In that day, the Branch will be “beautiful” (Isaiah 4:2). Various words are used for “beauty” in this passage, and here the Hebrew is tzebi , which is typically translated as “roebuck” (e.g., Deuteronomy 12:15, 22; 14:5; 15:22; 2 Samuel 2:18; 1 Kings 4:23; etc.). . . . . Continue Reading »
Though the daughters of Zion are full of filth and blood, Adonai will wash and purge them, like sacrifices. So says Isaiah (4:4). Yahweh will cleanse by His Spirit of judgment and burning. The purifying power of the Spirit is underscored by a wordplay. The word for “purge” or . . . . Continue Reading »
As mentioned in previous posts, Isaiah’s list of ornaments and jewelry in 3:16-24 is reminiscent of the priestly garb. But it’s all being stripped off. The daughters of Zion are being de-ordained, de-consecrated. Except: Isaiah says that those who survive the stripping of the . . . . Continue Reading »
When Yahweh creates a cloud by day and smoke, and the shining of fire flaming by night (Isaiah 4:5), He reestablishes His kabod , glory. According to the NASB, the glory is a defense, but the word translated as defense is used only two other times in the OT. In Psalm 19, it’s the chamber from . . . . Continue Reading »
Isaiah uses the loaded verb bara’ in 4:5, and, as my colleague toby Sumpter points out, this comes after a double reference to the Spirit (cf. Genesis 1:2) and before creation-related references to day, night, and possibly a firmament covering/canopy. But Isaiah’s “new . . . . Continue Reading »
Isaiah 4:4 promises that Yahweh will wash the filth and purge the blood from the daughters of Zion and from the midst of Jerusalem. The initial part of the sentence is chiastically structured: A. When Yahweh has washed B. filth of daughters of Zion B’. and blood of Jerusalem A’. has . . . . Continue Reading »
Isaiah’s oracle against the “daughters of Zion” begins in 3:16 and doesn’t conclude until the end of chapter 4. The oracle as a whole has a fairly neat chiastic structure: A. Daughters of Zion and their walk, 3:16-17 B. In that day; beauty ( tiph’arah ): Yahweh . . . . Continue Reading »
Isaiah gives us a long list of ornaments and jewelry removed from the daughters of Zion (3:18-23). Like all biblical lists, this one is worth counting up. There are two ways of counting. When we count words (beginning with “beauty” in v 18, tiph’arah ), we get 24, double the . . . . Continue Reading »
INTRODUCTION When Yahweh takes away the rulers of Judah (3:2-3), there’s no one left to lead besides children (v. 4) and women (v. 12). In Isaiah’s viciously satiric portrait of the “daughters of Zion” (3:16-24), we get a glimpse of the women who lead Judah. Yahweh will . . . . Continue Reading »
INTRODUCTION Isaiah warns Judah not to trust man (2:22), and then gives the reason: Yahweh plans to remove all the powerful men from Jerusalem and Judah (3:1). THE TEXT “For behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stock and the store, the whole supply . . . . Continue Reading »
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