New Living Translation
Isaiah 3:5
5People will oppress each other— man against man, neighbor against neighbor. Young people will insult their elders, and vulgar people will sneer at the honorable.
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
3army officers and high officials, advisers, skilled sorcerers, and astrologers. 4I will make boys their leaders, and toddlers their rulers. People will oppress each other— man against man, neighbor against neighbor. Young people will insult their elders, and vulgar people will sneer at the honorable. 6In those days a man will say to his brother, “Since you have a coat, you be our leader! Take charge of this heap of ruins!” 7But he will reply, “No! I can’t help. I don’t have any extra food or clothes. Don’t put me in charge!”
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 9:19The land will be blackened by the fury of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. The people will be fuel for the fire, and no one will spare even his own brother.
- Isaiah 11:13Then at last the jealousy between Israel and Judah will end. They will not be rivals anymore.
- Jeremiah 9:3“My people bend their tongues like bows to shoot out lies. They refuse to stand up for the truth. They only go from bad to worse. They do not know me,” says the Lord.
- Jeremiah 22:17“But you! You have eyes only for greed and dishonesty! You murder the innocent, oppress the poor, and reign ruthlessly.”
- Ezekiel 22:6“Every leader in Israel who lives within your walls is bent on murder.
- Amos 4:1Listen to me, you fat cows living in Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy, and who are always calling to your husbands, “Bring us another drink!”
- Micah 3:1I said, “Listen, you leaders of Israel! You are supposed to know right from wrong,
- Micah 3:11You rulers make decisions based on bribes; you priests teach God’s laws only for a price; you prophets won’t prophesy unless you are paid. Yet all of you claim to depend on the Lord. “No harm can come to us,” you say, “for the Lord is here among us.”
- Zechariah 7:9“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another.
- Malachi 3:5“At that time I will put you on trial. I am eager to witness against all sorcerers and adulterers and liars. I will speak against those who cheat employees of their wages, who oppress widows and orphans, or who deprive the foreigners living among you of justice, for these people do not fear me,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
- James 2:6But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?
- James 5:4For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
- Isaiah 1:4Oh, what a sinful nation they are— loaded down with a burden of guilt. They are evil people, corrupt children who have rejected the Lord. They have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.
- Leviticus 19:32“Stand up in the presence of the elderly, and show respect for the aged. Fear your God. I am the Lord.
- 2 Kings 2:23Elisha left Jericho and went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, a group of boys from the town began mocking and making fun of him. “Go away, baldy!” they chanted. “Go away, baldy!”
- Job 30:1“But now I am mocked by people younger than I, by young men whose fathers are not worthy to run with my sheepdogs.
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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