Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 3:4
And I will give children [to be] their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
4. The supreme power passing into the hands of weaklings, a Reign of Terror ensues among the people. The sudden change of speaker is very striking.
and babes ] Rather, and Outrage shall rule over them. The word rendered “babes” is really an abstract noun, occurring again only in ch. Isa 66:4 (A.V. “delusions”). It is derived from a verb meaning “to outrage” or “to insult” (see Jdg 19:25; 1Sa 31:4; Jer 38:19; Num 22:29), and seems here to denote those personal affronts and outrages which invariably accompany social confusions. The rendering “capriciousness,” preferred by many, does not suit Isa 66:4. Some take the word as adverbial acc. (see R.V. marg. “with childishness shall they rule”), others think the abstract is used for the concrete (“capricious youths”). But the translation given is perhaps the most forcible, Outrage instead of Justice.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And I will give children – Not children in respect to age so much as in regard to talent for governing. I will commit the land to the government of weak and imbecile princes. This would naturally occur when the wise and great were removed; compare Ecc 10:16 : Wo to thee, O land, when thy king is a child; compare Isa 3:12.
And babes shall rule … – That is, babes in experience and knowledge. This was fully accomplished in the succession of weak and wicked princes that succeeded Isaiah, until the time of Zedekiah, the last of them, when the temple was taken by Nebuchadnezzar. – Lowth.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Isa 3:4-8
I will give children to be their princes
Puerile government
Probably an abstract term used for a concrete–puerilities or childishnesses for childish persons.
(J. A. Alexander.)
Juvenile government a curse
If it is in itself generally a misfortune when the king of a country is a lad (Ecc 10:16), it is doubly so when the princes or magnates surrounding end advising him are also youths or youngsters in the bad sense of the term . . . Varying humour, utterly unregulated and unrestrained, rules supreme. (F. Delitzsch.)
A foolish ruler: Justinian II (of Constantinople)
The name of a triumphant lawgiver was dishonoured by the vices of a boy, who imitated his namesake only in the expensive luxury of building. His passions were strong; his understanding was feeble; and he was intoxicated with a foolish pride that his birth had given him the command of millions, of whom the smallest community would not have chosen him for their local magistrate. His favourite ministers were two beings the least susceptible of human sympathy, a eunuch and a monk; the one he abandoned the palace, to the other the finances; the former corrected the emperors mother with a scourge, the latter suspended the insolvent tributaries, with their heads downward, over a slow and smoky fire. (Gibbons Rome.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 4. I will give children to be their princes – “I will make boys their princes”] This also was fully accomplished in the succession of weak and wicked princes, from the death of Josiah to the destruction of the city and temple, and the taking of Zedekiah, the last of them, by Nebuchadnezzar.
Babes shall rule over them.] Dymennysche men schul lordschopen to hem. – Old MS. Bible.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Children; either,
1. In age, whose minority corrupt ministers of state commonly abuse to great mischiefs; or,
2. In understanding, experience, and manners; foolish, froward, unteachable, &c.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4. childrenin ability forgoverning; antithesis to the “ancient” (see Isa 3:12;Ecc 10:16).
babesin warlike might;antithesis to “the mighty” and “man of war.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And I will give children [to be] their princes,…. Either in age, or in understanding, who are really so, or act like such; and in either sense, when this is the case, it is an unhappiness to a nation, Ec 10:16:
and babes shall rule over them; which is the same as before. The Targum is,
“the weak shall rule over them;”
such who are weak in their intellectuals, or are of mean pusillanimous spirits, “effeminate”, as the Vulgate Latin version renders it; and so as “children” are opposed to the “ancient”, that should be taken away, these are opposed to “men of might” and courage, who would now be wanting: or “men of illusions”, as in the margin; such as were subtle as foxes, and should deceive them, and impose upon them, and were audacious and impudent, and would mock at them, and despise them. So Jarchi and Abarbinel; and according to this sense of the word the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, render it, “mockers shall rule over them”.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Thus robbed of its support, and torn out of its proper groove, the kingdom of Judah would fall a prey to the most shameless despotism: “And I give them boys for princes, and caprices shall rule over them.” The revived “Solomonian” glory is followed, as before, by the times of Rehoboam. The king is not expressly named. This was intentional. He had sunk into the mere shadow of a king: it was not he who ruled, but the aristocratic party that surrounded him, who led him about in leading strings as unum inter pares . Now, if it is a misfortune in most cases for a king to be a child ( na’ar , Ecc 10:16), the misfortune is twice as great when the princes or magnates who surround and advise him are youngsters ( ne’arim , i.e., young lords) in a bad sense. It produces a government of talulim . None of the nouns in this form have a personal signification. According to the primary meaning of the verbal stem, the word might signify childishnesses, equivalent to little children (the abstract for the concrete, like amasius ), as Ewald supposes; or puppets, fantocci , poltroons, or men without heart or brain, as Luzzatto maintains. But the latter has no support in the general usage of the language, and the verb yimshelu (shall rule) does not necessarily require a personal subject (cf., Psa 19:14; Psa 103:19). The word talulim is formed from the reflective verb hithallel , which means to meddle, to gratify one’s self, to indulge one’s caprice. Accordingly talulim itself might be rendered vexationes (Isa 66:4). Jerome, who translates the word effeminati , appears to have thought of in an erotic sense. The Sept. rendering, is better, though would be more exact. When used, as the word is here, along with ne’arim , it signifies outbursts of youthful caprice, which do injury to others, whether in joke or earnest. Neither law nor justice would rule, but the very opposite of justice: a course of conduct which would make subjects, like slaves, the helpless victims at one time of their lust (Jdg 19:25), and at another of their cruelty. They would be governed by lawless and bloodstained caprice, of the most despotic character and varied forms. And the people would resemble their rulers: their passions would be let loose, and all restraints of modesty and decorum be snapt asunder.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
4. And I will appoint children to be their princes (56) That the vengeance of God may be more manifest, he now describes how sad and wretched will be the change, when competent and faithful rulers shall be taken from among them and God shall put cowardly and worthless persons in their room. By children are meant not only those who are so by age, but also by mind and conduct, such as delicate and effeminate persons, who are destitute of courage and cannot wield the sword entrusted to them. He does not here carry out the contrast, clause by clause; for he thought it enough to point out one way in which a commonwealth is speedily ruined; that is, when its rulers are weak and foolish men like children, who have no gravity or wisdom. But it must be laid down as a principle, that no man is qualified for governing a commonwealth unless he have been appointed to it by God, and be endued with uncommon excellence. Plato, too, understood this matter well: for though, being a heathen, he had no true knowledge of this kind, yet his quick sagacity enabled him to perceive that no man is fit and qualified for public government which has not been prepared for it by God in an extraordinary measure; for public government proceeds from God alone, and in like manner every part of it must be upheld by him. Besides, they whom the Lord does not govern have nothing left for them but to be children, or rather to be twice children, that is, destitute of all skill and of all wisdom.
Now the Lord executes this vengeance in two ways; because it frequently happens, that when we appear to have those who are grave and skillful in business, no sooner do they come to action than they stumble like blind men, and have no more wisdom than children; for the Lord deprives them of that remarkable ability which they had formerly received from him, and stuns them, as if he had struck them with a thunderbolt. But sometimes the Lord proceeds more gently, and gradually removes men of extraordinary ability, who were fit for ruling, and commits the reins of government to those who were unable to govern a family, or even a single child liken these things happen, it is very certain that destruction is not far off.
Besides, it deserves our notice, as I lately mentioned, that a well-regulated commonwealth is a singular gift of God, when the various orders of judges and senators, soldiers, captains, artificers, and teachers, aid each other by mutual intercourse, and join in promoting the general safety of the whole people. For when the Prophet threatens, and pronounces it to be a very severe punishment, that these things shall be taken away, he plainly shows that those eminent and uncommon gifts of God are necessary for the safety of nations. Accordingly, he here commends the office of magistrates, and captains, and soldiers, and likewise the office of teachers. This deserves our notice in opposition to fanatics, who endeavor to banish from the world the power of using the sword, together with all civil government and order. But the Prophet declares that these things are not taken away or removed unless when God is angry. It follows, therefore, that they who oppose, and, as far as lies in their power, set aside or destroy such benefits, are wicked men and enemies of the public safety.
He likewise commends instruction, without which a commonwealth cannot stand; for, as Solomon says,
where prophecy is not, the nation must be ruined. (Pro 29:18.)
At the same time, he commends the mechanical arts, agriculture, manual occupations of every description, architecture, and such like, which we cannot dispense with; for all artisans of every kind, who contribute what is useful to men, are the servants of God, and have the same end in view with those who were formerly mentioned, namely, the preservation of mankind
The same thing must be said about war; for, although lawful, war ought to be nothing else than an attempt to obtain peace; yet sometimes an engagement is unavoidable, that they who have the power of the sword may use it, and defend themselves and their followers by arms. War, therefore, is not in itself to be condemned; for it is the means of preserving the commonwealth. But neither must eloquence be despised; for it is often needed, both in public and in private life, that something may be clearly and fully explained and demonstrated to be true. This is also reckoned among the gifts and important blessings of God, when a state abounds in wise and eloquent men,
who can contend with the adversaries in the gate. (Psa 127:5.)
This passage may be thus summed up, “When God takes away those gifts, and alters the condition of a people, in whatever way this takes place, either by changing the form of government, or by taking away the rulers, the anger of God ought to be acknowledged;” for, as Hosea says,
He Taketh Away Kings In His Wrath, And Appointeth Them In His Indignation. (Hos 13:11.)
Let us not, therefore, ascribe these changes to chance or other causes.
(56) And I will give children to be their princes. — Eng. Ver.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(4) I will give children to be their princes.Better, youths. The words may point obliquely to Ahaz, who had ascended the throne at the age of twenty (2Ch. 28:1). Manasseh was but twelve when he became king; Josiah but eight (2Ch. 33:1; 2Ch. 34:1). In an Eastern monarchy the rule of a young king, rash and without experience, guided by counsellors like himself, was naturally regarded as the greatest of evils, and the history of Rehoboam had impressed this truth on the mind of every Israelite. (Comp. Ecc. 10:16.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4, 5. Children to be their princes A phrase descriptive of the evil condition of a state deprived of wise rulers. See conduct of Rehoboam, 1 Kings 12.
Babes Ignorant and incompetent persons. Did the prophet here look forth one hundred years, and describe what is stated as history in 2 Kings 22-25? Grotius well calls this a state of anarchy; to the Hebrew tone of life a state intensely revolting.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Isa 3:4. And babes shall rule over them And they shall wantonly lord it over them. Schultens. See Ecc 10:16-17. This was the state of things in Judaea, after the carrying away of Jehoiachin to Babylon.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Isa 3:4 And I will give children [to be] their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
Ver. 4. And I will give children to be their princes. ] Si non annis, at animis; If not with years but with life, such as were Ahaz, Manasseh, the four last kings of Judah, the calamity of that kingdom. a Princes that are witless, wilful, weak, or wicked, are the people’s woe; Ecc 10:16 this childhood of theirs is the maturity of their subjects’ misery. Job 34:30
And babes shall rule over them.
a Dii avertant principes pueros. – Vopis.
children = youths, or boys.
babes = with caprice. Not the same word
children: 1Ki 3:7-9, 2Ch 33:1, 2Ch 34:1, 2Ch 36:2, 2Ch 36:5, 2Ch 36:9, 2Ch 36:11, Ecc 10:16
Reciprocal: 2Ki 22:1 – eight years old 2Ch 13:7 – young Pro 30:22 – a servant Isa 3:12 – children Isa 51:18 – none Jer 52:3 – through
Isa 3:4-5. And I will give children to be their princes Either, 1st, Children in age, whose minority corrupt ministers of state commonly abuse, to the producing of much evil: or, 2d, In understanding and experience. When all the eminent persons, mentioned Isa 3:2-3, were removed, the necessary consequence must be, that persons of no qualifications for government must succeed in their places. This also was fully accomplished in the succession of weak and wicked princes, from the death of Josiah to the destruction of the city and temple. And the people shall be oppressed By the command or permission of such childish rulers. The child shall behave himself proudly, &c. The child in understanding, or the young and inexperienced; and the base against the honourable The usual effects, says Lowth, of a weak and unsettled government, where faction grows too hard for justice, and seditious men become so bold as openly to insult those that are in authority.
3:4 And I will give {d} children [to be] their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
(d) Not only in age: but in manners, knowledge and strength.
This lack of leadership would result in incompetent individuals seeking and gaining positions of authority (cf. Lev 19:32; 1Ki 3:7). Isa 3:4 is reminiscent of the reign of King Rehoboam. Looking ahead, wicked King Manasseh began ruling over Judah when he was only 12, and Kings Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah, who followed him later, proved capricious.
"Good government is one of God’s best gifts to a sinful race. How great then is the sin of those who refuse to concern themselves with their responsibilities as citizens of the state!" [Note: Young, 1:145.]
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)