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A Coming Leadership Crisis

Look, the Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies[a]
is about to remove from Jerusalem and Judah
every source of security, including[b]
all the food and water,[c]
the mighty men and warriors,
judges and prophets,
omen readers and leaders,[d]
captains of groups of fifty,
the respected citizens,[e]
advisers and those skilled in magical arts,[f]
and those who know incantations.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 3:1 tn Heb “the master, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies [traditionally, the “Lord of hosts”].” On the title “the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,” see the note at 1:9.
  2. Isaiah 3:1 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.
  3. Isaiah 3:1 tn Heb “all the support of food, and all the support of water.”
  4. Isaiah 3:2 tn Heb “elder” (so ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); NCV “older leaders.”
  5. Isaiah 3:3 tn Heb “the ones lifted up with respect to the face.” For another example of the Hebrew idiom, see 2 Kgs 5:1.
  6. Isaiah 3:3 tn Heb “and the wise with respect to magic.” On the meaning of חֲרָשִׁים (kharashim, “magic”), see HALOT 358 s.v. III חרשׁ. Some understand here a homonym, meaning “craftsmen.” In this case, one could translate, “skilled craftsmen” (cf. NIV, NASB).

Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah

See now, the Lord,
    the Lord Almighty,
is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah
    both supply and support:(A)
all supplies of food(B) and all supplies of water,(C)
    the hero and the warrior,(D)
the judge and the prophet,
    the diviner(E) and the elder,(F)
the captain of fifty(G) and the man of rank,(H)
    the counselor, skilled craftsman(I) and clever enchanter.(J)

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