Isaiah 4:1

Isaiah 4:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.
• New International Version (NIV)In that day seven women will take hold of one man and say, “We will eat our own food and provide our own clothes; only let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, "We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, “We will eat our own food and wear our own apparel; Only let us be called by your name, To take away our reproach.”

Context of Isaiah 4:1

In that day, seven women will catch one man and they will hold him. They will say, ‘Please take away our shame. We will buy our own food and we will wear our own clothes. But please, let us belong to you.’ 2In that day, the branch of the Lord will be great and beautiful. The land will give fruit and crops. Those people who remain in Israel will be proud and happy because of the food that the land supplies. 3Everyone who remains in Zion and Jerusalem will be called holy. All their names will be on a list of Jerusalem's people who live there.

Isaiah 4:1 word by word

וְהֶחֱזִיקוּ֩ שֶׁ֨בַע נָשִׁ֜ים בְּאִ֣ישׁ אֶחָ֗ד בַּיּ֤וֹם הַהוּא֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לַחְמֵ֣נוּ נֹאכֵ֔ל וְשִׂמְלָתֵ֖נוּ נִלְבָּ֑שׁ רַ֗ק יִקָּרֵ֤א שִׁמְךָ֙ עָלֵ֔ינוּ אֱסֹ֖ף חֶרְפָּתֵֽנוּ׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And in that dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
• womenאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• shall take holdחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: holdH2388
• of oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• We will eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• our own breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
• and wearלָבֵשׁlâbash lâbêsh · to clotheH3847
• our own apparelשִׂמְלָהώimlâh · mantleH8071
• only let us be calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call byH7121
• by thy nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
• to take awayאָסַף'âsaph · to gatherH622
• our reproachחֶרְפָּהcherpâh · reproachH2781

Cross-references for Isaiah 4:1

• Isaiah 2:11The Lord will bring proud people down low. People who boast will have to stop. On that day, people will see that only the Lord is great.
• Isaiah 10:20At that time, only a few people will remain in Israel. Only a few descendants of Jacob will still be alive. They will no longer expect to receive help from a foreign ruler who is cruel to them. Instead, they will trust the Lord, the Holy God of Israel, to help them.
• Isaiah 17:7At that time, people will turn back to their Maker. They will trust the Holy God of Israel to help them.
• Luke 21:22This is when God will punish Israel's people. Then all the things will happen that his servants wrote about in the Bible.
• Isaiah 3:25The men of your city will die in war. Yes, your strong brave men will die in battle.
• Isaiah 13:12Very few people will remain after my punishment. Men and women will be more difficult to find than the best gold.
• 2 Thessalonians 3:12We have something to say to people who are lazy like that. We warn them with the authority that the Lord Jesus Christ gives to us. They must stop causing trouble. They must work properly, so that they get their own food to eat.
• Genesis 30:23She became pregnant and she gave birth to a son. Rachel said, ‘I am not ashamed any longer, because God has given me a son.’
• 1 Samuel 1:6Peninnah was not kind to Hannah and she made Hannah very upset. She did this because the Lord had not let Hannah give birth to any children.
• Luke 1:25‘The Lord has now given me a baby,’ she said. ‘He has been kind to me. Because of this, other people cannot say bad things about me now.’

Commentaries on Isaiah 4:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1And seven women - The division of the chapters has interrupted the prophet's discourse, and broken it off almost in the midst of the sentence. "The numbers slain in battle shall be so great, that seven women shall be left to one man." The prophet has described the greatness of this distress by images and adjuncts the most expressive and forcible. The young women, contrary to their natural modesty, shall become suitors to the men: they will take hold of…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1In that day - The time of calamity referred to in the close of the previous chapter. This is a continuation of that prophecy, and there was no reason why these six verses should have been made a separate chapter. That the passage refers to the Messiah, is apparent from what has been stated in the note at the commencement of the prophecy Isaiah 2:1-4, and from the expressions which occur in the chapter itself; see the notes at Isaiah 4:2, Isaiah 4:5-6…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The havoc occasioned by war. (Is. 4:1) The times of the Messiah. (Is. 4:2-6) Verse 1 This first verse belongs to the third chapter. When the troubles should come upon the land, as the unmarried state was deemed reproachful among the Jews, these women would act contrary to common usage, and seek husbands for themselves.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1During Isaiah’s ministry, Jerusalem’s population was greatly reduced. War, famine (lack of food), and disease caused many deaths (Isaiah 3:1–3; 6:13; 14:30; 22:2; 37:4). So many men died that few were left in the city. This created a serious absence of leadership (see Isaiah 3:1–12). Without strong leaders, the city became weak and unstable. Even worse conditions were coming. In 734–732 BC, Judah faced war with an alliance(a military agreement) between…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-6Is 4:1-6. that day--the calamitous period described in previous chapter. seven--indefinite number among the Jews. So many men would be slain, that there would be very many more women than men; for example, seven women, contrary to their natural bashfulness, would sue to (equivalent to "take hold of," Is 3:6) one man to marry them. eat ... own bread--foregoing the privileges, which the law (Ex 21:10) gives to wives, when a man has more than one…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 4:1

• Barrenness
• Childlessness
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Marriage
• Polygamy
• Seven
• Women

In the dictionaries

• That Day
• Covert
• Reproach
• Seven
• Armor; Arms
• Commentaries
• Grace
• Isaiah
• Israel, History of
• Jotham

Commentaries on Isaiah 4

• 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
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings