Isaiah 3:25 kjv
Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.
Isaiah 3:25 nkjv
Your men shall fall by the sword, And your mighty in the war.
Isaiah 3:25 niv
Your men will fall by the sword, your warriors in battle.
Isaiah 3:25 esv
Your men shall fall by the sword and your mighty men in battle.
Isaiah 3:25 nlt
The men of the city will be killed with the sword,
and her warriors will die in battle.
Isaiah 3 25 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 1:28 | but transgressors and sinners shall be broken together, and those who forsake the Lord shall perish. | Sinners shall perish |
| Isa 6:11-12 | Then I said, "How long, O Lord?" And he said, "Until cities lie in waste without inhabitant, and houses without people... and the land is utterly desolate..." | Desolation of land due to judgment |
| Jer 4:6 | "Raise a signal toward Zion, flee for safety, stay not, for I bring disaster from the north, and great destruction." | Imminent destruction from an enemy |
| Jer 11:22 | ...Their young men shall die by the sword, their sons and their daughters shall die by famine... | Men dying by sword in judgment |
| Jer 14:12 | "Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them... by sword, by famine, and by pestilence will I consume them." | Judgment through sword, famine, pestilence |
| Jer 18:21 | "Therefore deliver up their children to famine; deliver them over to the power of the sword..." | Children and men delivered to sword/famine |
| Jer 24:10 | "And I will send sword, famine, and pestilence among them, until they are utterly destroyed from the land..." | Comprehensive destruction by various means |
| Ezek 6:3-4 | ...'Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places. Your altars shall become desolate... Your slain shall fall in your midst..." | God bringing sword as judgment |
| Ezek 7:15 | "The sword is outside; pestilence and famine are inside. He who is in the field dies by the sword; and him who is in the city, famine and pestilence devour." | All forms of judgment on all places |
| Hos 10:14 | ...all your fortresses shall be pulled down, as Shalman pulled down Beth-arbel on the day of battle; mothers were dashed in pieces with their children. | Defeat leading to widespread carnage |
| Am 9:1 | "I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and he said: "Strike the capitals until the thresholds quake, and smash them on the heads of all the people, and those who are left of them I will slay with the sword..." | All who remain will be slain by the sword |
| Zep 1:17 | "I will bring distress on mankind, so that they shall walk like the blind; because they have sinned against the Lord; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung." | Distress and death due to sin |
| Isa 3:1-3 | For behold, the Lord God of hosts is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah support and supply... the mighty man and the soldier... the captain of fifty and the man of rank... | Removal of all leaders and protectors |
| Isa 3:4-5 | "And I will make boys their officials, and babes shall rule over them. The people will be oppressed, each by another, and each by his neighbor; the youth will be insolent against the elder..." | Replacement of leaders with immature rulers |
| Lam 1:1 | How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become... She who was a princess among the provinces has become a slave. | Jerusalem as desolate widow |
| Lam 2:10 | The elders of daughter Zion sit on the ground in silence; they have thrown dust on their heads... The virgins of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground. | Humiliation and mourning for the city's fall |
| Ps 78:62-64 | He gave his people over to the sword... Their young men the fire devoured; their virgins had no wedding song. Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lament. | God giving people to the sword's destruction |
| Rev 6:4 | And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword. | Symbolic depiction of war and violence |
| Lev 26:33 | "And I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out the sword after you, and your land shall be a desolation and your cities a waste." | Sword as part of covenant curse |
| Deut 28:52 | "They shall besiege you in all your towns... until your high and fortified walls, in which you trusted, come down..." | Besieged cities and fallen defenses |
| Ezek 21:10 | ...prepared for slaughter, polished to glitter... | Sword sharpened for slaughter |
| Jer 25:9-10 | ...I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants... This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. | Servitude and desolation of the land |
Isaiah 3 verses
Isaiah 3 25 Meaning
Isaiah 3:25 pronounces a severe judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem, specifically declaring a devastating military defeat. It foretells that the men of the city, including its formidable warriors, will perish by the sword in battle. This signifies the removal of Judah's protectors and the complete breakdown of its defenses, leaving the city and its remaining inhabitants vulnerable to the consequences of divine judgment previously outlined by the prophet.
Isaiah 3 25 Context
Isaiah chapter 3 provides a severe prophetic indictment and judgment upon the kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem, following the broader theme of judgment introduced in chapter 2. The chapter outlines God's intention to remove all forms of strength, support, and leadership from Jerusalem (3:1-7), leading to societal collapse and chaos where the young and oppressive will rule. The underlying reason for this judgment is their deep-rooted sin, their blatant defiance of God, and their oppression of the poor (3:8-15). The passage then turns its focus to the "daughters of Zion," the proud and decadent women of Jerusalem, detailing their extravagant apparel and prophesying their impending humiliation, disgrace, and suffering as a result of divine retribution (3:16-24). Verse 25, then, is the direct consequence of this judgment; it links the prior section on the women's pride to the fate of the men, signifying the complete downfall of Jerusalem through military defeat. Historically, this prophecy resonated strongly with the various invasions and sieges Judah faced, especially those from the Assyrians and, ultimately, the Babylonians, who fulfilled this prophecy through the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of its people in the 6th century BCE. The removal of male protectors naturally leaves the "daughters of Zion" (the city and its women) vulnerable to the very shame and desolation described in preceding verses.
Isaiah 3 25 Word analysis
Your men (מְתַיִךְ - metayikh): The Hebrew word metayikh (מְתַיִךְ) is a plural form derived from met (מֶת), meaning "man." Unlike the more common ish (אִישׁ), met often denotes common or ordinary men, sometimes highlighting their vulnerability or destiny to die. The suffix "-yikh" (יִךְ) is a second-person feminine singular possessive, directly linking these men to "your," implying the women of Jerusalem or Jerusalem personified as a female (the "daughters of Zion" in previous verses). This indicates the protectors and defenders belonging to Jerusalem.
shall fall (יִפֹּלוּ - yippōlū): This is the imperfect third person masculine plural form of the Hebrew verb naphal (נָפַל), which means "to fall." In a military context, "to fall" almost invariably signifies "to perish" or "to die" in battle. It is a stark term for sudden, irreversible death.
by the sword (בַּחֶרֶב - baḥerev): The preposition ba- (בַּ) means "by" or "with," and ḥerev (חֶרֶב) means "sword." The sword is the quintessential instrument of war and often symbolic of God's judgment and execution of wrath in the Old Testament. Its mention specifically emphasizes violent, bloody death in warfare.
and your warriors (וְגִבּוֹרַיִךְ - vegibbōrayikh): The conjunction ve- (וְ) means "and." Gibborayikh (גִּבּוֹרַיִךְ) is the plural of gibbor (גִּבּוֹר), meaning "mighty man," "hero," or "warrior," with the same feminine singular possessive suffix "-yikh." While "men" refers to the general male populace capable of fighting, "warriors" points to the elite, the strong, and the professional soldiers. This parallelism emphasizes that no class of male defenders, from ordinary fighters to elite mighty men, will escape this judgment. It signifies a comprehensive military defeat.
in battle (בַּמִּלְחָמָה - bammilḥāmāh): The preposition ba- (בַּ) means "in," and milḥāmāh (מִלְחָמָה) means "war" or "battle." This term reinforces the context of a military engagement. Coupled with "by the sword," it vividly portrays a scene of open warfare and crushing defeat rather than quiet death or captivity.
Words-group Analysis:
- "Your men shall fall by the sword": This phrase pronounces the general demise of Jerusalem's male inhabitants due to warfare. It sets the primary means of death as violent combat. The possessive "your" connects their fate directly to the city and its women previously discussed, indicating that their protectors will be eliminated.
- "and your warriors in battle": This phrase serves as a poetic parallel, amplifying and intensifying the message. It specifically mentions the "warriors" (gibbōrim), implying not just common soldiers but the elite, strong, and brave defenders. Their demise "in battle" underscores the ferocity of the conflict and confirms that even the strongest will succumb, leaving no male capable of defending the city. The two phrases together portray a comprehensive slaughter of the city's male population in warfare.
Isaiah 3 25 Bonus section
- Prophetic Parallelism: The verse employs synonymous parallelism ("Your men shall fall by the sword and your warriors in battle"), a common Hebrew poetic device. This rhetorical technique amplifies the message and underscores the complete and unavoidable nature of the military defeat, confirming that no segment of the male fighting force will be spared.
- Fulfillment of Earlier Prophecy: This verse directly reflects the consequence of God removing "support and supply" including "the mighty man and the soldier" mentioned earlier in Isa 3:1-3. The fall of these men in battle is the ultimate manifestation of their removal, leading to the societal collapse that Isaiah envisions.
- Societal Vulnerability: The death of "men" and "warriors" implies that Jerusalem, often personified as a woman (Zion or "daughter of Zion"), will be left entirely exposed and without protectors. This military defeat directly causes the destitution and public shame foretold for the women of the city in Isa 3:16-24, where their pride turns to shame and their glory into dishonor. The male protectors' demise makes the women's humiliation inevitable.
- Divine Agent: While not explicitly stating who brings the sword, the context of Isaiah's prophecy clearly indicates that this devastation is an act of divine judgment. God allows or directly orchestrates this military disaster as punishment for Judah's rebellion and sin.
Isaiah 3 25 Commentary
Isaiah 3:25 serves as the culmination of God's prophetic judgment against Judah and Jerusalem, particularly emphasizing the devastating impact on their social and military structures. Following the pronouncement of the removal of all male leadership (3:1-7) and the impending humiliation of the proud "daughters of Zion" (3:16-24), this verse directly describes the violent fate of the city's male population. It signifies that the very protectors — both the common "men" and the esteemed "warriors" — will perish by the sword in military conflict. This dire prophecy illustrates that Jerusalem's moral decay and spiritual rebellion will lead to physical and social ruin. The loss of its men means the loss of its defense, leaving the remaining population vulnerable and destined for the shame and desolation foretold. It's a divine judgment that ensures that the sources of the city's previous strength and pride will be utterly broken, leaving them exposed to their enemies as a direct consequence of forsaking the Lord.