Isaiah 3:12

As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
people	עַמִּי֙ 'a.Mi	H5971	a people (as a congregated unit) · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix
children	מְעוֹלֵ֔ל me.'o.Lel	H5953	to effect thoroughly · verb, piel active participle, masculine singular absolute
oppressors	נֹגְשָׂ֣יו no.ge.Sav	H5065	to drive (an animal · verb, qal active participle, masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
women	וְנָשִׁ֖ים ve.na.Shim	H802	a woman · conjunction + noun, common masculine plural absolute
rule	מָ֣שְׁלוּ Ma.she.lu	H4910	to rule · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person common plural
people	עַמִּי֙ 'a.Mi	H5971	a people (as a congregated unit) · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix
lead	מְאַשְּׁרֶ֣יךָ me.'a.she.Rei.kha	H833	to be straight (used in the widest sense · verb, piel active participle, masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular
err	מַתְעִ֔ים mat.'Im	H8582	to vacillate · verb, hiphil active participle, masculine plural absolute
destroy	בִּלֵּֽעוּ bi.Le.'u	H1104	to make away with (specifically by swallowing) · verb, piel perfect, 3rd person common plural
way	וְדֶ֥רֶךְ ve.De.rekh	H1870	a road (as trodden) · conjunction + noun, common both genders singular construct
paths	אֹֽרְחֹתֶ֖יךָ 'o.re.cho.Tei.kha	H734	a well-trodden road (literally or figuratively) · noun, common feminine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Isaiah 3:4 And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
Nahum 3:13 Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire shall devour th…
2 Kings 11:1 And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.
Isaiah 28:14-15 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
Numbers 6:23-27 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,
Isaiah 9:15-16 The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.
Jeremiah 5:31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end th…
Matthew 15:14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Isaiah 3:9-15

Here God proceeds in his controversy with his people. Observe, I. The ground of his controversy. It was for sin that God contended with them; if they vex themselves, let them look a little further and they will see that they must thank themselves: Woe unto their souls! For they have rewarded evil unto themselves. Alas for their souls! (so it may be read, in a way of lamentation), for they have procured evil to themselves, Isa 3:9. Note, The condition of sinners is woeful and very deplorable. Note, also, It is the soul that is damaged and endangered by sin. Sinners may prosper in their outward estates, and yet at the same time there may be a woe to their souls. Note, further, Whatever evils b…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 3:12

(See Isa 3:4). oppressors--literally, "exactors," that is, exacting princes (Isa 60:17). They who ought to be protectors are exactors; as unqualified for rule as "children," as effeminate as "women." Perhaps it is also implied that they were under the influence of their harem, the women of their court. lead--Hebrew, "call thee blessed"; namely, the false prophets, who flatter the people with promises of safety in sin; as the political "rulers" are meant in the first clause. way of thy paths-- (Jer 6:16). The right way set forth in the law. "Destroy"--Hebrew, "Swallow up," that is, cause so utterly to disappear that not a vestige of it is left.

John Gill on Isaiah 3:12

As for my people, children are their oppressors,.... Or rulers; for in the Ethiopic language, signifies a king: or "exactors", as in Isaiah 60:17 princes are so called, because they exact tribute of their subjects, and sometimes in a tyrannical and oppressive manner, and so get the name of oppressors. The sense is the same with Isaiah 3:4. The words may be rendered, "as for my people, everyone of their governors, is a child" (n); not in age, but in understanding: and women rule over them, or "over him" (o); either over the people of Israel, as Alexandra before Hyrcanus, and Helena queen of the Adiabenes; or over the child their governor, as women had great influence over their husbands, th…

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The Church Fathers

As individuals we have our own officers, but the whole multitude is handed over to several, according to that which is written in Isaiah: "my people, your officers plunder you, and those who are powerful lord it over you" — the officers lord it over us, if we owe anything.
— Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 35

Let us hearken to God, as he proclaims through Isaiah: "O my people, they that call you blessed lead you astray, throw you down headlong." Who is more guilty of throwing the people of God down headlong? He who relies on the power of the free will and scorns the help of the Creator and is secure in his own will, or he who fears the judgment of God at every thought of his precepts?
— Jerome, Against the Pelagians 2.24

Those who are zealous in the service of God, however, do not get a reward of praise, nor indeed do those who are concerned about the laws of God look for this return. For praise is often known to injure many, since it makes them less attuned and slows their pace. If a person thinks he has reached the goal of his endeavor—and praise gives him to understand that he has—he stops his race and victory eludes him. This was revealed by the God of the universe, speaking through the prophet: "My people, they that call you blessed, the same deceive you and destroy the way of your steps." For praise slackens the intensity of their zeal and prevents them from reaching the goal.
— Theodoret of Cyrus, ON DIVINE PROVIDENCE 9:9

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Head-dress — Not in common use among the Hebrews. It is first mentioned in Ex. 28:40 (A.V., “bonnets;” R.V., “head-tires”). It was used especially for purposes of ornament (Job 29:14; Isa. 3:23; 62:3). The Hebrew…
Woman · To be governed by, considered a calamity by the Jews — To be governed by, considered a calamity by the Jews

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Isaiah 3:12

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Isaiah 3:9-15

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 3:12

John Gill on Isaiah 3:12

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Isaiah 3:12

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Isaiah 3:9-15

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 3:12

John Gill on Isaiah 3:12

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Isaiah 3:12

Keil & Delitzsch on Isaiah 3:12

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Isaiah 3:11

Rashi on Isaiah 3:12