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Tuesday, July 29th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Wycliffe Bible

Isaiah 3:3

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.

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.
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

1 For lo! the lordli gouernour, the Lord of oostis, schal take awei fro Jerusalem and fro Juda a myyti man, and strong, and al the strengthe of breed, and al the strengthe of watir; 2 a strong man, and a man a werriour, and a domesman, and a profete, and a false dyuynour in auteris, and an elde man, 3 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. 4 And Y schal yyue children the princes of hem, and men of wymmens condiciouns schulen be lordis of hem. 5 And the puple schal falle doun, a man to a man, ech man to his neiybore; a child schal make noyse ayens an eld man, and an vnnoble man ayens a noble man. 6 For a man schal take his brother, the meneal of his fadir, and schal seie, A clooth is to thee, be thou oure prince; forsothe this fallyng be vndur thin hond. 7 And he schal answere in that dai, and seie, Y am no leche, and nether breed, nether cloth is in myn hous; nyle ye make me prince of the puple. 8 For whi Jerusalem felle doun, and Juda felle doun togidere; for the tunge of hem, and the fyndingis of hem weren ayens the Lord, for to terre to wraththe the iyen of his mageste.

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 Adam seide, The womman which thou yauest felowe to me, yaf me of the tre, and Y eet.
Genesis 3:13
And the Lord seide to the womman, Whi didist thou this thing? Which answerde, The serpent disseyued me, and Y eet.
Genesis 3:16
Also God seide to the womman, Y schal multiplie thi wretchidnessis and thi conseyuyngis; in sorewe thou schalt bere thi children; and thou schalt be vndur power of the hosebonde, and he schal be lord of thee.
Genesis 3:17
Sothely God seyde to Adam, For thou herdist the voys of thi wijf, and hast ete of the tree, of which Y comaundide to thee that thou schuldist not ete, the erthe schal be cursid in thi werk; in traueylis thou schalt ete therof in alle daies of thi lijf;
Genesis 20:6
And the Lord seide to hym, And Y woot that thou didist bi symple herte, and therfor Y kepte thee, lest thou didist synne ayens me, and I suffride not that thou touchidist hir;
1 Chronicles 16:22
Nyle ye touche my cristis; and nyle ye do wickidli ayens my prophetis.
Job 1:11
But stretche forth thin hond a litil, and touche thou alle thingis whiche he hath in possessioun; if he cursith not thee `in the face, `bileue not to me.
Job 2:5
`ellis sende thin hond, and touche his boon and fleisch, and thanne thou schalt se, that he schal curse thee in the face.
Job 19:21
Haue ye merci on me, haue ye merci on me, nameli, ye my frendis; for the hond of the Lord hath touchid me.
1 Corinthians 7:1
But of thilke thingis that ye han write to me, it is good to a man to touche not a womman.

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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