Isaiah 3:4
2 The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,
3 The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.
And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
5 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.
6 When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand:
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- “I will make mere lads their leaders, and children will rule over them.”
- KJV
- And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
- WEB
- I will give boys to be their princes, and children shall rule over them.
- ASV
- And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
- DARBY
- And I will appoint youths as their princes, and children shall rule over them.
- BLB
- “And I will give youths as their princes, and infants will rule over them.”
- ÅB
- Og jeg vil sette barn til styrere over dem, og guttekåthet skal herske over dem.
- OTB
- "Jeg vil utnevne bare gutter som deres ledere, og uregjerlige barn skal styre dem."
- B1930
- Og jeg vil sette barn til styrere over dem, og guttekåthet skal herske over dem.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Ecclesiastes 10:16
Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!
Read in context2 Chronicles 36:9
Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.
Read in context2 Chronicles 33:1
Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem:
Read in context2 Chronicles 36:5
Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God.
Read in context1 Kings 3:7–9
And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
Read in context2 Chronicles 36:11
Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.
Read in context2 Chronicles 34:1
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.
Read in context2 Chronicles 36:2
Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.
Read in context