Bible Strands
Isaiah 3:2
the mighty man and the warrior, the judge and the prophet, the soothsayer and the elder,
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The prophet addresses Judah and Jerusalem, announcing God's imminent removal of all societal pillars immediately after stripping the land of its basic provisions. This declaration follows the warning that God will take away "the whole supply of food and water" (Isaiah 3:1).
The words — The Hebrew גִּבּוֹר (gibbor) denotes a "warrior" or "mighty man," while קֹסֵם (qosem) refers to a "diviner" or "soothsayer." These terms anchor the specific categories of authority that will be stripped away.
The thread — The removal of these authorities parallels the exile of Jerusalem's commanders in 2 Kings 24:14 and mirrors Isaiah 9:14's image of God severing Israel's head and tail. Psalm 74:9 confirms the resulting absence of prophetic guidance and visible signs.
Why it lands — The text lists specific social and spiritual roles before declaring their removal, showing that national collapse follows the loss of divine provision. It demands recognition that human authority cannot sustain a community when God withdraws His support.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,
Cross-references
- 2 Kings 24:14 He carried into exile all Jerusalem—all the commanders and mighty men of valor, all the craftsmen and metalsmiths—ten thousand captives in all. Only the poorest people of the land remained.
- Isaiah 9:14 So the LORD will cut off Israel’s head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day.
- Psalms 74:9 There are no signs for us to see. There is no longer any prophet. And none of us knows how long this will last.
- Isaiah 2:13 against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up, against all the oaks of Bashan,
- Lamentations 5:12 Princes have been hung up by their hands; elders receive no respect.
- Ezekiel 8:12 “Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? For they are saying, ‘The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.’”
- Ezekiel 9:5 And as I listened, He said to the others, “Follow him through the city and start killing; do not show pity or spare anyone!
- Ezekiel 17:13 He took a member of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. Then he carried away the leading men of the land,
- Amos 2:3 I will cut off the ruler of Moab and kill all the officials with him,” says the LORD.