New English Translation
Isaiah 3:5
5The people will treat each other harshly; men will oppose each other; neighbors will fight. Youths will proudly defy the elderly and riffraff will challenge those who were once respected.
Isaiah 3:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.
- New International Version (NIV)People will oppress each other— man against man, neighbor against neighbor. The young will rise up against the old, the nobody against the honored.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the people will oppress one another, every one his fellow and every one his neighbor; the youth will be insolent to the elder, and the despised to the honorable.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The people will be oppressed, Every one by another and every one by his neighbor; The child will be insolent toward the elder, And the base toward the honorable.”
Context of Isaiah 3:5
3captains of groups of fifty, the respected citizens, advisers and those skilled in magical arts, and those who know incantations. 4The Lord says, “I will make youths their officials; malicious young men will rule over them. The people will treat each other harshly; men will oppose each other; neighbors will fight. Youths will proudly defy the elderly and riffraff will challenge those who were once respected. 6Indeed, a man will grab his brother right in his father’s house and say, ‘You own a coat – you be our leader! This heap of ruins will be under your control.’ 7At that time the brother will shout, ‘I am no doctor, I have no food or coat in my house; don’t make me a leader of the people!’”
Read all of Isaiah 3Isaiah 3:5 word by word
וְנִגַּ֣שׂ הָעָ֔ם אִ֥ישׁ בְּאִ֖ישׁ וְאִ֣ישׁ בְּרֵעֵ֑הוּ יִרְהֲב֗וּ הַנַּ֙עַר֙ בַּזָּקֵ֔ן וְהַנִּקְלֶ֖ה בַּנִּכְבָּֽד׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- shall be oppressedנָגַשׂnâgaώ · to oppressH5065
- every oneאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- by anotherאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- by his neighbourרֵעַrêa‛ rêya‛ · neighborH7453
- the childנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
- shall behave himself proudlyרָהַבrâhab · to be assertiveH7292
- against the ancientזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
- and the baseקָלָהqâlâh · to dishonorH7034
- against the honourableכָּבֵדkâbad kâbêd · to honor: honourH3513
Cross-references for Isaiah 3:5
- Isaiah 9:19Because of the anger of the Lord who commands armies, the land was scorched, and the people became fuel for the fire. People had no compassion on one another.
- Isaiah 11:13Ephraim’s jealousy will end, and Judah’s hostility will be eliminated. Ephraim will no longer be jealous of Judah, and Judah will no longer be hostile toward Ephraim.
- Jeremiah 9:3The Lord says, “These people are like soldiers who have readied their bows. Their tongues are always ready to shoot out lies. They have become powerful in the land, but they have not done so by honest means. Indeed, they do one evil thing after another and do not pay attention to me.
- Jeremiah 22:17But you are always thinking and looking for ways to increase your wealth by dishonest means. Your eyes and your heart are set on killing some innocent person and committing fraud and oppression.
- Ezekiel 22:6“‘See how each of the princes of Israel living within you has used his authority to shed blood.
- Amos 4:1Listen to this message, you cows of Bashan who live on Mount Samaria! You oppress the poor; you crush the needy. You say to your husbands, “Bring us more to drink!”
- Micah 3:1I said, “Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the nation of Israel! You ought to know what is just,
- Micah 3:11Her leaders take bribes when they decide legal cases, her priests proclaim rulings for profit, and her prophets read omens for pay. Yet they claim to trust the Lord and say, “The Lord is among us. Disaster will not overtake us!”
- Zechariah 7:9“The Lord who rules over all said, ‘Exercise true judgment and show brotherhood and compassion to each other.
- Malachi 3:5“I will come to you in judgment. I will be quick to testify against those who practice divination, those who commit adultery, those who break promises, and those who exploit workers, widows, and orphans, who refuse to help the immigrant and in this way show they do not fear me,” says the Lord who rules over all.
- James 2:6But you have dishonored the poor! Are not the rich oppressing you and dragging you into the courts?
- James 5:4Look, the pay you have held back from the workers who mowed your fields cries out against you, and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
- Isaiah 1:4The sinful nation is as good as dead, the people weighed down by evil deeds. They are offspring who do wrong, children who do wicked things. They have abandoned the Lord, and rejected the Holy One of Israel. They are alienated from him.
- Leviticus 19:32You must stand up in the presence of the aged, honor the presence of an elder, and fear your God. I am the Lord.
- 2 Kings 2:23He went up from there to Bethel. As he was traveling up the road, some young boys came out of the city and made fun of him, saying, “Go on up, baldy! Go on up, baldy!”
- Job 30:1“But now they mock me, those who are younger than I, whose fathers I disdained too much to put with my sheep dogs.
Commentaries on Isaiah 3:5
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5And the people shall be oppressed - This describes the state of anarchy and confusion which would exist under the reign of children and babes Isaiah 3:4, when all law would be powerless, and all rights violated, and when the feeble would be oppressed and borne down by the strong. The word used here, properly denotes that “unjust exactions or demands” would be made, or that the people would be “urged” to fulfill them. Every one by another - In turn they…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-12These verses continue discussing judgment against Israel's leaders (see Isaiah 1:23–25). Removing leaders at all levels would let the mob take over. Chaos and famine would turn Judah and Jerusalem into a social wasteland.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. The anarchy resulting under such imbecile rulers (Is 3:4); unjust exactions mutually; the forms of respect violated (Le 19:32). base--low-born. Compare the marks of "the last days" (2Ti 3:2).Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 3:5
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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Commentaries