Isaiah 3 · Verse 7

Isaiah 3:7

In that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be an healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people.
Isaiah 3:7, King James Version

Isaiah 3:7 in other translations

BSBOn that day he will cry aloud: “I am not a healer. I have no food or clothing in my house. Do not make me leader of the people!”
WEBIn that day he will cry out, saying, “I will not be a healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing. You shall not make me ruler of the people.”
ASVin that day shall he lift up his voice, saying, I will not be a healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: ye shall not make me ruler of the people.
YLTHe lifteth up, in that day, saying: ‘I am not a binder up, And in my house is neither bread nor garment, Ye do not make me a ruler of the people.'
DARBYhe will lift up his hand in that day, saying, I cannot be a healer, and in my house there is neither bread nor clothing; ye shall not make me a chief of the people.
BBEThen he will say with an oath, I will not be a helper, for in my house there is no bread or clothing: I will not let you make me a ruler of the people.
WebsterIn that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be a healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people.

What does Isaiah 3:7 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
7. swear--literally, "lift up," namely, his hand; the gesture used in solemn attestation. Or, his voice, that is, answer; so Vulgate. healer--of the body politic, incurably diseased (Is 1:6). neither ... clothing--so as to relieve the people and maintain a ruler's dignity. A nation's state must be bad indeed, when none among men, naturally ambitious, is willing to accept office.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 7 In that day shall he swear "Then shall he openly declare" - The Septuagint, Syriac, and Jerome, read וישא veyissa, adding the conjunction, which seems necessary in this place. I will not be a healer - I am noy a leche. - Old MS. Bible. Leech was the ancient English word for a physician. For in my house is neither bread nor clothing "For in my house is neither bread nor raiment" - "It is customary through all the East," says Sir J. Chardin, "to gather together an immense quantity of furniture and clothes; for their fashions never alter." Princes and great men are obliged to have a great stock of such things in readiness for presents upon all occasions. "The kings of Persia," says the same author, "have great wardrobes, where there are always many hundreds of habits ready, designed for presents, and sorted," Harmer, Observ., 2:11 and 88. A great quantity of provision for the table was equally necessary. The daily provision for Solomon's household, whose attendants were exceedingly numerous, was proportionately great, 1Kgs 4:22, 1Kgs 4:23. Even Nehemiah, in his strait circumstances, had a large supply daily for his table; at which he received a hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, besides those that came from among the neighboring heathen, Neh 5:17, Neh 5:18. This explains the meaning of the excuse made by him that is desired to undertake the government. He alleges that he has not wherewithal to support the dignity of the station, by such acts of liberality and hospitality as the law of custom required of persons of superior rank. See Harmer's Observations, 1:340, 2:88.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 3:1-9

The calamities about to come upon the land. (Is. 3:1-9) The wickedness of the people. (Is. 3:10-15) The distress of the proud, luxurious women of Zion. (Is. 3:16-26) Verses 1-9 God was about to deprive Judah of every stay and support. The city and the land were to be made desolate, because their words and works had been rebellious against the Lord; even at his holy temple. If men do not stay themselves upon God, he…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 3:1-9 →

Isaiah 3:7 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

יִשָּׂא֩yi.Sa'he will lift upH5375
בַיּ֨וֹםvai.Yomin the dayH3117
הַה֤וּא\׀ha.Hu'<the> thatH1931
לֵאמֹר֙le.Mor<to> sayingH559
לֹא\־lo'-notH3808
אֶהְיֶ֣ה'eh.YehI will beH1961
חֹבֵ֔שׁcho.Vesha wrapperH2280
וּבְבֵיתִ֕יu.ve.vei.Tiand in house myH1004
אֵ֥ין'einthere notH369
לֶ֖חֶםLe.chem[is] foodH3899
וְאֵ֣יןve.'Einand there notH369
שִׂמְלָ֑הsim.Lah[is] a cloakH8071
לֹ֥אlo'notH3808
תְשִׂימֻ֖נִיte.si.Mu.niyou must appoint meH7760
קְצִ֥יןke.Tzina ruler ofH7101
עָֽם\׃'Am[the] peopleH5971

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 3:7

  • Hosea 5:13

    When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.

  • Hosea 6:1

    Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

  • Deuteronomy 32:40

    For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever.

  • Ezekiel 34:4

    The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.

  • Revelation 10:5-6

    And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:

  • Genesis 14:22

    And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,

  • Jeremiah 14:19

    Hast thou utterly rejected Judah? hath thy soul lothed Zion? why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? we looked for peace, and there is no good; and for the time of healing, and behold trouble!

  • Isaiah 58:12

    And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

  • Lamentations 2:13

    What thing shall I take to witness for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? what shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach is great like the sea: who can heal thee?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
swear. Heb. lift up the hand.
Ge 14:22; De 32:40; Re 10:5,6
healer. Heb. binder up.
58:12; Jer 14:19; La 2:13; Ho 5:13; 6:1
neither bread.Princes and great men in the East, as Sir J. Chardin testifies, are obliged to have a great stock of clothes in readiness for presents on all occasions; and a great quantity of provisions for the table is equally necessary, (see 1 Ki 4:22, 23. Ne 5:17, 18.) Hence the person desired to undertake the government, alleges as an excuse that he is not able to support the dignity of his station.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Isaiah 3:6

    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:

  • Isaiah 3:7

    In that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be an healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people.

  • Isaiah 3:8

    For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory.

Read all of Isaiah 3

Isaiah 3:7 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		El jurará aquel día, diciendo: No tomaré ese cuidado; porque en mi casa ni hay pan, ni qué vestir: no me hagáis príncipe del pueblo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		il jurera en ce jour-là, disant: Je ne puis être un médecin, et dans ma maison il n’y a pas de pain et il n’y a pas de manteau; vous ne me ferez pas chef du peuple.
German
Elberfelder 1871		so wird er an jenem Tage seine Stimme erheben und sagen: Ich kann kein Wundarzt sein; ist doch in meinem Hause weder Brot noch Kleid: machet mich nicht zum Vorsteher des Volkes. -
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Respondebit in die illa, dicens: Non sum medicus, et in domo mea non est panis neque vestimentum: nolite constituere me principem populi.