Isa 3 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Isa 3:1-12: 3:1-12 These verses continue the subject of judgment against Israel’s leadership (see 1:23-25 ). The removal of leadership at all levels would allow the mob to gain control. Chaos and famine would turn Judah and Jerusalem into a social wasteland. 3:1 take away ... bread ... water: God had long ago warned of famine, with its horrible conditions that sometimes led to desperate acts, as one possible judgment for wickedness (Lev 26:26-29 ).

Summary for Isa 3:1-12: 3:1-12 ^a These verses continue the subject of judgment against Israel’s leadership (see 1:23-25 ^b). The removal of leadership at all levels would allow the mob to gain control. Chaos and famine would turn Judah and Jerusalem into a social wasteland. 3:1 ^c take away ... bread ... water: God had long ago warned of famine, with its horrible conditions that sometimes led to desperate acts, as one possible judgment for wickedness (Lev 26:26-29 ^d).
Summary for Isa 3:2-3: 3:2-3 ^e Regardless of their status, all military, civil, judicial, and religious leaders would be removed in the day of judgment (39:7 ^f; 2 Kgs 24:14-16 ^g). God would eventually give his people good leaders again (Isa 1:26 ^h) but not diviners and others who used pagan forms of revelation (47:9 ⁱ, 12-13 ^j; see Deut 18:10-12 ^k).
3:4 ^l Conditions would be so severe that boys and toddlers would qualify as candidates for office. By this, Isaiah either meant that adult leaders would be so decimated that only children would be left alive to assume the role or simply that the new leaders would be as immature, unwise, strong willed, and inexperienced as children.
Summary for Isa 3:6-7: 3:6-7 ^m Things would be so bad (a heap of ruins) that no one would want to take leadership. The people would become so desperate that anyone providing food or clothes (3:7 ⁿ) could be the leader of the people. In fact, however, no one would have food or clothing (see 4:1 ^o).
Summary for Isa 3:8-9: 3:8-9 ^p The failure of human strength and societal organization can be a form of divine judgment.

• to his face: The people of Judah had become bold in their wickedness like the people of Sodom (3:9 ^q; see also 1:9-10 ^r).
3:9 ^s The very look on their faces: At this time people boldly displayed their rebellion against God.
3:10 ^t The godly—the righteous remnant—will receive God’s rewards (see 40:10 ^u).
3:11 ^v The wicked who practice and execute injustice will receive God’s just punishment.
3:13 ^w The Lord is both the prosecutor and the supreme judge in this trial against his people.
3:14 ^x elders and rulers: Wickedness and abuse by ungodly and incompetent leadership thwarts God’s purpose for his people (see also 3:12 ^y). Therefore, leaders come under more severe judgment because they bear responsibility for the welfare of those under them.

• my vineyard: See the Song of the Vineyard (5:1-7 ^z).
3:15 ^aa The Lord cares for the poor. These were the marginalized and oppressed (see 1:17 ^ab), but God is their protector (see 25:4 ^ac). God called for his people to share his concern for the poor, but the Israelites were exploiting them to gain wealth (see 3:14 ^ad).
Summary for Isa 3:16-4:1: 3:16–4:1 ^ae This passage applies the prophet’s teaching on arrogance (see 2:11-12 ^af) to the people of Jerusalem. An alternate understanding is that this passage applies specifically to the women of Jerusalem. 3:16 ^ag The dramatic descriptions show how the people of Jerusalem loved their refined way of life. They openly displayed their proud self-reliance, power, and prestige.

• Beautiful Zion: See thematic note for Zion at end of chapter.
Summary for Isa 3:17-25: 3:17-25 ^ah In a reversal of fortune, the affluent and proud people of Jerusalem would suffer disgrace. Some of their ornaments (3:18 ^ai) likely were amulets to keep evil away, but they could not ward off the calamity of judgment. These items of beauty were status symbols and represented financial security.
3:25 ^aj The men ... will die in battle: Part of the city’s hopeless destitution would be the deaths of the men.

Thematic note: Zion
Zion is the Hebrew name for the mountain in Jerusalem where the Temple was located (2 Sam 5:7 ^ak; see also 2 Chr 3:1 ^al). Zion is used as a synonym for Jerusalem, and the NLT often translates Zion as “Jerusalem” (e.g., Pss 69:35 ^am; 87:2 ^an; 97:8 ^ao; 132:13 ^ap). Thus Zion can refer to the actual, physical city of Jerusalem that was destroyed in 586 BC (see 102:13 ^aq; 126:1 ^ar; 137:1 ^as) and again in AD 70.
Zion also signifies the city of God that transcends geographical location. Zion is God’s universal kingdom, the city in which he dwells (74:2 ^at; 76:2 ^au; 84:7 ^av; 135:21 ^aw; see Isa 26 ^ax). This city embodies trust, justice, righteousness, and commitment, for the Lord does not tolerate impurity, uncleanness, idolatry, injustice, or unrighteousness (Isa 1:21-28 ^ay). The prophets and poets of Israel speak of the city of God as being more extensive than the physical city. The citizens of this city come from Judah, Israel, and the nations (see Ps 87:5-6 ^az; Heb 12:22-24 ^ba). Zion is on a high mountain (Ps 48:2 ^bb) at the center of God’s kingdom on earth (99:2 ^bc; 132:13 ^bd), and God’s throne is there (9:11 ^be). Therefore, godly prayers and praise focus on Zion (53:6 ^bf; 65:1 ^bg; 147:12 ^bh; 149:2 ^bi), and redemption is sought there (14:7 ^bj; 20:2 ^bk; 50:2 ^bl; 53:6 ^bm). David’s descendants are the legitimate heirs who rule over Zion to establish God’s universal kingdom (2:6 ^bn; 110:2 ^bo).
Zion is symbolic of God’s protection and blessings (Pss 46:4-11 ^bp; 48:1-14 ^bq; 51:18 ^br; 128:5 ^bs; 134:3 ^bt). Anyone who trusts in the Lord is as secure as Mount Zion (125:1 ^bu), but those who reject the Lord also reject the security of Zion and have no future (129:5-8 ^bv).
The New Testament speaks of Mount Zion as a heavenly Jerusalem, the spiritual home of those from all nations who have been reborn through faith in Jesus Christ (Heb 12:22-24 ^bw; see also Gal 4:24-26 ^bx; Rev 3:12 ^by; 21:2-4 ^bz). Abraham looked forward in faith to “a city with eternal foundations” (Heb 11:10 ^ca), a city in which all men and women of faith are citizens (Heb 12:22-24 ^cb). Because the Lord knows no geographical limitations (1 Kgs 8:27 ^cc), the true Zion he inhabits is the hearts of all who worship him.

Passages for Further Study
2 Sam 5:7 ^cd; 1 Kgs 8:1 ^ce; Pss 14:7 ^cf; 48:1-14 ^cg; 50:2 ^ch; 51:18 ^ci; 68:16 ^cj; 78:68 ^ck; 87:2 ^cl, 5 ^cm; 125:1 ^cn; 128:5 ^co; 132:13 ^cp; 133:3 ^cq; 135:21 ^cr; 147:12 ^cs; Isa 1:27 ^ct; 2:3 ^cu; 3:16-17 ^cv, 26 ^cw; 4:3-5 ^cx; 8:18 ^cy; 10:12 ^cz, 24 ^da, 32 ^db; 16:1 ^dc; 24:23 ^dd; 29:8 ^de; 30:19 ^df; 31:4 ^dg, 9 ^dh; 33:20 ^di; 37:22 ^dj, 32 ^dk; 40:9 ^dl; 41:27 ^dm; 52:1-2 ^dn; 60:14 ^do; 62:1 ^dp; 64:10 ^dq; Jer 26:18 ^dr; 51:35 ^ds; Lam 2:13 ^dt; Joel 2:32 ^du; 3:16-17 ^dv; Amos 1:2 ^dw; Obad 1:21 ^dx; Mic 3:12 ^dy; 4:2 ^dz; Zeph 3:14 ^ea, 16 ^eb; Zech 1:14 ^ec, 17 ^ed; 2:7 ^ee; 8:2-3 ^ef; 9:9 ^eg; Heb 12:22 ^eh; Rev 14:1 ^ei