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Selected Verse: Isaiah 4:1 - Strong Concordance
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Isa 4:1 |
Strong Concordance |
And in that day [03117] seven [07651] women [0802] shall take hold [02388] of one [0259] man [0376], saying [0559], We will eat [0398] our own bread [03899], and wear [03847] our own apparel [08071]: only let us be called [07121] by thy name [08034], to take away [0622] our reproach [02781]. |
| |
King James |
And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
In that day - The time of calamity referred to in the close of the previous chapter. This is a continuation of that prophecy, and there was no reason why these six verses should have been made a separate chapter. That the passage refers to the Messiah, is apparent from what has been stated in the note at the commencement of the prophecy Isa 2:1-4, and from the expressions which occur in the chapter itself; see the notes at Isa 4:2, Isa 4:5-6.
Seven women - The number "seven" is used often to denote a "large" though "indefinite" number; Lev 26:28; Pro 24:16; Zac 3:9. It means that so great should be the calamity, so many "men" would fall in battle, that many women would, contrary to their natural modesty, become suitors to a single man, to obtain him as a husband and protector.
Shall take hold - Shall apply to. The expression, 'shall take hold,' denotes the "earnestness" of their application.
We will eat our own bread ... - We do not ask this in order to be maintained. We will forego that which the law Exo 21:10 enjoins as the duty of the husband in case he has more than one wife.
Only let us be called by thy name - Let us be regarded as "thy wives." The wife then, as now, assumed the name of the husband. A remarkably similar expression occurs in Lucan (B. ii. 342). Marcia there presents a similar request to Cato:
Da tantum nomen inane
Connubii; liceat tumulo scripsisse, Catonis Marcia.
'Indulge me only with the empty title of wife.
Let there only be inscribed on my tomb, "Marcia, wife of Cato."'
To take away my reproach - The reproach of being unmarried; compare Gen 30:23; Sa1 1:6. |
| Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
When war shall thus unsparingly have swept away the men of Zion, a most unnatural effect will ensue, namely, that women will go in search of husbands, and not men in search of wives. "And seven women lay hold of one man in that day, saying, We will eat our won bread, and wear our own clothes; only let thy name be named upon us, take away our reproach." The division of the chapters is a wrong one here, as this v. is the closing v. of the prophecy against the women, and the closing portion of the whole address does not begin till Isa 4:2. The present pride of the daughters of Zion, every one of whom now thought herself the greatest as the wife of such and such a man, and for whom many men were now the suitors, would end in this unnatural self-humiliation, that seven of them would offer themselves to the same man, the first man who presented himself, and even renounce the ordinary legal claim upon their husband for clothing and food (Exo 21:10). It would be quite sufficient for them to be allowed to bear his name ("let thy name be named upon us:" the name is put upon the thing named, as giving it its distinctness and character), if he would only take away their reproach (namely, the reproach of being unmarried, Isa 54:4, as in Gen 30:23, of being childless) by letting them be called his wives. The number seven (seven women to one man) may be explained on the ground that there is a bad seven as well as a holy one (e.g., Mat 12:45).
In Isa 4:1 the threat denounced against the women of Jerusalem is brought to a close. It is the side-piece to the threat denounced against the national rulers. And these two scenes of judgment were only parts of the general judgment about to fall upon Jerusalem and Judah, as a state or national community. And this again was merely a portion, viz., the central group of the picture of a far more comprehensive judgment, which was about to fall upon everything lofty and exalted on the earth. Jerusalem, therefore, stands here as the centre and focus of the great judgment-day. It was in Jerusalem that the ungodly glory which was ripe for judgment was concentrated; and it was in Jerusalem also that the light of the true and final glory would concentrate itself. To this promise, with which the address returns to its starting-point, the prophet now passes on without any further introduction. In fact it needed no introduction, for the judgment in itself was the medium of salvation. When Jerusalem was judged, it would be sifted; and by being sifted, it would be rescued, pardoned, glorified. The prophet proceeds in this sense to speak of what would happen in that day, and describes the one great day of God at the end of time (not a day of four-and-twenty hours any more than the seven days of creation were), according to its general character, as opening with judgment, but issuing in salvation. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| In that day - In that calamitous time. Seven - Many. A certain number for an uncertain. One man - Because few men shall survive that dreadful stroke. Only - Own us for thy wives. Our reproach - Virginity was esteemed a reproach; children, the usual fruit of marriage, being both an honour to their parents, and a blessing of God, especially to that people, from some of whose loins the Messiah was to spring. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
And seven women - The division of the chapters has interrupted the prophet's discourse, and broken it off almost in the midst of the sentence. "The numbers slain in battle shall be so great, that seven women shall be left to one man." The prophet has described the greatness of this distress by images and adjuncts the most expressive and forcible. The young women, contrary to their natural modesty, shall become suitors to the men: they will take hold of them, and use the most pressing importunity to be married. In spite of the natural suggestions of jealousy, they will be content with a share only of the rights of marriage in common with several others; and that on hard conditions, renouncing the legal demands of the wife on the husband, (see Exo 21:10), and begging only the name and credit of wedlock, and to be freed from the reproach of celibacy. See Isa 54:4, Isa 54:5. Like Marcia, on a different occasion, and in other circumstances: -
Da tantum nomen inane
Connubii: liceat tumulo scripsisse, Catonis Marcia.
Lucan, 2:342.
"This happened," says Kimchi, "in the days of Ahaz, when Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judea one hundred and twenty thousand men in one day; see Ch2 18:6. The widows which were left were so numerous that the prophet said, 'They are multiplied beyond the sand of the sea,'" Jer 15:8.
In that day - These words are omitted in the Septuagint, and MSS. |
6 And her adversary [06869] also provoked [03707] her sore [03708], for to make her fret [07481], because the LORD [03068] had shut [05462] up [01157] her womb [07358].
23 And she conceived [02029], and bare [03205] a son [01121]; and said [0559], God [0430] hath taken away [0622] my reproach [02781]:
10 If he take [03947] him another [0312] wife; her food [07607], her raiment [03682], and her duty of marriage [05772], shall he not diminish [01639].
9 For behold the stone [068] that I have laid [05414] before [06440] Joshua [03091]; upon one [0259] stone [068] shall be seven [07651] eyes [05869]: behold, I will engrave [06605] the graving [06603] thereof, saith [05002] the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635], and I will remove [04185] the iniquity [05771] of that land [0776] in one [0259] day [03117].
16 For a just [06662] man falleth [05307] seven times [07651], and riseth up again [06965]: but the wicked [07563] shall fall [03782] into mischief [07451].
28 Then I will walk [01980] contrary [07147] unto you also in fury [02534]; and I, even [0637] I, will chastise [03256] you seven times [07651] for your sins [02403].
5 And the LORD [03068] will create [01254] upon every dwelling place [04349] of mount [02022] Zion [06726], and upon her assemblies [04744], a cloud [06051] and smoke [06227] by day [03119], and the shining [05051] of a flaming [03852] fire [0784] by night [03915]: for upon all the glory [03519] shall be a defence [02646].
6 And there shall be a tabernacle [05521] for a shadow [06738] in the daytime [03119] from the heat [02721], and for a place of refuge [04268], and for a covert [04563] from storm [02230] and from rain [04306].
2 In that day [03117] shall the branch [06780] of the LORD [03068] be beautiful [06643] and glorious [03519], and the fruit [06529] of the earth [0776] shall be excellent [01347] and comely for [08597] them that are escaped [06413] of Israel [03478].
1 The word [01697] that Isaiah [03470] the son [01121] of Amoz [0531] saw [02372] concerning Judah [03063] and Jerusalem [03389].
2 And it shall come to pass in the last [0319] days [03117], that the mountain [02022] of the LORD'S [03068] house [01004] shall be established [03559] in the top [07218] of the mountains [02022], and shall be exalted [05375] above the hills [01389]; and all nations [01471] shall flow [05102] unto it.
3 And many [07227] people [05971] shall go [01980] and say [0559], Come [03212] ye, and let us go up [05927] to the mountain [02022] of the LORD [03068], to the house [01004] of the God [0430] of Jacob [03290]; and he will teach [03384] us of his ways [01870], and we will walk [03212] in his paths [0734]: for out of Zion [06726] shall go forth [03318] the law [08451], and the word [01697] of the LORD [03068] from Jerusalem [03389].
4 And he shall judge [08199] among the nations [01471], and shall rebuke [03198] many [07227] people [05971]: and they shall beat [03807] their swords [02719] into plowshares [0855], and their spears [02595] into pruninghooks [04211]: nation [01471] shall not lift up [05375] sword [02719] against nation [01471], neither shall they learn [03925] war [04421] any more.
1 And in that day [03117] seven [07651] women [0802] shall take hold [02388] of one [0259] man [0376], saying [0559], We will eat [0398] our own bread [03899], and wear [03847] our own apparel [08071]: only let us be called [07121] by thy name [08034], to take away [0622] our reproach [02781].
45 Then [5119] goeth he [4198], and [2532] taketh [3880] with [3326] himself [1438] seven [2033] other [2087] spirits [4151] more wicked [4191] than himself [1438], and [2532] they enter in [1525] and dwell [2730] there [1563]: and [2532] the last [2078] state of that [1565] man [444] is [1096] worse than [5501] the first [4413]. Even so [3779] shall it be [2071] also [2532] unto this [5026] wicked [4190] generation [1074].
23 And she conceived [02029], and bare [03205] a son [01121]; and said [0559], God [0430] hath taken away [0622] my reproach [02781]:
4 Fear [03372] not; for thou shalt not be ashamed [0954]: neither be thou confounded [03637]; for thou shalt not be put to shame [02659]: for thou shalt forget [07911] the shame [01322] of thy youth [05934], and shalt not remember [02142] the reproach [02781] of thy widowhood [0491] any more.
10 If he take [03947] him another [0312] wife; her food [07607], her raiment [03682], and her duty of marriage [05772], shall he not diminish [01639].
2 In that day [03117] shall the branch [06780] of the LORD [03068] be beautiful [06643] and glorious [03519], and the fruit [06529] of the earth [0776] shall be excellent [01347] and comely for [08597] them that are escaped [06413] of Israel [03478].
8 Their widows [0490] are increased [06105] to me above the sand [02344] of the seas [03220]: I have brought [0935] upon them against the mother [0517] of the young men [0970] a spoiler [07703] at noonday [06672]: I have caused him to fall [05307] upon it suddenly [06597], and terrors [0928] upon the city [05892].
6 But Jehoshaphat [03092] said [0559], Is there not here a prophet [05030] of the LORD [03068] besides, that we might enquire [01875] of him?
5 For thy Maker [06213] is thine husband [01166]; the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635] is his name [08034]; and thy Redeemer [01350] the Holy One [06918] of Israel [03478]; The God [0430] of the whole earth [0776] shall he be called [07121].
4 Fear [03372] not; for thou shalt not be ashamed [0954]: neither be thou confounded [03637]; for thou shalt not be put to shame [02659]: for thou shalt forget [07911] the shame [01322] of thy youth [05934], and shalt not remember [02142] the reproach [02781] of thy widowhood [0491] any more.
10 If he take [03947] him another [0312] wife; her food [07607], her raiment [03682], and her duty of marriage [05772], shall he not diminish [01639].