The Meaning of Isaiah 3:25 Explained

Isaiah 3:25

KJV: Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.

YLT: For instead of glory, thy men by sword do fall, And thy might in battle.

Darby: Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the fight;

ASV: Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thy men  shall fall  by the sword,  and thy mighty  in the war. 

What does Isaiah 3:25 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 3:13-26 - Vanity And Selfish Luxury Condemned
This paragraph opens with the majestic figure of Jehovah Himself, who arises to judge the misrulers and plead the cause of the poor. The prophet enumerates the trinkets of the women of Israel, who had given themselves up to luxury and corruption. Woman is the priestess and prophetess of the home and religion, and when she forsakes the level of spiritual influence for that of physical adornment, the salt has lost its savor and the whole commonwealth suffers. The manhood of a land is lost, morally and spiritually when woman falls from her high estate; and there could be no hope for Jerusalem until the divine fire had consumed the filth of her daughters, and the oppressive selfishness of her sons. Then once more each home in Jerusalem would have the same blessed signs of the divine presence as had once been granted to the Tabernacle-the shadowing cloud by day and the gleam of the Shekinah-fire by night. Let us claim these for our homes also! [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 3

1  The great calamities which come by sin
10  The different rewards of the righteous and wicked
12  The oppression and covetousness of the rulers
16  The judgments which shall be for the pride of the women
25  The general desolation

What do the individual words in Isaiah 3:25 mean?

Your men by the sword shall fall and Your mighty in the war
מְתַ֖יִךְ בַּחֶ֣רֶב יִפֹּ֑לוּ וּגְבוּרָתֵ֖ךְ בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה

מְתַ֖יִךְ  Your  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: מֹת 
Sense: male, man.
בַּחֶ֣רֶב  by  the  sword 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
יִפֹּ֑לוּ  shall  fall 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
וּגְבוּרָתֵ֖ךְ  and  Your  mighty 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: גְּבוּרָה  
Sense: strength, might.
בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה  in  the  war 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִלְחָמָה  
Sense: battle, war.