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The Prophets · Old Testament

Isaiah 4

Isaiah 4: seven women, the branch of the Lord and a cloud over Zion

General context

The short chapter opens in that day with seven women taking hold of one man, offering to eat their own bread and wear their own apparel if only they may be called by his name to take away their reproach. Then, also in that day, the branch of the Lord is beautiful and glorious and the fruit of the earth excellent for those who have escaped of Israel. Whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, every one written among the living in Jerusalem. This follows the Lord washing away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purging the blood of Jerusalem by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning. The Lord will then create over every dwelling place of mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and a shining flaming fire by night, because upon all the glory there will be a defence. A tabernacle will give shade from the heat by day and a refuge and covert from storm and rain.

Cited passages: Isaiah 4:1, Isaiah 4:2, Isaiah 4:3, Isaiah 4:4, Isaiah 4:5, Isaiah 4:6

Isaiah 4 (KJV)

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.

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Historical context

The chapter has six verses and no heading; each part is set in that day, a phrase carried over from the end of chapter three, and no ruler or year is named. The seven women's plea follows directly on the statement that the city's men have fallen by the sword, and their reproach is not explained further than their wish to be called by a man's name. The branch of the Lord is not identified in the text; the verse pairs it with the fruit of the earth and the escaped of Israel and says nothing more about what or who it is, so readers should not assume a later identification from this chapter alone. The daughters of Zion named here are the same group addressed in chapter three. Being written among the living in Jerusalem is stated without saying who keeps the writing. The cloud by day and fire by night are said to be created by the Lord over Zion's dwellings and assemblies; the chapter does not itself connect them to any earlier story. The whole passage is in the narrating voice with no saith the Lord marker.

Cited passages: Isaiah 4:1, Isaiah 3:25, Isaiah 4:2, Isaiah 4:4, Isaiah 3:16, Isaiah 4:3, Isaiah 4:5

Literary context

The chapter is hinged on the phrase in that day, used twice here, once for the women's plea and once for the branch and fruit, after it opened chapter three's list of ornaments taken away, a removal this chapter reverses. Verse one belongs to the disaster and verses two to six to what follows it. The reversal is built from the previous chapter's images: the daughters of Zion whose finery was stripped are now washed, the blood in the city is purged, and where chapter three set burning instead of beauty, here the spirit of burning is the means of cleansing and the branch is beautiful and glorious. The remnant language, escaped, left, remaineth, echoes the very small remnant of the first chapter. The closing pair of verses moves from the whole mount to a single tabernacle, and from glory to shelter, ending the opening chapters on shade, refuge and cover before the vineyard song begins a new unit.

Cited passages: Isaiah 4:1, Isaiah 4:2, Isaiah 3:18, Isaiah 4:4, Isaiah 3:24, Isaiah 4:3, Isaiah 1:9, Isaiah 4:6, Isaiah 5:1

Key moments

  1. Seven women, one man (Isaiah 4:1). Seven women ask to bear one man's name to take away their reproach.
  2. The branch of the Lord (Isaiah 4:2). The branch and the fruit of the earth are beautiful for the escaped of Israel.
  3. Called holy in Zion (Isaiah 4:3). Those left in Jerusalem and written among the living are called holy.
  4. Washing and burning (Isaiah 4:4). The Lord purges Jerusalem's blood by the spirit of judgment and burning.
  5. Cloud by day, fire by night (Isaiah 4:5). The Lord creates cloud, smoke and flaming fire over mount Zion as a defence.
  6. A tabernacle for shelter (Isaiah 4:6). A tabernacle gives shade from heat and refuge from storm and rain.

For reflection

The women ask only to be called by a man's name; the survivors of Zion shall be called holy. What does being called by a name carry in this chapter?

People in this chapter