Lectionary Calendar
Friday, November 29th, 2024
the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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Read the Bible

New King James Version

Isaiah 3:12

As for My people, children are their oppressors, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, And destroy the way of your paths."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Minister, Christian;   Rulers;   Women;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Woman;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Mother;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Infinity;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Exactor;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Isaiah, Book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Err;   Trade;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Day of the Lord;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Even children will defeat my people, and women will rule over them. My people, your guides lead you the wrong way, and they destroy the path you should follow.
New Living Translation
Childish leaders oppress my people, and women rule over them. O my people, your leaders mislead you; they send you down the wrong road.
Update Bible Version
As for my people, children are their oppressors, and usurers rule over them. O my people, those that lead you cause you to err, and destroy the way of your paths.
New Century Version
Children treat my people cruelly, and women rule over them. My people, your guides lead you in the wrong way and turn you away from what is right.
New English Translation
Oppressors treat my people cruelly; creditors rule over them. My people's leaders mislead them; they give you confusing directions.
Webster's Bible Translation
[As for] my people, children [are] their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they who lead thee cause [thee] to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
World English Bible
As for my people, children are their oppressors, And women rule over them. My people, those who lead you cause you to err, And destroy the way of your paths.
Amplified Bible
O My people! Children are their oppressors, And women rule over them. O My people! Your leaders lead you astray And confuse (destroy, swallow up) the direction of your paths.
English Standard Version
My people—infants are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, your guides mislead you and they have swallowed up the course of your paths.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The wrongful axeris of my puple robbiden it, and wymmen weren lordis therof. Mi puple, thei that seien thee blessid, disseyuen thee, and distrien the weie of thi steppis.
English Revised Version
As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
Berean Standard Bible
Youths oppress My people, and women rule over them. O My people, your guides mislead you; they turn you from your paths.
Contemporary English Version
Though you are God's people, you are ruled and abused by women and children. You are confused by leaders who guide you down the wrong path.
American Standard Version
As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they that lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
Bible in Basic English
As for my people, their ruler is acting like a child, and those who have authority over them are women. O my people, your guides are the cause of your wandering, turning your footsteps out of the right way.
Complete Jewish Bible
My people — children oppress them, and women are ruling over them. My people! Your guides lead you astray and obliterate the paths you should follow.
Darby Translation
[As for] my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. My people! they that guide thee mislead [thee], and destroy the way of thy paths.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
As for My people, a babe is their master, and women rule over them. O My people, they that lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
King James Version (1611)
As for my people, children are their oppressours, and women rule ouer them: O my people, they which lead thee, cause thee to erre, and destroy the way of thy paths.
New Life Bible
O My people! Children make it hard for them. And women rule over them. O My people! Your leaders lead you in the wrong way. You do not know which path to take.
New Revised Standard
My people—children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, your leaders mislead you, and confuse the course of your paths.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Children are extorcioners of my people, and women haue rule ouer them: O my people, they that leade thee, cause thee to erre, and destroy the way of thy paths.
George Lamsa Translation
The princes shall pluck my people out, and women shall rule over them. O my people, your leaders have caused you to err, and disturbed the way of your paths.
Good News Translation
Moneylenders oppress my people, and their creditors cheat them. My people, your leaders are misleading you, so that you do not know which way to turn.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
My people! children, are their tyrants, And, women, rule over them, - My people! they who should lead thee forward, are causing thee to stray, Thy pathways, have they destroyed,
Douay-Rheims Bible
As for my people, their oppressors have stripped them, and women have ruled over them. O my people, they that call thee blessed, the same deceive thee, and destroy the way of thy steps.
Revised Standard Version
My people--children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, your leaders mislead you, and confuse the course of your paths.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Children are extortioners of my people, and women rule ouer them: O my people, thy leaders deceaue thee, and corrupt the way of thy footsteppes.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
O my people, your exactors strip you, and extortioners rule over you: O my people, they that pronounce you blesses lead you astray, and pervert the path of your feet.
Christian Standard Bible®
Youths oppress my people,and women rule over them.My people, your leaders mislead you;they confuse the direction of your paths.
Hebrew Names Version
As for my people, children are their oppressors, And women rule over them. My people, those who lead you cause you to err, And destroy the way of your paths.
King James Version
As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
Lexham English Bible
My people—children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. My people, your leaders are misleading you, and they confuse the course of your paths.
Literal Translation
As for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over him. Oh My people, those leading you cause you to go astray, and they swallow the way of your paths.
Young's Literal Translation
My people -- its exactors [are] sucklings, And women have ruled over it. My people -- thy eulogists are causing to err, And the way of thy paths swallowed up.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
O my people, rybaudes oppresse ye, and women haue rule of the. O my people, thy leders deceaue the, and treade out the waye of thy footsteppes.
THE MESSAGE
"Skinny kids terrorize my people. Silly girls bully them around. My dear people! Your leaders are taking you down a blind alley. They're sending you off on a wild-goose chase."
New American Standard Bible
My people! Their oppressors treat them violently, And women rule over them. My people! Those who guide you lead you astray And confuse the direction of your paths.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
O My people! Their oppressors are children, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who guide you lead you astray And confuse the direction of your paths.
Legacy Standard Bible
O My people! Their taskmasters are infants,And women rule over them.O My people! Those who guide you lead you astrayAnd swallow up the way of your paths.

Contextual Overview

9 The look on their countenance witnesses against them, And they declare their sin as Sodom; They do not hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought evil upon themselves. 10 "Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them, For they shall eat the fruit of their doings. 11 Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, For the reward of his hands shall be given him. 12 As for My people, children are their oppressors, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, And destroy the way of your paths." 13 The LORD stands up to plead, And stands to judge the people. 14 The LORD will enter into judgment With the elders of His people And His princes: "For you have eaten up the vineyard; The plunder of the poor is in your houses. 15 What do you mean by crushing My people And grinding the faces of the poor?" Says the Lord GOD of hosts.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

children: Isaiah 3:4, 2 Kings 11:1, Nahum 3:13

lead thee: or, which call thee blessed, Isaiah 9:15, Numbers 6:23-27, Jeremiah 5:31, Matthew 15:14

destroy: Heb. swallow up, Matthew 23:14

Reciprocal: Leviticus 25:14 - General Joshua 3:11 - passeth 2 Chronicles 33:1 - twelve Proverbs 28:16 - prince Ecclesiastes 10:16 - when Isaiah 9:16 - the leaders Isaiah 28:7 - err in Isaiah 43:27 - and thy Jeremiah 18:15 - caused Jeremiah 23:32 - to err Hosea 4:6 - My people Hebrews 9:7 - errors James 5:19 - err

Cross-References

Genesis 2:18
And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him."
Genesis 2:20
So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.
Genesis 2:22
Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
Genesis 3:13
And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
Genesis 3:15
And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."
Genesis 3:20
And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.
Genesis 3:21
Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.
Genesis 3:24
So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
Job 31:33
If I have covered my transgressions as Adam, By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,
Proverbs 19:3
The foolishness of a man twists his way, And his heart frets against the LORD.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

[As for] my people, children [are] their oppressors,.... Or rulers; for נוגש, in the Ethiopic language, signifies a king: or "exactors", as in Isaiah 60:17 princes are so called, because they exact tribute of their subjects, and sometimes in a tyrannical and oppressive manner, and so get the name of oppressors. The sense is the same with Isaiah 3:4. The words may be rendered, "as for my people, everyone of their governors, is a child" n; not in age, but in understanding:

and women rule over them, or "over him" o; either over the people of Israel, as Alexandra before Hyrcanus, and Helena queen of the Adiabenes; or over the child their governor, as women had great influence over their husbands, the governors of Judea, in those times, as Herodias, Bernice, and Drusilla; or it may be understood of men, weak, effeminate, and given to pleasure:

O my people, they which lead thee: as the former may design their political governors, this their ecclesiastic rulers, who were to direct and lead them in the paths of religion and truth. Some render the words, "who praise thee", as the Targum; "or bless you", or "call you blessed", as the Septuagint and Arabic versions, though guilty of the most flagitious crimes:

cause [thee] to err, or wander from the way of God's commandments,

and destroy the way of the paths, by turning them out of the right way; by enjoining them the traditions of the elders; by taking away the key of knowledge from them, and not suffering them to go into the kingdom of heaven, or attend the ministry of the Gospel and ordinances; as did the Scribes and Pharisees, who were blind leaders of the blind.

n נגשיו מעולל "exactorum ejus quisque parvulus est", Piscator. o בו "in eum", Junius Tremellius, Piscator "in illum", Cocceius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

As for my people, children are their oppressors - This refers, doubtless, to their civil rulers. They who “ought” to have been their “protectors,” oppressed them by grievous taxes and burdens. But whether this means that the rulers of the people were “literally” minors, or that they were so in “disposition and character,” has been a question. The original word is in the singular number (מעולל me‛ôlēl), and means a “child,” or an infant. It may, however, be taken collectively as a noun of multitude, or as denoting more than one. To whom reference is made here cannot easily be determined, but possibly to “Ahaz,” who began to reign when he was twenty years old; 2 Kings 16:2. Or it may mean that the “character” of the princes and rulers was that of inexperienced children, unqualified for government.

Are their oppressors - literally, ‘are their exactors,’ or their “taxers” - the collectors of the revenue.

And women rule over them - This is not to be taken literally, but it means either that the rulers were under the influence of the “harem,” or the females of the court; or that they were effeminate and destitute of vigor and manliness in counsel. The Septuagint and the Chaldee render this verse substantially alike: ‘Thy exactors strip my people as they who gather the grapes strip the vineyard.’

They which lead thee - Hebrew “They who bless thee, or call thee blessed.” (See the margin.) This refers, doubtless, to the public teachers, and the false prophets, who “blessed” or flattered the people, and who promised them safety in their sins.

Cause thee to err - Lead you astray; or lead you into sin and danger.

And destroy - Hebrew “Swallow up.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 3:12. Err - "Pervert"] בלעו billeu, "swallow." Among many unsatisfactory methods of accounting for the unusual meaning of this word in this place, I choose Jarchi's explication, as making the best sense. "Read billalu, 'confound.' Syriac." - Dr. Judd. "Read beholu, 'disturb or trouble.'" - Secker. So Septuagint.

This verse might be read, "The collectors of grapes shall be their oppressors; and usurers (noshim, instead of nashim, women) shall rule over them."


 
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