pride in your work and worshiping the work of your hands? I\u2019m curious as to how we might reconcile a verse like this with our own thoughts about expressing out creativity and developing our talents.<\/p>\n
9 And the mean man boweth not down,<\/strong>
\nand the great man humbleth himself not,<\/strong>
\ntherefore, forgive him not.<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 2:9 reads \u201cAnd the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.\u201d (Note the lack of \u201cnots\u201d in the first two lines!) This strikes me as a JST-esque change in order to make the verse make more sense doctrinally. In Isaiah, the context is that the men are bowing down to false idols and therefore should not be forgiven, but the brass plates or Nephi seem to have read this as genuine repentance. Interestingly, Skousen thinks that \u201cand the mean man boweth down and the great man humbleth himself\u201d is the original reading. This original reading makes sense if you think of them bowing down before idols.<\/p>\n
mean = poor, low. Therefore mean + great is a figure suggesting everyone.<\/p>\n
Thomas Constable: \u201c\u201cDo not forgive them\u201d is an idiom meaning \u201cfor sure you will not forgive them.\u201d\u201d<\/p>\n
10 O ye wicked ones,<\/strong>
\nenter into the rock,<\/strong>
\nand hide thee in the dust,<\/strong>
\nfor the fear of the Lord<\/strong>
\nand the glory of his majesty<\/strong>
\nshall smite thee.<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 2:10 reads, \u201cEnter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty.\u201d Which means that the BoM adds \u201cO ye wicked ones\u201d and \u201cshall smite thee.\u201d<\/p>\n
NetBible has, for the second and third lines:<\/p>\n
Go up into the rocky cliffs,<\/p>\n
hide in the ground.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Which suggests hiding any or everywhere.<\/p>\n
This verse pictures the wicked trying to hide from God.<\/p>\n
11 And it shall come to pass<\/strong>
\nthat the lofty looks of man shall be humbled,<\/strong>
\nand the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down,<\/strong>
\nand the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.<\/strong><\/p>\nAnd no one is surprised that \u201cand it shall come to pass\u201d is a BoM addition not found in Isaiah 2:11.<\/p>\n
\u201chumbled\u201d is the same verb as \u201cboweth down\u201d in v9, suggesting a relationship between the two events. The bowed down to idols, but now they shall bow before the Lord.<\/p>\n
The thrust of this verse is that their efforts to hide in v10 will come to naught.<\/p>\n
12 For the day of the Lord of Hosts soon cometh upon all nations,<\/strong>
\nyea, upon every one;<\/strong>
\nyea, upon the proud and lofty,<\/strong>
\nand upon every one who is lifted up,<\/strong>
\nand he shall be brought low.<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 2:12 reads: \u201cFor the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:\u201d So the BoM has \u201csoon cometh\u201d instead of \u201cshall be.\u201d The BoM adds \u201cupon all nations\u201d and \u201cupon every one.\u201d What do you make of these changes?<\/p>\n
\u201cLord of hosts\u201d means \u201cthe Lord who commands armies.\u201d The use of that title here serves to emphasize his ability to command large forces, and therefore reinforces his ability to bring to pass what is described in the rest of the verse.<\/p>\n
This verse is a good example of what is called an eschatological reversaL; those who are proud will be brought low. In many ways, we can count on the Lord to create the inverse of the state we choose to occupy in mortality.<\/p>\n
The poetic structure works really hard here to suggest the universality of the Lord\u2019s judgment–no one escapes.<\/p>\n
13 Yea, and the day of the Lord shall come upon all the cedars of Lebanon,<\/strong>
\nfor they are high and lifted up;<\/strong>
\nand upon all the oaks of Bashan;<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 2:13 reads: \u201cAnd upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan.\u201d So the BoM adds \u201cand the day of the Lord shall come\u201d to the beginning of the verse. This seems to clarify the verse and be sure that we don\u2019t lose the train of thought from the previous verse.<\/p>\n
NetBible notes: \u201cThe cedars of Lebanon and oaks of Bashan were well-known for their size and prominence. They make apt symbols here for powerful men who think of themselves as prominent and secure.\u201d<\/p>\n
This verse asks us to think about who and what are prominent in our day, and whether that prominence will endure the judgments of the Lord.<\/p>\n
14 And upon all the high mountains,<\/strong>
\nand upon all the hills,<\/strong>
\nand upon all the nations which are lifted up,<\/strong>
\nand upon every people;<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 2:14 reads, \u201cAnd upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up,\u201d So the BoM adds the ideas of nations and people. This strikes me as a JST-esque commentary that makes a symbol\u2019s meaning more clear.<\/p>\n
NetBible notes: \u201cThe high mountains and hills symbolize the apparent security of proud men, as do the high tower and fortified wall of v. 15.\u201d<\/p>\n
Note the theme developing of height and prominence as being the objects of cutting down in the Lord\u2019s day.<\/p>\n
15 And upon every high tower,<\/strong>
\nand upon every fenced wall;<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 2:15 is virtually identical.<\/p>\n
High towers and fortified (=fenced) walls would have been seen as providing security from attack. But here they are the object of the Lord\u2019s destructive power. This verse might be paraphrased, \u201cThe very things that you think will protect you from attack will be attacked by the Lord.\u201d And the unspoken subtext is: And what will protect you from that?<\/p>\n
16 And upon all the ships of the sea,<\/strong>
\nand upon all the ships of Tarshish,<\/strong>
\nand upon all pleasant pictures.<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 2:16 omits \u201cand upon all the ships of the sea.\u201d<\/p>\n
Interesting article<\/a> on the textual variants in this verse.<\/p>\n\u201cPictures\u201d appears only here in the Bible, so we have no real idea what it means. Given the context, some translations use \u201cpleasant ships.\u201d<\/p>\n
Netbible notes: \u201cThe ships mentioned in this verse were the best of their class, and therefore an apt metaphor for the proud men being denounced in this speech.\u201d<\/p>\n
17 And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down,<\/strong>
\nand the haughtiness of men shall be made low;<\/strong>
\nand the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 2:17 is virtually identical.<\/p>\n
Netbible notes: \u201cAs in v. 11, the repetition of the verbs . . . v. 9 draws attention to the appropriate nature of the judgment. Those proud men who \u201cbow low\u201d before idols will be forced to \u201cbow low\u201d before God when he judges their sin.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thus concludes an extremely strong denunciation of pride, haughtiness, etc. What would this have meant to the Nephites? (Perhaps that they are not to assume that they are better than the Lamanites, or each other?) What does it mean to us? In what ways might we act like tall trees, fortified fences, best-in-class ships, etc.? What can we do today to exalt the Lord (and not ourselves)?<\/p>\n
18 And the idols he shall utterly abolish.<\/strong><\/p>\nThere is a nice inverse parallelism here: they created the idols with their own hands; the Lord will destroy them with his own hands.<\/p>\n
19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks,<\/strong>
\nand into the caves of the earth,<\/strong>
\nfor the fear of the Lord shall come upon them<\/strong>
\nand the glory of his majesty shall smite them,<\/strong>
\nwhen he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.<\/strong><\/p>\nThis is virtually identical to Isaiah 2:19.<\/p>\n
This is an interesting reprisal of v10.<\/p>\n
Some understand the \u201cthey\u201d as the idols, and some as the idolaters.<\/p>\n
20 In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold,<\/strong>
\nwhich he hath made for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 2:20 is virtually identical.<\/p>\n
NetBible notes: \u201cThe precise point of vv. 20-21 is not entirely clear. Are they taking the idols into their hiding places with them, because they are so attached to their man-made images? Or are they discarding the idols along the way as they retreat into the darkest places they can find? In either case it is obvious that the gods are incapable of helping them.\u201d<\/p>\n
21 To go into the clefts of the rocks,<\/strong>
\nand into the tops of the ragged rocks,<\/strong>
\nfor the fear of the Lord shall come upon them<\/strong>
\nand the majesty of his glory shall smite them,<\/strong>
\n when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.<\/strong><\/p>\nThis is the third reprise of these themes. Why do you think this material is repeated, as if it were a refrain?<\/p>\n
22 Cease ye from man,<\/strong>
\nwhose breath is in his nostrils;<\/strong>
\nfor wherein is he to be accounted of?<\/strong><\/p>\nNetbible:<\/p>\n
Stop trusting in human beings,<\/p>\n
whose life\u2019s breath is in their nostrils.<\/p>\n
For why should they be given special consideration?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Is the second line a reference to the fact that Adam wouldn\u2019t even have been breathing if it weren\u2019t for the acts of the Lord?<\/p>\n
How does this verse relate to the material about idols that comes before it?<\/p>\n
Do you think this material about idols might have been especially relevant to the Nephites, who had just made off with the sword of Laban, the plates, and the Liahona?<\/p>\n
There are numerous references in 2 Nephi to Nephi being a source of safety to his people. How do those verses mesh with the message of this section?<\/p>\n
CHAPTER 13<\/strong><\/p>\n 1 For behold, the Lord, the Lord of Hosts,<\/strong>
\ndoth take away from Jerusalem, and from Judah,<\/strong>
\nthe stay and the staff,<\/strong>
\nthe whole staff of bread, and the whole stay of water\u2014<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 3:1 is virtually identical. It does not have a comma after Judah, however.<\/p>\n
I find this to be a very interesting verse because there is doubling within each line (Lord, Lord of Hosts; Jerusalem, Judah; stay, staff; bread, water) as well as across lines, which is more typical.<\/p>\n
\u201cStay and staff\u201d can both be translated as \u201csupport.\u201d So the picture of this verse is that the Lord is removing from Jrsm everything that she needs to exist. In other words, a famine will come and it will be the Lord\u2019s doing.<\/p>\n
2 The mighty man, and the man of war,<\/strong>
\nthe judge, and the prophet,<\/strong>
\nand the prudent, and the ancient;<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 3:2 is virtually identical.<\/p>\n
\u201cAncient\u201d can be translated as \u201celder\u201d here.<\/p>\n
This verse continues the thought from the previous verse: in addition to the Lord removing their food and water, the Lord will remove their leaders in all areas of life (strong men, warriors, judges, etc.) The picture of helplessness and desolation continues.<\/p>\n
3 The captain of fifty,<\/strong>
\nand the honorable man,<\/strong>
\nand the counselor, and the cunning artificer,<\/strong>
\nand the eloquent orator.<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 3:3 is virtually identical.<\/p>\n
The picture of the removal of all skilled people continues. This verse would find fulfillment (on at least one level) with the Babylonian captivity, where everyone except for the lowly folk were hauled off to Babylon.<\/p>\n
4 And I will give children unto them to be their princes,<\/strong>
\nand babes shall rule over them.<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 3:4 is virtually identical.<\/p>\n
There is a subtle change in speaker: now the Lord, not the prophet, is speaking to them.<\/p>\n
\u201cBabes\u201d may perhaps be more accurately understood as \u201cbad young people.\u201d Either way, this is most definitely not a good thing: the experienced people were carted off in the previous verses, and so only the young and foolish remain to fulfill important positions.<\/p>\n
5 And the people shall be oppressed,<\/strong>
\nevery one by another,<\/strong>
\nand every one by his neighbor;<\/strong>
\nthe child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient,<\/strong>
\nand the base against the honorable.<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 3:5 is virtually identical.<\/p>\n
This strife and oppression appears to be the result of having incompetent leaders, as v4 describes.<\/p>\n
Note that the practice of children dishonoring the elderly is coded as the outgrowth of societal dysfunction. This seems to be a tricky practice in our society, where rapid advances in technology mean that older adults frequently are not as wise as youth. We would need to be particularly careful here.<\/p>\n
6 When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, and shall say:<\/strong>
\nThou hast clothing, be thou our ruler,<\/strong>
\nand let not this ruin come under thy hand\u2014<\/strong><\/p>\nNB that Isaiah 3:6 does not have the word \u201cnot\u201d in the final phrase. It is hard to figure out what the final phrase would mean in the BoM version–perhaps that the speaker thinks that the brother\u2019s leadership might prevent ruin from coming to the family.<\/p>\n
Netbible:<\/p>\n
\u2018You own a coat \u2013<\/p>\n
you be our leader!<\/p>\n
This heap of ruins will be under your control.\u2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Traditionally, the oldest brother was given a double portion (meaning: if you have X kids, divide the estate by X+1 and give the oldest brother two shares) in order to provide for other family members as needed. One brother generally should not need to provide for another, because all brothers would have their own shares. Here, the \u201cdouble portion\u201d is a coat and the other brother has less than that, and the father seems to be deceased or MIA, so the state of the family is truly dire.<\/p>\n
7 In that day shall he swear, saying:<\/strong>
\nI will not be a healer;<\/strong>
\nfor in my house there is neither bread nor clothing;<\/strong>
\nmake me not a ruler of the people.<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 3:7 is virtually identical.<\/p>\n
The \u201che\u201d seems to be the coat-owning brother from the previous verse.<\/p>\n
So even the person with the most resources refuses to take responsibility for leadership.<\/p>\n
8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen,<\/strong>
\nbecause their tongues and their doings have been against the Lord,<\/strong>
\nto provoke the eyes of his glory.<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 3:8 has \u201care against the Lord;\u201d BoM has it in a past tense (\u201chave been against\u201d).<\/p>\n
The idiom in the final line suggests that they are rebelling against royalty.<\/p>\n
9 The show of their countenance doth witness against them,<\/strong>
\nand doth declare their sin to be even as Sodom,<\/strong>
\nand they cannot hide it.<\/strong>
\nWo unto their souls,<\/strong>
\nfor they have rewarded evil unto themselves!<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 3:9 has \u201cand they declare their sin as Sodom.\u201d<\/p>\n
First line from the Netbible: \u201cThe look on their faces testifies to their guilt.\u201d<\/p>\n
The last line implies that they are the cause of their own difficulties.<\/p>\n
10 Say unto the righteous that it is well with them;<\/strong>
\nfor they shall eat the fruit of their doings.<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 3:10 is virtually identical.<\/p>\n
This verse presents the inverse of the final line of v9: here, the righteous are also responsible for the reward that they will receive.<\/p>\n
I really like this verse as a shout-out to the good people in the midst of the description of the wicked. This might be a good one to memorize.<\/p>\n
I think this verse also points out that we have an obligation to share the good news with people, not just doom and gloom scenarios about the wicked.<\/p>\n
11 Wo unto the wicked,<\/strong>
\nfor they shall perish;<\/strong>
\nfor the reward of their hands shall be upon them!<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 3:11 reads for the second and third line, \u201cit shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.\u201d That is a pretty significant change.<\/p>\n
12 And my people,<\/strong>
\nchildren are their oppressors,<\/strong>
\nand women rule over them.<\/strong>
\nO my people, they who lead thee cause thee to err<\/strong>
\nand destroy the way of thy paths.<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 3:12 is virtually identical.<\/p>\n
So this verse is not in the running for Feminist Scripture of the Year, but it is worth remembering that the picture in this verse is one where all of the experienced and skilled leaders have been carted off to Babylon, and only the people who are left are available to lead Jrsm, and this poor quality of leadership causes them enormous problems. Women were generally not trained for leadership at this moment in history, so the presence of women leaders implied that no one more qualified was available. It is not necessarily an eternal commentary on the fitness or ability of a trained woman to lead. The examples of Deborah and Huldah imply that, even in an Old Testament context, a competent woman could be a valued, respected leader.<\/p>\n
It is also possible that the text should not read \u201cwomen\u201d but \u201ccreditors.\u201d (This would require emending the Hebrew, but it agrees with the LXX rendering.)<\/p>\n
13 The Lord standeth up to plead,<\/strong>
\nand standeth to judge the people.<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 3:13 is virtually identical.<\/p>\n
The Lord is assuming the position of a judge here. The next verses will tell us what his judgement is.<\/p>\n
14 The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people and the princes thereof;<\/strong>
\nfor ye have eaten up the vineyard<\/strong>
\nand the spoil of the poor in your houses.<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 3:14 is virtually identical.<\/p>\n
Netbible:<\/p>\n
The Lord comes to pronounce judgment<\/p>\n
on the leaders of his people and their officials.<\/p>\n
He says, \u201cIt is you who have ruined the vineyard!<\/p>\n
You have stashed in your houses what you have stolen from the poor.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The vineyard is commonly a symbol for Israel.<\/p>\n
The point of the final line is that the possessions of the poor are in the leaders\u2019 homes, therefore the leaders have stolen from the poor.<\/p>\n
15 What mean ye?<\/strong>
\nYe beat my people to pieces,<\/strong>
\nand grind the faces of the poor,<\/strong>
\nsaith the Lord God of Hosts.<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 3:15 is virtually identical.<\/p>\n
My husband and I use the phrase \u201cgrind the faces of the poor\u201d almost constantly when talking about politics. You\u2019d be surprised how often that concept is relevant . . .<\/p>\n
This is such an emotional verse–the Lord is clearly amazed and shocked that the leaders have treated the poor in such a manner. The first line is akin to, \u201cWhat the heck is going on here?!?\u201d<\/p>\n
16 Moreover, the Lord saith:<\/strong>
\nBecause the daughters of Zion are haughty,<\/strong>
\nand walk with stretched-forth necks and wanton eyes,<\/strong>
\nwalking and mincing as they go,<\/strong>
\nand making a tinkling with their feet\u2014<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 3:16 is virtually identical.<\/p>\n
Netbible:<\/p>\n
The Lord says,<\/p>\n
\u201cThe women of Zion are proud.<\/p>\n
They walk with their heads high<\/p>\n
and flirt with their eyes.<\/p>\n
They skip along<\/p>\n
and the jewelry on their ankles jingles.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Thomas Constable: \u201cPride led these women to walk with their noses in the air, assuming superiority over others, and to draw men to themselves. They glanced coyly to see whether others noticed their elegance. They took small steps to give the appearance of humility and drew attention even to their feet. Everything they did was designed to attract attention.\u201d<\/p>\n
17 Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion,<\/strong>
\nand the Lord will discover their secret parts.<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 3:17 is virtually identical.<\/p>\n
It is possible that \u201csecret parts\u201d here refers instead to the forehead; the suggestion is that the Lord will make them bald and scabby!<\/p>\n
18 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments,<\/strong>
\nand cauls, and round tires like the moon;<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 3:18 adds \u201cabout their feet\u201d after tinkling ornaments.<\/p>\n
\u201cround tires like the moon\u201d — crescent-shaped jewelry.<\/p>\n
19 The chains and the bracelets, and the mufflers;<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 3:19 is the same.<\/p>\n
=earrings, bracelets, veils<\/p>\n
20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the<\/strong>
\ntablets, and the ear-rings;<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 3:20 is the same.<\/p>\n
21 The rings, and nose jewels;<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 3:21 is the same.<\/p>\n
22 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping-pins;<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 3:22 is the same.<\/p>\n
Netbible: \u201cfestive dresses, robes, shawls, purses,\u201d<\/p>\n
23 The glasses, and the fine linen, and hoods, and the veils.<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 3:23 is the same.<\/p>\n
This laundry-list of fancy ornamentation makes a startling contrast with \u201cgrinding the faces of the poor\u201d above.<\/p>\n
It would probably be an interesting exercise to read this whole passage to your class in a modern translation; it makes it feel so much more relevant when Isaiah is describing items of clothing and ornamentation that we all commonly use.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m torn between being offended by the focus on women\u2019s appearance and pleased by the oddly pro-feminist message that women are agents unto themselves with the capability of choosing to sin.<\/p>\n
This laundry list of female ornamentation appears to be one of the rare prose passages in Isaiah. Do you have any sense of why Isaiah might have chosen to present this material as prose instead of as poetry? (NB that v24 begins poetry again.) Why would he have wanted to go down this laundry list in the first place?<\/p>\n
24 And it shall come to pass,<\/strong>
\ninstead of sweet smell there shall be stink;<\/strong>
\nand instead of a girdle, a rent;<\/strong>
\nand instead of well set hair, baldness;<\/strong>
\nand instead of a stomacher, a girding of sackcloth;<\/strong>
\nburning instead of beauty.<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 3:24 is virtually identical.<\/p>\n
The \u201csweet smell\u201d is describing spices used as perfume.<\/p>\n
The thrust of this verse is \u201cevery single thing that they did to make themselves more appealing, I will reverse.\u201d<\/p>\n
The \u201cburning\u201d may refer to the brand that would have been made on a prisoner\u2019s face.<\/p>\n
Do you read this entire section as having to do with the ornamentation choices of individual women, or of the ornamentation choices of a decadent society (such as: grinding the face of the poor and stealing their stuff) that would result not in the physical ugliness of one woman, but the destruction and desecration of Jrsm? Or both?<\/p>\n
25 Thy men shall fall by the sword<\/strong>
\nand thy mighty in the war.<\/strong><\/p>\nIsaiah 3:25 is virtually identical.<\/p>\n
\u201cThy\u201d from the Netbible notes: \u201cThe pronoun is feminine singular, suggesting personified Zion, as representative of its women, is the addressee.\u201d<\/p>\n
26 And her gates shall lament and mourn;<\/strong>