The Meaning of Isaiah 3:6 Explained

Isaiah 3:6

KJV: 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:

YLT: When one layeth hold on his brother, Of the house of his father, by the garment, 'Come, a ruler thou art to us, And this ruin is under thy hand.'

Darby: When a man shall take hold of his brother, in his father's house, and shall say: Thou hast clothing; be our chief, and let this ruin be under thy hand;

ASV: When a man shall take hold of his brother in the house of his father,'saying , Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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: 

What does Isaiah 3:6 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 3:1-12 - An Exhortation To Humility And Reverence
If men will not repent, they must suffer. If they will not voluntarily put away their idols and sorceries, they will be compelled to do so in the anguish of their disappointment with their helpless deities, Isaiah 2:20. Nothing in that great civilization would be spared. High towers, fenced walls, ships, treasures, armor-all would perish. Their vaunted faith in man would cease. Life would become elemental in its simplicity amid the shelter of the ragged rocks. In sarcastic phrase the prophet depicts a despairing nation choosing for ruler the first man that came along with a decent coat on his back, Isaiah 2:6; but in vain. We can almost hear the sob of the prophet's soul in Isaiah 2:8-9, and recall the tears of a greater than Isaiah, Who wept over this same Jerusalem eight hundred years afterward. Patriotism is one of the purest passions that can burn in the heart of man! "Lives there a man, with soul so dead, that never to himself has said, This is my own, my native land!" [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 3:6 mean?

When takes hold a man of his brother in the house of his father clothing [saying] You have ruler You be our and [let] ruins [be] this under your power
כִּֽי־ יִתְפֹּ֨שׂ אִ֤ישׁ בְּאָחִיו֙ בֵּ֣ית אָבִ֔יו שִׂמְלָ֣ה לְכָ֔ה קָצִ֖ין תִּֽהְיֶה־ לָּ֑נוּ וְהַמַּכְשֵׁלָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את תַּ֥חַת יָדֶֽךָ

יִתְפֹּ֨שׂ  takes  hold 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: תָּפַשׂ  
Sense: to catch, handle, lay hold, take hold of, seize, wield.
אִ֤ישׁ  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
בְּאָחִיו֙  of  his  brother 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
בֵּ֣ית  in  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אָבִ֔יו  of  his  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
שִׂמְלָ֣ה  clothing 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שִׂמְלָה  
Sense: wrapper, mantle, covering garment, garments, clothes, raiment, a cloth.
לְכָ֔ה  [saying]  You  have 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
קָצִ֖ין  ruler 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קָצִין  
Sense: chief, ruler, commander.
תִּֽהְיֶה־  You  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לָּ֑נוּ  our 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
וְהַמַּכְשֵׁלָ֥ה  and  [let]  ruins  [be] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַכְשֵׁלָה  
Sense: overthrown mass, stumbling-block, something overthrown, decay, ruin.
הַזֹּ֖את  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
תַּ֥חַת  under 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
יָדֶֽךָ  your  power 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.

What are the major concepts related to Isaiah 3:6?

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