Isaiah — Chapter 4
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1In that day seven women will take hold of one man and say, “We will eat our own bread and provide our own clothes. Just let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!”
2On that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of Israel’s survivors.
3Whoever remains in Zion and whoever is left in Jerusalem will be called holy—all in Jerusalem who are recorded among the living—
4when the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains from the heart of Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.
5Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud of smoke by day and a glowing flame of fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a canopy,
6a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and the rain.
1And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.
2In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.
3And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem:
4When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.
5And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence.
6And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.
1And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name; take thou away our reproach.
2In that day shall the branch of Jehovah be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.
3And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem;
4when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by the spirit of justice, and by the spirit of burning.
5And Jehovah will create over the whole habitation of mount Zion, and over her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory [shall be spread] a covering.
6And there shall be a pavilion for a shade in the day-time from the heat, and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rain.
1Seven women will grab hold of one man at that time. They will say, “We will provide our own food, we will provide our own clothes; but let us belong to you— take away our shame!”
2At that time the crops given by the Lord will bring admiration and honor; the produce of the land will be a source of pride and delight to those who remain in Israel.
3Those remaining in Zion, those left in Jerusalem, will be called “holy,” all in Jerusalem who are destined to live.
4At that time the Lord will wash the excrement from Zion’s women, he will rinse the bloodstains from Jerusalem’s midst, as he comes to judge and to bring devastation.
5Then the Lord will create over all Mount Zion and over its convocations a cloud and smoke by day and a bright flame of fire by night; indeed a canopy will accompany the Lord’s glorious presence.
6By day it will be a shelter to provide shade from the heat, as well as safety and protection from the heavy downpour.
1Seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread, and wear our own clothing: only let us be called by your name. Take away our reproach.”
2In that day, Yahweh’s branch will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the beauty and glory of the survivors of Israel.
3It will happen, that he who is left in Zion, and he who remains in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even everyone who is written among the living in Jerusalem;
4when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from within it, by the spirit of justice, and by the spirit of burning.
5Yahweh will create over the whole habitation of Mount Zion, and over her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy.
6There will be a pavilion for a shade in the daytime from the heat, and for a refuge and for a shelter from storm and from rain.
Summary
The devastation of chapter 3 continues into the opening verse, where so many men have died that seven women beg to attach themselves to one man just to escape the stigma of being unmarried (v. 1). But the tone shifts sharply: in that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the survivors left in Zion will be called holy (vv. 2-3). Once the LORD washes away Jerusalem's filth and bloodshed by a spirit of judgment and burning, he will cover Mount Zion with a cloud and smoke by day and a flaming fire by night, echoing the exodus, providing shelter from heat, storm, and rain (vv. 4-6).
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Jerusalem (v.3, v.4): Capital of Judah; the holy city where the Temple stood.
- Zion (v.3, v.4, v.5): The hill on which Jerusalem/the Temple stood; often used poetically for God's dwelling.
Places on this map
- JerusalemJerusalemA hill town about 2,500 feet up in the central spine of Judah, roughly 35 miles inland from the Mediterranean and 15 miles west of the Jordan. It sits on no trade route and has no river, which is why it mattered as a fortress and a sanctuary rather than as a market. Wikipedia
Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik explores the messianic Branch, the purification process, and the new exodus imagery of God's protective glory over Zion.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- BibleProject: bibleproject.com On the whole book: the promised king who runs through Isaiah from beginning to end.
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Isaiah -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- Desperation Before Deliverance (v.1) — The chapter opens with women desperate just to remove the shame of childlessness, a picture of a people stripped bare by judgment. What has hitting bottom taught you about your need for God that comfort never could?
- Beauty After the Burning (v.2) — The Branch of the Lord is described as beautiful and glorious only after the devastation of the previous chapters. What is God currently pruning or purifying in you to make room for something more lasting?
- Written Among the Living (v.3) — Those called holy are described as recorded in a book among the living, marked as belonging to God rather than earning a place by performance. Do you rest in the assurance that you belong to Him, or are you still trying to prove it?
- A Spirit of Cleansing Judgment (v.4) — God washes away the filth of Zion's daughters by a spirit of judgment and burning, purification that costs something before it heals. What painful process in your life might actually be God cleaning rather than punishing you?
- A Covering for Every Dwelling (vv.5-6) — Where the Exodus cloud once covered only the tabernacle, this vision extends God's sheltering presence over every home in Zion. Do you invite God's presence into your everyday life at home, or keep it reserved for church?