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.
For Jerusalem {H3389} is ruined {H3782}, and Judah {H3063} is fallen {H5307}: because their tongue {H3956} and their doings {H4611} are against the LORD {H3068}, to provoke {H4784} the eyes {H5869} of his glory {H3519}.
For Yerushalayim is ruined, and Y'hudah has fallen; because their words and deeds defy ADONAI, in open provocation of his glory.
For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen because they spoke and acted against the LORD, defying His glorious presence.
For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen; because their tongue and their doings are against Jehovah, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
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Malachi 3:13
¶ Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken [so much] against thee? -
Malachi 3:15
And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, [they that] tempt God are even delivered. -
1 Corinthians 10:22
Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he? -
Hosea 7:16
They return, [but] not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this [shall be] their derision in the land of Egypt. -
Habakkuk 1:13
[Thou art] of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, [and] holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth [the man that is] more righteous than he? -
Jeremiah 26:6
Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth. -
Micah 3:12
Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed [as] a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.
Context
Isaiah 3:8 is part of a broader prophecy where the prophet Isaiah denounces the kingdom of Judah and its capital, Jerusalem, for their widespread moral decay, social injustice, and spiritual rebellion. The preceding verses (Isaiah 3:1-7) vividly describe the coming judgment: the removal of strong leadership, the collapse of societal order, and the rise of immature and oppressive rulers. This verse directly states the reason for such a severe divine intervention, highlighting the depth of their offense against the Almighty.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The Hebrew phrase "provoke the eyes of his glory" (לְהַכְעִיס עֵינֵי כְבוֹדוֹ - *l'hakh'is einei k'vodo*) is particularly evocative. The verb "provoke" (הִכְעִיס - *hik'is*) means to anger, vex, or cause grief. It portrays God not as a distant, indifferent observer, but as personally offended by the rebellion. "Eyes of his glory" is a poetic way of expressing God's watchful presence and the purity of His divine essence. Their sin was so egregious that it directly challenged God's very being and honor, much like a child openly defying a parent's authority.
Significance and Application
Isaiah 3:8 serves as a timeless warning about the consequences of persistent sin and rebellion against God. It teaches us several crucial lessons: