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Isaiah Chapter 4 (JPS)

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Isaiah Chapter 4
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1 And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying: 'We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by thy name; take thou away our reproach.'

2 In that day shall the growth of HaShem be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.

3 And 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 unto life in Jerusalem;

4 when the L-rd 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 destruction.

5 And HaShem will create over the whole habitation of mount Zion, and over her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory shall be a canopy.

6 And there shall be a pavilion for a shadow in the day-time from the heat, and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rain.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this short chapter, Isaiah 4, cover?
It follows directly from chapter 3's judgment, describing a future so depleted of men that seven women will share one husband just "to take away our reproach" (v1), before promising that a surviving remnant in Zion will be called holy and covered like a cloud by day and fire by night (v3-5).
What does 'seven women shall take hold of one man' mean in verse 1?
It pictures a scarcity of men so severe that women would forgo normal provision just to avoid the social "reproach" of being unmarried - a use of "reproach" for childlessness/unmarried status similar to Genesis 30:23.
What is 'the branch of the LORD' mentioned in verse 2?
It's introduced simply as something beautiful and glorious for the survivors of Israel; the chapter itself doesn't elaborate further on what the phrase specifically refers to.

Today's Verse

And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after him.

Mark 1:20 | ASV

Verse Of The Day

The chapter then turns to hope, describing the branch of the Lord as beautiful and glorious over a remnant washed clean and sheltered by cloud and fire, a marked contrast to the devastation of Isaiah 3 and a bridge into the vineyard song of Isaiah 5.