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Read the Bible

Literal Standard Version

Isaiah 3:3

Head of fifty, and accepted of faces, || And counselor, and wise craftsmen, || And discerning charmer.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Armies;   Captain;   Famine;   Jerusalem;   Orator;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Counselor;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Infinity;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Artificer;   Charmer;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Orator;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Charm;   Counselor;   Divination and Magic;   Isaiah;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Eloquent;   Orator;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Cunning;   Eloquent;   Enchantment;   Honorable;   Magic;   Orator;   Skill;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Day of the Lord;   ḥanina B. Dosa;   Ma'aseh Bereshit;   Witchcraft;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for August 17;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
commanders of fifty and dignitaries,counselors, cunning magicians, and necromancers.
Hebrew Names Version
The captain of fifty, The honorable man, The counselor, The skilled craftsman, And the clever enchanter.
King James Version
The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.
English Standard Version
the captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor and the skillful magician and the expert in charms.
New American Standard Bible
The captain of fifty and the esteemed person, The counselor and the expert artisan, And the skillful enchanter.
New Century Version
the military leaders and government leaders, the counselors, the skilled craftsmen, and those who try to tell the future.
Amplified Bible
The captain of fifty and the man of honor, The counselor and the expert artisan, And the skillful enchanter.
World English Bible
The captain of fifty, The honorable man, The counselor, The skilled craftsman, And the clever enchanter.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The captaine of fiftie, and the honourable, and the counseller, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent man.
Legacy Standard Bible
The commander of fifty and the highly respected man,The counselor and the wise craftsman,And the experienced enchanter.
Berean Standard Bible
the commander of fifty and the dignitary, the counselor, the cunning magician, and the clever enchanter.
Contemporary English Version
officials and advisors, fortunetellers and others who tell the future.
Complete Jewish Bible
captains of fifty, men of rank and advisers, skillful magicians and expert enchanters.
Darby Translation
the captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the clever among artificers, and the one versed in enchantments.
Easy-to-Read Version
He will take away the army officers and important officials. He will take away the skilled counselors, the magicians, and those who try to tell the future.
George Lamsa Translation
The captain of fifty and the honorable man and the counsellor and the skilful carpenter and the expert counsellor.
Good News Translation
their military and civilian leaders, their politicians and everyone who uses magic to control events.
Lexham English Bible
captain of fifty and the honorable men of rank, and counselor and skillful magicians and skillful enchanter.
Literal Translation
the commander of fifty and the exalted of face; the counselor and the skilled craftsman; and the expert enchanter.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
the worshipful of fiftie yeare olde, and the honorable: the Senatours, and men of vnderstondinge: the masters of craftes and oratours.
American Standard Version
the captain of fifty, and the honorable man, and the counsellor, and the expert artificer, and the skilful enchanter.
Bible in Basic English
The captain of fifty, and the man of high position, and the wise guide, and the wonder-worker, and he who makes use of secret powers.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The captain of fifty, and the man of rank, and the counsellor, and the cunning charmer, and the skilful enchanter.
King James Version (1611)
The captaine of fiftie, and the honourable man, and the counseller, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent oratour.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The captayne of fiftie & the honorable, the senatour, the cunnyng artificer, and the eloquent oratour.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
the captain of fifty also, and the honourable counsellor, and the wise artificer, and the intelligent hearer.
English Revised Version
the captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the skilful enchanter.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
a prince ouer fifti men, and a worschipful man in cheer, and a counselour, and a wijs man of principal crafti men, and a prudent man of mystik, ethir goostli, speche.
Update Bible Version
the captain of fifty, and the honorable man, and the counselor, and the expert artificer, and the expert charmer.
Webster's Bible Translation
The captain of fifty, and the honorable man, and the counselor, and the skillful artificer, and the eloquent orator.
New English Translation
captains of groups of fifty, the respected citizens, advisers and those skilled in magical arts, and those who know incantations.
New King James Version
The captain of fifty and the honorable man, The counselor and the skillful artisan, And the expert enchanter.
New Living Translation
army officers and high officials, advisers, skilled sorcerers, and astrologers.
New Life Bible
He will take away the captain of fifty, the man of honor, the wise man, the able workman, and the one who uses secret powers.
New Revised Standard
captain of fifty and dignitary, counselor and skillful magician and expert enchanter.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Captain of fifty, and favourite; And counsellor and skilled artificer, And master of magical formulas;
Douay-Rheims Bible
The captain over fifty, and the honourable in countenance, and the counsellor, and the architect, and the skilful in eloquent speech.
Revised Standard Version
the captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor and the skilful magician and the expert in charms.
Young's Literal Translation
Head of fifty, and accepted of faces, And counsellor, and the wise of artificers, And the intelligent of charmers.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The captain of fifty and the honorable man, The counselor and the expert artisan, And the skillful enchanter.

Contextual Overview

1For behold, the Lord, YHWH of Hosts, || Is turning aside from Jerusalem and from Judah || [Both] stay and staff: Every stay of bread and every stay of water; 2Mighty and man of war, judge and prophet, || And diviner and elderly, 3Head of fifty, and accepted of faces, || And counselor, and wise craftsmen, || And discerning charmer.4And I have made youths their heads, || And sucklings rule over them. 5And the people has exacted—man on man, || Even a man on his neighbor, || The youths enlarge themselves against the aged, || And the lightly esteemed against the honored. 6When one lays hold on his brother, || Of the house of his father, [by] the garment, "Come, you are a ruler to us, || And this ruin [is] under your hand." 7He lifts up, in that day, saying, "I am not a binder up, || And in my house is neither bread nor garment, || You do not make me a ruler of the people." 8For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen, || For their tongue and their doings [are] against YHWH, || To provoke the eyes of His glory.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

captain: Exodus 18:21, Deuteronomy 1:15, 1 Samuel 8:12

the honourable man: Heb. a man eminent in countenance, Judges 8:18

eloquent orator: or, skilful of speech, Exodus 4:10, Exodus 4:14-16

Reciprocal: Genesis 34:19 - honourable Isaiah 3:14 - the ancients Isaiah 9:14 - will cut Isaiah 29:10 - rulers Lamentations 5:14 - elders Acts 18:24 - an Acts 24:1 - orator

Cross-References

Genesis 3:12
And the man says, "The woman whom You placed with me—she has given to me from the tree, and I eat."
Genesis 3:13
And YHWH God says to the woman, "What [is] this you have done?" And the woman says, "The serpent has caused me to forget, and I eat."
Genesis 3:16
To the woman He said, "Multiplying I multiply your sorrow and your conception; you will bear children in sorrow, and your desire [is] toward your Man [[or husband]], and He [[or he]] will rule over you."
Genesis 3:17
And to the man He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and eat from the tree concerning which I have charged you, saying, You do not eat of it, cursed [is] the ground on your account; in sorrow you eat of it [for] all days of your life,
Genesis 20:6
And God says to him in the dream, "Indeed, I have known that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I withhold you, even I, from sinning against Me, therefore I have not permitted you to come against her;
1 Chronicles 16:22
Do not come against My anointed ones, || And do no evil against My prophets.
Job 1:11
You have blessed the work of his hands, and his substance has spread in the land, and yet, put forth Your hand now, and strike against anything that he has—if not, he blesses You to Your face!"
Job 2:5
Yet, put forth Your hand now, and strike to his bone and to his flesh—if not, he blesses You to Your face!"
Job 19:21
Pity me, pity me, you my friends, || For the hand of God has struck against me.
1 Corinthians 7:1
And concerning the things of which you wrote to me: [it is] good for a man not to touch a woman,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The captain of fifty,.... A semi-centurion, such an one as in 2 Kings 1:9. So far should there be from being captains of thousands, and of hundreds, that there should not be one of fifty:

and the honourable man; by birth, breeding, and behaviour, through riches and greatness; and one of power and authority among the people, and in their favour and esteem:

and the counsellor; one able to give advice in matters of moment and difficulty, and in controversy between man and man; it suggests that nothing should be done with advice and counsel, with wisdom and discretion, but all tumult and sedition, as the history of these times shows: the Jews b interpret this of one that knows how to intercalate years, and fix the months: and the

cunning artificer: in any kind of metal, old, silver, brass, and iron, and in any sort of wood, and in any kind of manual and mechanical business; which would now be laid aside, shops shuts up, and all trade and business neglected and discouraged, occasioned partly by the siege without, and chiefly by their internal divisions and robberies, and by their zealots and cutthroats, which swarmed among them. The Septuagint render it, "the wise architect", or "masterbuilder"; the same word is used by the apostle in 1 Corinthians 3:10:

and the eloquent orator; who has the tongue of the learned, and can speak a word in season to the distressed; or who is able to plead at the bar the cause of the injured and oppressed, the widow and the fatherless. Aben Ezra interprets it of one that is skilful in enchanting serpents; that charms wisely, as in Psalms 58:5 it may be rendered, "one that understands enchantment" c: with the Septuagint it is a "prudent hearer"; sad is the case of a nation when men of so much usefulness are taken away from them. See 2 Kings 24:15.

b T. Bab. Chagiga & Jarchi, ut supra. (fol. 14. 1. Jarchi in loc.) c נבון לחש "intelligentem incantationis", Vatablus.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The captain of fifty - By this was probably denoted an officer in the army. The idea is, that the commanders of the various divisions of the army should be taken away.

The honourable man - Hebrew פנים נשׂוּא nes'û' pânı̂ym. “The man of elevated countenance.” That is, the man high in office. He was so called from the aspect of dignity which a man in office would assume. In the previous chapter, the phrase is used to denote rather the “pride” which attended such officers, than the dignity of the office itself.

And the counselor - Note, Isaiah 1:26.

The cunning artificer - Hebrew, The man wise in mechanic arts: skilled in architecture, etc.

And the eloquent orator - לחשׁ נבון nebôn lâchash. literally, skilled or learned in whispering, in conjuration, in persuasion. The word לחשׁ lachash denotes properly a whispering, sighing, or calling for help; (Isaiah 26:16, ‘they have poured out a prayer,’ לחשׁ lachash - a secret speech, a feeble sigh for aid.) It is applied to the charm of the serpents - the secret breathing or gentle noise by which the charm is supposed to be effected; Psalms 58:6; Jeremiah 8:17; Ecclesiastes 10:11. In Isaiah 3:20 of this chapter it denotes a charm or amulet worn by females; see the note at that verse. It is also applied to magic, or conjuration - because this was usually done by gentle whispering, or incantation; see the note at Isaiah 8:19. From this use of the word, it comes to denote one that influences another; one who persuades him in any way, as an orator does by argument and entreaty. Ancient orators also probably sometimes used a species of recitative, or measured cadence, not unlike that employed by those who practiced incantations. Jerome says that it means here, ‘a man who is learned, and acquainted with the law, and the prophets.’ Chaldee, ‘The prudent in council.’ It “may” be used in a good sense here; but if so, it is probably the only place where the word is so used in the Old Testament. A prophecy similar to this occurs in Hosea 3:4 : ‘For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim.’


 
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