Isaiah 3:1

A Coming Leadership Crisis

3:1 Look, the sovereign Lord who commands armies

is about to remove from Jerusalem and Judah

every source of security, including

all the food and water,

Isaiah 3:7

3:7 At that time the brother will shout,

‘I am no doctor,

I have no food or coat in my house;

don’t make me a leader of the people!’”

Isaiah 28:28

28:28 Grain is crushed,

though one certainly does not thresh it forever.

The wheel of one’s wagon rolls over it,

but his horses do not crush it.

Isaiah 30:20

30:20 The sovereign master will give you distress to eat

and suffering to drink;

but your teachers will no longer be hidden;

your eyes will see them. 10 

Isaiah 36:17

36:17 until I come and take you to a land just like your own – a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.

Isaiah 44:15

44:15 A man uses it to make a fire; 11 

he takes some of it and warms himself.

Yes, he kindles a fire and bakes bread.

Then he makes a god and worships it;

he makes an idol and bows down to it. 12 

Isaiah 55:2

55:2 Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? 13 

Why spend 14  your hard-earned money 15  on something that will not satisfy?

Listen carefully 16  to me and eat what is nourishing! 17 

Enjoy fine food! 18 

Isaiah 44:19

44:19 No one thinks to himself,

nor do they comprehend or understand and say to themselves:

‘I burned half of it in the fire –

yes, I baked bread over the coals;

I roasted meat and ate it.

With the rest of it should I make a disgusting idol?

Should I bow down to dry wood?’ 19 


tn Heb “the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” On the title “the Lord who commands armies,” see the note at 1:9.

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tn Heb “support and support.” The masculine and feminine forms of the noun are placed side-by-side to emphasize completeness. See GKC 394 §122.v.

tn Heb “all the support of food, and all the support of water.”

tn Or “in that day” (KJV).

tn Heb “he will lift up [his voice].”

tn Heb “wrapper [of wounds]”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “healer.”

tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonai).

10 tn Heb “and the Master will give to you bread – distress, and water – oppression.”

11 tn Heb “but your teachers will no longer be hidden, your eyes will be seeing your teachers.” The translation assumes that the form מוֹרֶיךָ (morekha) is a plural participle, referring to spiritual leaders such as prophets and priests. Another possibility is that the form is actually singular (see GKC 273-74 §93.ss) or a plural of respect, referring to God as the master teacher. See HALOT 560-61 s.v. III מוֹרֶה. For discussion of the views, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:560.

13 tn Heb “and it becomes burning [i.e., firewood] for a man”; NAB “to serve man for fuel.”

14 tn Or perhaps, “them.”

17 tn Heb “for what is not food.”

18 tn The interrogative particle and the verb “spend” are understood here by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

19 tn Heb “your labor,” which stands by metonymy for that which one earns.

20 tn The infinitive absolute follows the imperative and lends emphasis to the exhortation.

21 tn Heb “good” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

22 tn Heb “Let your appetite delight in fine food.”

21 tn There is no formal interrogative sign here, but the context seems to indicate these are rhetorical questions. See GKC 473 §150.a.