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Selected Verse: Isaiah 3:1 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Isa 3:1	Strong Concordance	For, behold, the Lord [0113], the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635], doth take away [05493] from Jerusalem [03389] and from Judah [03063] the stay [04937] and the staff [04938], the whole stay [04937] of bread [03899], and the whole [03605] stay [04937] of water [04325],
	King James	For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water,

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
(Isa. 3:1-26) For--continuation of Isa 2:22. Lord of hosts--therefore able to do as He says. doth--present for future, so certain is the accomplishment. stay . . . staff--the same Hebrew word, the one masculine, the other feminine, an Arabic idiom for all kinds of support. What a change from the previous luxuries (Isa 2:7)! Fulfilled in the siege by Nebuchadnezzar and afterwards by Titus (Jer 37:21; Jer 38:9).

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

(Isa. 3:1-26)

For--continuation of Isa 2:22.

Lord of hosts--therefore able to do as He says.

doth--present for future, so certain is the accomplishment.

stay . . . staff--the same Hebrew word, the one masculine, the other feminine, an Arabic idiom for all kinds of support. What a change from the previous luxuries (Isa 2:7)! Fulfilled in the siege by Nebuchadnezzar and afterwards by Titus (Jer 37:21; Jer 38:9).

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
For - This is a continuation of the previous chapter. The same prophecy is continued, and the force of the argument of the prophet will not be seen unless the chapters are read together; see the Analysis prefixed to Isa. 2. In the close of the second chapter Isa 2:22, the prophet had cautioned his countrymen against confiding in man. In this chapter, a reason is given here why they should cease to do it - to wit, that God would soon take away their kings and princes. The Lord - האדון hā'âdôn; see the note at Isa 1:24. The Lord of hosts - see the note at Isa 1:9. The prophet calls the attention of the Jews particularly to the fact that this was about to be done by Yahweh "of hosts" - a title which he gives to God when he designs to indicate that that which is to be done implies special strength, power, and majesty. As the work which was now to be done was the removal of the mighty men on which the nation was depending, it is implied that it was a work of power which belonged especially to the God of armies - the Almighty. Doth take away - Is about to remove. In the Hebrew, the word here is a "participle," and does not mark the precise time. It has reference here, however, to the future. From Jerusalem ... - Note Isa 1:1. The stay - In the Hebrew, the words translated "stay" and "staff" are the same, with the exception that the former is in the masculine, and the latter in the feminine gender. The meaning is, that God would remove "all kinds of support," or "everything" on which they relied. The reference is undoubtedly to the princes and mighty men on whose counsels and aid the nation was resting for defense; see Isa 3:2-3. The whole stay of bread - We use a similar expression when we say that "bread is the staff of life." The Hebrews often expressed the same idea, representing the "heart" in man as being "supported or upheld" by bread, Gen 18:5 (margin); Jdg 19:5 (margin); Lev 26:26; Psa 105:16. Stay of water - He would reduce them from their luxuries introduced by commerce Isa. 2 to absolute want. This often occurred in the sieges and wars of the nation; and in the famines which were the consequence of the wars. The reference here is probably to the invasion of the land by Nebuchadnezzar. The famine consequent on that invasion is described in Jer 38:21; Jer 38:9; Lam 4:4 : "The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his month for thirst; the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them."

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

For - This is a continuation of the previous chapter. The same prophecy is continued, and the force of the argument of the prophet will not be seen unless the chapters are read together; see the Analysis prefixed to Isa. 2. In the close of the second chapter Isa 2:22, the prophet had cautioned his countrymen against confiding in man. In this chapter, a reason is given here why they should cease to do it - to wit, that God would soon take away their kings and princes.

The Lord - האדון hā'âdôn; see the note at Isa 1:24.

The Lord of hosts - see the note at Isa 1:9. The prophet calls the attention of the Jews particularly to the fact that this was about to be done by Yahweh "of hosts" - a title which he gives to God when he designs to indicate that that which is to be done implies special strength, power, and majesty. As the work which was now to be done was the removal of the mighty men on which the nation was depending, it is implied that it was a work of power which belonged especially to the God of armies - the Almighty.

Doth take away - Is about to remove. In the Hebrew, the word here is a "participle," and does not mark the precise time. It has reference here, however, to the future.

From Jerusalem ... - Note Isa 1:1.

The stay - In the Hebrew, the words translated "stay" and "staff" are the same, with the exception that the former is in the masculine, and the latter in the feminine gender. The meaning is, that God would remove "all kinds of support," or "everything" on which they relied. The reference is undoubtedly to the princes and mighty men on whose counsels and aid the nation was resting for defense; see Isa 3:2-3.

The whole stay of bread - We use a similar expression when we say that "bread is the staff of life." The Hebrews often expressed the same idea, representing the "heart" in man as being "supported or upheld" by bread, Gen 18:5 (margin); Jdg 19:5 (margin); Lev 26:26; Psa 105:16.

Stay of water - He would reduce them from their luxuries introduced by commerce Isa. 2 to absolute want. This often occurred in the sieges and wars of the nation; and in the famines which were the consequence of the wars. The reference here is probably to the invasion of the land by Nebuchadnezzar. The famine consequent on that invasion is described in Jer 38:21; Jer 38:9; Lam 4:4 : "The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his month for thirst; the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them."

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
"For, behold, the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah supporter and means of support, every support of bread and every support of water." The divine name given here, "The Lord, Jehovah of hosts," with which Isaiah everywhere introduces the judicial acts of God (cf., Isa 1:24; Isa 10:16, Isa 10:33; Isa 19:4), is a proof that the proclamation of judgment commences afresh here. Trusting in man was the crying sin, more especially of the times of Uzziah-Jotham. The glory of the kingdom at that time carried the wrath of Jehovah within it. The outbreak of that wrath commenced in the time of Ahaz; and even under Hezekiah it was merely suspended, not changed. Isaiah foretells this outbreak of wrath. He describes how Jehovah will lay the Jewish state in ruins, by taking away the main supports of its existence and growth. "Supporter and means of support" (mash'en and mash'enah) express, first of all, the general idea. The two nouns, which are only the masculine and feminine forms of one and the same word (compare Mic 2:4; Nah 2:11, and the examples from the Syriac and Arabic in Ewald, 172, c), serve to complete the generalization: fulcra omne genus (props of every kind, omnigena). They are both technical terms, denoting the prop which a person uses to support anything, whilst mish'an signifies that which yields support; so that the three correspond somewhat to the Latin fulcrum, fultura, fulcimen. Of the various means of support, bread and wine are mentioned first, not in a figurative sense, but as the two indispensable conditions and the lowest basis of human life. Life is supported by bread and water: it walks, as it were, upon the crutch of bread, so that "breaking the staff of bread" (Lev 26:26; Eze 4:16; Eze 5:16; Eze 14:13; Psa 105:16) is equivalent to physical destruction. The destruction of the Jewish state would accordingly be commenced by a removal on the part of Jehovah of all the support afforded by bread and water, i.e., all the stores of both. And this was literally fulfilled, for both in the Chaldean and Roman times Jerusalem perished in the midst of just such terrible famines as are threatened in the curses in Lev 26, and more especially in Deut 28; and in both cases the inhabitants were reduced to such extremities, that women devoured their own children (Lam 2:20; Josephus, Wars of Jews, vi. 3, 3, 4). It is very unjust, therefore, on the part of modern critics, such as Hitzig, Knobel, and Meier, to pronounce Isa 3:1 a gloss, and, in fact, a false one. Gesenius and Umbreit retracted this suspicion. The construction of the v. is just the same as that of Isa 25:6; and it is Isaiah's custom to explain his own figures, as we have already observed when comparing Isa 1:7. and Isa 1:23 with what preceded them. "Every support of bread and every support of water" are not to be regarded in this case as an explanation of the general idea introduced before, "supporters and means of support," but simply as the commencement of the detailed expansion of the idea. For the enumeration of the supports which Jehovah would take away is continued in the next two verses.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

"For, behold, the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah supporter and means of support, every support of bread and every support of water." The divine name given here, "The Lord, Jehovah of hosts," with which Isaiah everywhere introduces the judicial acts of God (cf., Isa 1:24; Isa 10:16, Isa 10:33; Isa 19:4), is a proof that the proclamation of judgment commences afresh here. Trusting in man was the crying sin, more especially of the times of Uzziah-Jotham. The glory of the kingdom at that time carried the wrath of Jehovah within it. The outbreak of that wrath commenced in the time of Ahaz; and even under Hezekiah it was merely suspended, not changed. Isaiah foretells this outbreak of wrath. He describes how Jehovah will lay the Jewish state in ruins, by taking away the main supports of its existence and growth. "Supporter and means of support" (mash'en and mash'enah) express, first of all, the general idea. The two nouns, which are only the masculine and feminine forms of one and the same word (compare Mic 2:4; Nah 2:11, and the examples from the Syriac and Arabic in Ewald, 172, c), serve to complete the generalization: fulcra omne genus (props of every kind, omnigena). They are both technical terms, denoting the prop which a person uses to support anything, whilst mish'an signifies that which yields support; so that the three correspond somewhat to the Latin fulcrum, fultura, fulcimen. Of the various means of support, bread and wine are mentioned first, not in a figurative sense, but as the two indispensable conditions and the lowest basis of human life. Life is supported by bread and water: it walks, as it were, upon the crutch of bread, so that "breaking the staff of bread" (Lev 26:26; Eze 4:16; Eze 5:16; Eze 14:13; Psa 105:16) is equivalent to physical destruction. The destruction of the Jewish state would accordingly be commenced by a removal on the part of Jehovah of all the support afforded by bread and water, i.e., all the stores of both. And this was literally fulfilled, for both in the Chaldean and Roman times Jerusalem perished in the midst of just such terrible famines as are threatened in the curses in Lev 26, and more especially in Deut 28; and in both cases the inhabitants were reduced to such extremities, that women devoured their own children (Lam 2:20; Josephus, Wars of Jews, vi. 3, 3, 4). It is very unjust, therefore, on the part of modern critics, such as Hitzig, Knobel, and Meier, to pronounce Isa 3:1 a gloss, and, in fact, a false one. Gesenius and Umbreit retracted this suspicion. The construction of the v. is just the same as that of Isa 25:6; and it is Isaiah's custom to explain his own figures, as we have already observed when comparing Isa 1:7. and Isa 1:23 with what preceded them. "Every support of bread and every support of water" are not to be regarded in this case as an explanation of the general idea introduced before, "supporters and means of support," but simply as the commencement of the detailed expansion of the idea. For the enumeration of the supports which Jehovah would take away is continued in the next two verses.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
The stay and the staff "Every stay and support" - Hebrew, "the support masculine, and the support feminine:" that is, every kind of support, whether great or small, strong or weak. "Al Kanitz, wal-kanitzah; the wild beasts, male and female. Proverbially applied both to fishing and hunting: i.e., I seized the prey, great or little, good or bad. From hence, as Schultens observes, is explained Isa 3:1, literally, the male and female stay: i.e., the strong and weak, the great and small." - Chappelow, note on Hariri, Assembly 1. Compare Ecc 2:8. The Hebrew words משען ומשענה mashen umashenah come from the same root שען shaan, to lean against, to incline, to support; and here, being masculine and feminine, they may signify all things necessary for the support both of man and woman. My old MS. understands the staff and stay as meaning particular persons, and translates the verse thus: - Lo forsoth, the Lordschip Lord of Hoostis schal don awey fro Jerusalem and fro Juda the stalworth and the stronge. The two following verses, Isa 3:2, Isa 3:3, are very clearly explained by the sacred historian's account of the event, the captivity of Jehoiachin by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon: "And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valor, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths; none remained save the poorest sort of the people of the land," Kg2 24:14. Which is supplied by our version.

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⁹ My lord [0113] the king [04428], these men [0582] have done evil [07489] in all that they have done [06213] to Jeremiah [03414] the prophet [05030], whom they have cast [07993] into the dungeon [0953]; and he is like to die [04191] for [06440] hunger [07458] in the place [08478] where he is: for there is no more bread [03899] in the city [05892].

²¹ Then Zedekiah [06667] the king [04428] commanded [06680] that they should commit [06485] Jeremiah [03414] into the court [02691] of the prison [04307], and that they should give [05414] him daily [03117] a piece [03603] of bread [03899] out of the bakers [0644] ' street [02351], until all the bread [03899] in the city [05892] were spent [08552]. Thus Jeremiah [03414] remained [03427] in the court [02691] of the prison [04307].

⁷ Their land [0776] also is full [04390] of silver [03701] and gold [02091], neither is there any end [07097] of their treasures [0214]; their land [0776] is also full [04390] of horses [05483], neither is there any end [07097] of their chariots [04818]:

²² Cease [02308] ye from man [0120], whose breath [05397] is in his nostrils [0639]: for wherein is he to be accounted of [02803]?

⁴ The tongue [03956] of the sucking child [03243] cleaveth [01692] to the roof of his mouth [02441] for thirst [06772]: the young children [05768] ask [07592] bread [03899], and no man breaketh [06566] it unto them.

²¹ But if thou refuse [03986] to go forth [03318], this is the word [01697] that the LORD [03068] hath shewed [07200] me:

¹⁶ Moreover he called [07121] for a famine [07458] upon the land [0776]: he brake [07665] the whole staff [04294] of bread [03899].

²⁶ And when I have broken [07665] the staff [04294] of your bread [03899], ten [06235] women [0802] shall bake [0644] your bread [03899] in one [0259] oven [08574], and they shall deliver [07725] you your bread [03899] again [07725] by weight [04948]: and ye shall eat [0398], and not be satisfied [07646].

⁵ And it came to pass on the fourth [07243] day [03117], when they arose early [07925] in the morning [01242], that he rose up [06965] to depart [03212]: and the damsel's [05291] father [01] said [0559] unto his son in law [02860], Comfort [05582] thine heart [03820] with a morsel [06595] of bread [03899], and afterward [0310] go your way [03212].

⁵ And I will fetch [03947] a morsel [06595] of bread [03899], and comfort ye [05582] your hearts [03820]; after that [0310] ye shall pass on [05674]: for therefore are ye come [05674] to [05921] your servant [05650]. And they said [01696], So do [06213], as thou hast said [0559].

² The mighty man [01368], and the man [0376] of war [04421], the judge [08199], and the prophet [05030], and the prudent [07080], and the ancient [02205],
³ The captain [08269] of fifty [02572], and the honourable [05375] man [06440], and the counsellor [03289], and the cunning [02450] artificer [02791], and the eloquent [0995] orator [03908].

¹ The vision [02377] of Isaiah [03470] the son [01121] of Amoz [0531], which he saw [02372] concerning Judah [03063] and Jerusalem [03389] in the days [03117] of Uzziah [05818], Jotham [03147], Ahaz [0271], and Hezekiah [03169], kings [04428] of Judah [03063].

⁹ Except [03884] the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635] had left [03498] unto us a very small [04592] remnant [08300], we should have been [01961] as Sodom [05467], and we should have been like [01819] unto Gomorrah [06017].

²⁴ Therefore saith [05002] the Lord [0113], the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635], the mighty One [046] of Israel [03478], Ah [01945], I will ease [05162] me of mine adversaries [06862], and avenge [05358] me of mine enemies [0341]:

²² Cease [02308] ye from man [0120], whose breath [05397] is in his nostrils [0639]: for wherein is he to be accounted of [02803]?

²³ Thy princes [08269] are rebellious [05637], and companions [02270] of thieves [01590]: every one loveth [0157] gifts [07810], and followeth [07291] after rewards [08021]: they judge [08199] not the fatherless [03490], neither doth the cause [07379] of the widow [0490] come [0935] unto them.

⁷ Your country [0776] is desolate [08077], your cities [05892] are burned [08313] with fire [0784]: your land [0127], strangers [02114] devour [0398] it in your presence, and it is desolate [08077], as overthrown [04114] by strangers [02114].

⁶ And in this mountain [02022] shall the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635] make [06213] unto all people [05971] a feast [04960] of fat things [08081], a feast [04960] of wines on the lees [08105], of fat things [08081] full of marrow [04229], of wines on the lees [08105] well refined [02212].

¹ For, behold, the Lord [0113], the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635], doth take away [05493] from Jerusalem [03389] and from Judah [03063] the stay [04937] and the staff [04938], the whole stay [04937] of bread [03899], and the whole [03605] stay [04937] of water [04325],

²⁰ Behold [07200], O LORD [03068], and consider [05027] to whom thou hast done [05953] this [03541]. Shall the women [0802] eat [0398] their fruit [06529], and children [05768] of a span long [02949]? shall the priest [03548] and the prophet [05030] be slain [02026] in the sanctuary [04720] of the Lord [0136]?

¹⁶ Moreover he called [07121] for a famine [07458] upon the land [0776]: he brake [07665] the whole staff [04294] of bread [03899].

¹³ Son [01121] of man [0120], when the land [0776] sinneth [02398] against me by trespassing [04603] grievously [04604], then will I stretch out [05186] mine hand [03027] upon it, and will break [07665] the staff [04294] of the bread [03899] thereof, and will send [07971] famine [07458] upon it, and will cut off [03772] man [0120] and beast [0929] from it:

¹⁶ When I shall send [07971] upon them the evil [07451] arrows [02671] of famine [07458], which shall be for their destruction [04889], and which I will send [07971] to destroy [07843] you: and I will increase [03254] the famine [07458] upon you, and will break [07665] your staff [04294] of bread [03899]:

¹⁶ Moreover he said [0559] unto me, Son [01121] of man [0120], behold, I will break [07665] the staff [04294] of bread [03899] in Jerusalem [03389]: and they shall eat [0398] bread [03899] by weight [04948], and with care [01674]; and they shall drink [08354] water [04325] by measure [04884], and with astonishment [08078]:

¹¹ Where is the dwelling [04583] of the lions [0738], and the feedingplace [04829] of the young lions [03715], where the lion [0738], even the old lion [03833], walked [01980], and the lion's [0738] whelp [01482], and none made them afraid [02729]?

⁴ In that day [03117] shall one take up [05375] a parable [04912] against you, and lament [05091] with a doleful [05093] lamentation [05092], and say [0559], We be utterly [07703] spoiled [07703]: he hath changed [04171] the portion [02506] of my people [05971]: how hath he removed [04185] it from me! turning away [07725] he hath divided [02505] our fields [07704].

⁴ And [0853] the Egyptians [04714] will I give over [05534] into the hand [03027] of a cruel [07186] lord [0113]; and a fierce [05794] king [04428] shall rule [04910] over them, saith [05002] the Lord [0113], the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635].

³³ Behold, the Lord [0113], the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635], shall lop [05586] the bough [06288] with terror [04637]: and the high ones [07311] of stature [06967] shall be hewn down [01438], and the haughty [01364] shall be humbled [08213].

¹⁶ Therefore shall the Lord [0113], the Lord [0136] [03068] of hosts [06635], send [07971] among his fat ones [04924] leanness [07332]; and under his glory [03519] he shall kindle [03344] a burning [03350] like the burning of a fire [0784].

¹⁴ And he carried away [01540] all Jerusalem [03389], and all the princes [08269], and all the mighty men [01368] of valour [02428], even ten [06235] thousand [0505] captives [01540], and all the craftsmen [02796] and smiths [04525]: none remained [07604], save [02108] the poorest sort [01803] of the people [05971] of the land [0776].

³ The captain [08269] of fifty [02572], and the honourable [05375] man [06440], and the counsellor [03289], and the cunning [02450] artificer [02791], and the eloquent [0995] orator [03908].

² The mighty man [01368], and the man [0376] of war [04421], the judge [08199], and the prophet [05030], and the prudent [07080], and the ancient [02205],

⁸ I gathered [03664] me also silver [03701] and gold [02091], and the peculiar treasure [05459] of kings [04428] and of the provinces [04082]: I gat [06213] me men singers [07891] and women singers [07891], and the delights [08588] of the sons [01121] of men [0120], as musical instruments [07705] [07705], and that of all sorts.