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Saturday, July 19th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Isaiah 3:15

Why do you crush My people and grind the faces of the poor?" declares the Lord GOD of Hosts.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Poor;   Rulers;   Thompson Chain Reference - Needy, the;   Poor, the;   Poverty-Riches;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Poor, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Government;   Isaiah;   Wealth;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Poor and Poverty, Theology of;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Infinity;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Agriculture;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Corner;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Face;   Isaiah, Book of;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Face;   Rind;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Mean;   Mill;   Poor;   Trade;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Day of the Lord;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Why do you crush my peopleand grind the faces of the poor?”
Hebrew Names Version
What do you mean that you crush my people, And grind the face of the poor?" says the Lord, the LORD of Hosts.
King James Version
What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord God of hosts.
English Standard Version
What do you mean by crushing my people, by grinding the face of the poor?" declares the Lord God of hosts.
New American Standard Bible
"What do you mean by crushing My people And oppressing the face of the poor?" Declares the Lord GOD of armies.
New Century Version
What gives you the right to crush my people and grind the faces of the poor into the dirt?" The Lord God All-Powerful says this.
Amplified Bible
"What do you mean by crushing My people And grinding the face of the poor?" Declares the Lord GOD of hosts.
World English Bible
What do you mean that you crush my people, And grind the face of the poor?" says the Lord, Yahweh of Hosts.
Geneva Bible (1587)
What haue ye to do, that ye beate my people to pieces, and grinde the faces of the poore, saith the Lord, euen tho Lord of hostes?
Legacy Standard Bible
What do you mean by crushing My peopleAnd grinding the face of the afflicted?"Declares Lord Yahweh of hosts.
Contemporary English Version
The Lord All-Powerful says, "You have crushed my people and rubbed in the dirt the faces of the poor."
Complete Jewish Bible
What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding down the faces of the poor?" says Adonai Elohim -Tzva'ot.
Darby Translation
What mean ye that ye crush my people, and grind the faces of the afflicted? saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.
Easy-to-Read Version
What gives you the right to hurt my people? What gives you the right to push the faces of the poor into the dirt?" The Lord God All-Powerful said this.
George Lamsa Translation
Why did you sting my people, and shame the faces of the poor? says the LORD of hosts.
Good News Translation
You have no right to crush my people and take advantage of the poor. I, the Sovereign Lord Almighty, have spoken."
Lexham English Bible
Why do you crush my people and grind the face of the poor?" declares the Lord Yahweh of hosts.
Literal Translation
What do you mean that you crush My people, and grind the faces of the poor, says the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Wherfore do ye oppresse my people, and marre ye faces of the innocentes? thus shal the God of hoostes reuyle them.
American Standard Version
what mean ye that ye crush my people, and grind the face of the poor? saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.
Bible in Basic English
By what right are you crushing my people, and putting a bitter yoke on the necks of the poor? This is the word of the Lord, the Lord of armies.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
What mean ye that ye crush My people, and grind the face of the poor?' saith the Lord, the GOD of hosts.
King James Version (1611)
What meane yee that yee beat my people to pieces, and grinde the faces of the poore, saith the Lord God of hosts?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
What meane ye that ye bray [as in a morter] my people, and grinde the faces of the poore? saith the Lorde God of hoastes.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Why do ye wrong my people, and shame the face of the poor?
English Revised Version
what mean ye that ye crush my people, and grind the face of the poor? saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whi al to-breken ye my puple, and grynden togidere the faces of pore men? seith the Lord God of oostis.
Update Bible Version
what do you mean that you crush my people, and grind the face of the poor? says the Lord, Yahweh of hosts.
Webster's Bible Translation
What mean ye [that] ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord GOD of hosts.
New English Translation
Why do you crush my people and grind the faces of the poor?" The sovereign Lord who commands armies has spoken.
New King James Version
What do you mean by crushing My people And grinding the faces of the poor?" Says the Lord GOD of hosts.
New Living Translation
How dare you crush my people, grinding the faces of the poor into the dust?" demands the Lord, the Lord of Heaven's Armies.
New Life Bible
What do you mean by crushing My people, and grinding the faces of the poor?" says the Lord God of All.
New Revised Standard
What do you mean by crushing my people, by grinding the face of the poor? says the Lord God of hosts.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
What right have ye to crush my people, And the faces of the oppressed, to grind? Demandeth My Lord Yahweh of hosts - And Yahweh saith -
Douay-Rheims Bible
Why do you consume my people, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord the God of hosts.
Revised Standard Version
What do you mean by crushing my people, by grinding the face of the poor?" says the Lord GOD of hosts.
Young's Literal Translation
What -- to you? ye bruise My people, And the faces of the poor ye grind.' An affirmation of the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, And Jehovah saith:
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"What do you mean by crushing My people And grinding the face of the poor?" Declares the Lord GOD of hosts.

Contextual Overview

9The expression on their faces testifies against them, and like Sodom they flaunt their sin; they do not conceal it; woe to them, for they have brought disaster upon themselves. 10Tell the righteous it will be well for them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their labor. 11Woe to the wicked; disaster is upon them! For they will be repaid with what their hands have done. 12Youths oppress My people, and women rule over them. O My people, your guides mislead you; they turn you from your paths. 13The LORD arises to contend; He stands to judge the people. 14The LORD brings this charge against the elders and leaders of His people: "You have devoured the vineyard; the plunder of the poor is in your houses. 15Why do you crush My people and grind the faces of the poor?" declares the Lord GOD of Hosts.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

What mean: Ezekiel 18:2, Jonah 1:6

ye beat: Isaiah 58:4, Exodus 5:14, Amos 2:6, Amos 2:7, Amos 8:4-6, Micah 3:2, Micah 3:3

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 24:17 - pervert Job 22:4 - will he enter Psalms 10:9 - when Psalms 94:5 - break Ecclesiastes 5:8 - regardeth Ezekiel 16:49 - neither Acts 21:13 - What Acts 21:32 - beating James 2:6 - Do

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat of any tree in the garden?'"
Genesis 3:3
but of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You must not eat of it or touch it, or you will die.'"
Genesis 3:4
"You will not surely die," the serpent told her.
Genesis 3:6
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
Genesis 3:7
And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; so they sewed together fig leaves and made coverings for themselves.
Genesis 3:8
Then the man and his wife heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the breeze of the day, and they hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
Genesis 3:10
"I heard Your voice in the garden," he replied, "and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself."
Genesis 3:13
Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" "The serpent deceived me," she replied, "and I ate."
Genesis 3:14
So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and every beast of the field! On your belly will you go, and dust you will eat, all the days of your life.
Genesis 3:15
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

What mean ye, [that] ye beat my people to pieces,.... Reduce them to the utmost poverty; so the Targum,

"wherefore do ye impoverish my people?''

as they did by exacting tithes of all that they possessed; by requiring large sums for their long prayers; and by various traditions they enjoined them to observe:

and grind the faces of the poor? either by smiting them on the cheek, as Christ, who became poor for our sakes, was smitten by them; or by bringing them into such low circumstances, by their exorbitant demands, that they had not sufficiency of food to eat; by which means their faces became pale, thin, and meagre:

saith the Lord God of Hosts: who saw all their actions, and was able to plead his people's cause, and take vengeance on their oppressors.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

What mean ye - What is your object? Or, What advantage is it to you? Or, By what right or pretence do you do this?

Beat my people to pieces - That is, that you trample on them; or cruelly oppress them; Psalms 94:5.

And grind the faces of the poor - This is an expression also denoting great oppression. It is taken from the act of grinding a substance on a stone until it is worn away and nothing is left. So, by their cruel exactions, by their injustice to the poor, they exhausted their little property until nothing was left. The word “faces” here is synonymous with “persons” - or with the poor themselves. The word “face” is often used in the sense of “person;” Exodus 33:14; 2 Samuel 18:11. A similar description, though in still stronger language, is found in Micah 3:2-3 :

Who pluck off their skin from off them,

And their flesh from off their bones;

Who also eat the flesh of my people,

And flay their skin from off them;

And they break their bones, and chop them in pieces,

As for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.


Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 3:15. And grind the faces — The expression and the image is strong, to denote grievous oppression but is exceeded by the prophet Micah, Micah 3:1-3: -

"Hear, I pray you, ye chiefs of Jacob,

And ye princes of the house of Israel:

Is it not yours to know what is right?

Ye that hate good and love evil:

Who tear their skins from off them,

And their flesh from off their bones;

Who devour the flesh of my people;

And flay from off them their skin;

And their bones they dash in pieces;

And chop them asunder, as morsels for the pot:

And as flesh thrown into the midst of the caldron."


In the last line but one, for כאשר keasher, read, by the transposition of a letter, כשאר kisher, with the Septuagint and Chaldee.


 
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