EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Isaiah 3:15
15What are you leaders doing? You should not hurt my people. You should not be cruel to the poor people, as if you are pushing their faces into the dirt.’ The Lord Almighty has said this.
Isaiah 3:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord God of hosts.
- New International Version (NIV)What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the faces of the poor?” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
- English Standard Version (ESV)What do you mean by crushing my people, by grinding the face of the poor?" declares the Lord God of hosts.
- New King James Version (NKJV)What do you mean by crushing My people And grinding the faces of the poor?” Says the Lord God of hosts.
Context of Isaiah 3:15
13The Lord stands up to judge his people. He will decide how to punish them. 14He comes to judge the leaders and rulers of his people. He says to them, ‘You have destroyed my vineyard. You have robbed the poor people and you have stored their things in your own houses. What are you leaders doing? You should not hurt my people. You should not be cruel to the poor people, as if you are pushing their faces into the dirt.’ The Lord Almighty has said this. 16The Lord says, ‘Zion's women are very proud. They walk with their heads up high. They turn their eyes towards the men and they have no shame. They like the men to look at them. They walk with small steps so that the rings on their ankles make a nice sound. 17Because of that, the Lord God will give them sores on their heads. Those beautiful women will be bald!’
Read all of Isaiah 3Isaiah 3:15 word by word
מַה־לָּכֶם֙ תְּדַכְּא֣וּ עַמִּ֔י וּפְנֵ֥י עֲנִיִּ֖ים תִּטְחָ֑נוּ נְאֻם־אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִ֖ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ye beatדָּכָאdâkâ' · to crushH1792
- my peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- and grindטָחַןţâchan · to grindH2912
- the facesפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
- of the poorעָנִי‛ânîy · afflictedH6041
- saithנְאֻםne'ûm · utteranceH5002
- the Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
- Godיְהֹוִהyehôvih · YHWH/GodH3069
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
Cross-references for Isaiah 3:15
- Ezekiel 18:2‘You say this proverb about Israel: “The fathers have eaten bitter fruit, but it causes their children's teeth to hurt.” Why do you say that?
- Jonah 1:6The ship's captain went to Jonah. He said, ‘Why are you sleeping like that? Get up now! Call to your god for help! Maybe he will listen to us and we will not die.’
- Isaiah 58:4Yes! While you are fasting, you are also quarrelling and you are fighting. You hit each other with your fists. If you want your prayers to reach me in heaven, you cannot continue to fast in the way that you do today.
- Exodus 5:14Pharaoh's slave masters hit the Israelite leaders who had authority over the people. They said to them, ‘Why have you not made the complete number of bricks today, as you did before?’
- Amos 2:6The Lord says, ‘The people in Israel have done more and more wrong things. So I will certainly punish them. They sold people that did not do wrong things. They sold them for silver. And they sold poor people for only the price of shoes.
- Amos 8:4So listen to me, you who are cruel to helpless people. You try to destroy people who are poor and weak.
- Micah 3:2But you hate what is good. And you love what is bad. You would like to tear the skin off my people, and pull the meat from their bones.
Commentaries on Isaiah 3:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15And grind the faces - The expression and the image is strong, to denote grievous oppression but is exceeded by the prophet Micah, Micah 3:1-3; : - "Hear, I pray you, ye chiefs of Jacob, And ye princes of the house of Israel: Is it not yours to know what is right? Ye that hate good and love evil: Who tear their skins from off them, And their flesh from off their bones; Who devour the flesh of my people; And flay from off them their skin; And their bones…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15What mean ye - What is your object? Or, What advantage is it to you? Or, By what right or pretence do you do this? Beat my people to pieces - That is, that you trample on them; or cruelly oppress them; Psalm 94:5. And grind the faces of the poor - This is an expression also denoting great oppression. It is taken from the act of grinding a substance on a stone until it is worn away and nothing is left. So, by their cruel exactions, by their injustice to…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-15Verses 10-15 The rule was certain; however there might be national prosperity or trouble, it would be well with the righteous and ill with the wicked. Blessed be God, there is abundant encouragement to the righteous to trust in him, and for sinners to repent and return to him. It was time for the Lord to show his might. He will call men to a strict account for all the wealth and power intrusted to and abused by them. If it is sinful to disregard the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15The Lord cares for the poor. These were the marginalized and oppressed (people pushed aside and treated unfairly; see Isaiah 1:17). But God is their protector (see 25:4). God asked his people to share his concern for the poor. But instead of helping the poor, many Israelites exploited them to gain wealth (see Isaiah 3:14). They used their power to take advantage of those who could not defend themselves.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. What right have ye to beat, &c. (Psa 94:5; Mi 3:2, 3). grind--by exactions, so as to leave them nothing. faces--persons; with the additional idea of it being openly and palpably done. "Presence," equivalent to "face" (Hebrew).Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 3:15
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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