1 Seven women will take hold of one manin that day, and say,We will eat our own food,wear our own clothes,only let us be called by your name—take away our reproach!
2 In that day the plant of Jehovah shall be beautiful and glorious, and the earth’s fruit the pride and glory of the survivors of Israel.
A pseudonym of Jehovah's end-time servant, who typifies Jehovah's holy ones, the "first-fruits" of the earth who survive a worldwide destruction and live into a millennial age of peace.
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3 Then shall they who are left in Zion and they who remain in Jerusalem be called holy—all who were inscribed to be among the living at Jerusalem.
A pseudonym of Jehovah's end-time servant, who typifies Jehovah's holy ones, the "first-fruits" of the earth who survive a worldwide destruction and live into a millennial age of peace.
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4 This shall be when my Lord has washed away the excrement of the women of Zion and cleansed Jerusalem of its bloodshed, in the spirit of justice, by a burning wind.
A pseudonym of Jehovah's end-time servant, who typifies Jehovah's holy ones, the "first-fruits" of the earth who survive a worldwide destruction and live into a millennial age of peace.
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A chaos motif and pseudonym of the end-time king of Assyria/Babylon, who personifies the burning wind that obliterates Jehovah's unrepentant people and the nations after they are warned.
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5 Over the whole site of Mount Zion, and over its solemn assembly, Jehovah will form a cloud by day and a mist glowing with fire by night: above all that is glorious shall be a canopy.
A pseudonym of Jehovah's end-time servant, who typifies Jehovah's holy ones, the "first-fruits" of the earth who survive a worldwide destruction and live into a millennial age of peace.
blue
A chaos motif and pseudonym of the end-time king of Assyria/Babylon, who personifies the burning wind that obliterates Jehovah's unrepentant people and the nations after they are warned.
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A term signifying the presence of Jehovah, whose pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night rests on his holy ones to protect them when he comes out in judgment against the wicked of the world.
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6 It shall be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, a secret refuge from the downpour and from rain.
A pseudonym of Jehovah's end-time servant, who typifies Jehovah's holy ones, the "first-fruits" of the earth who survive a worldwide destruction and live into a millennial age of peace.
blue
A chaos motif and pseudonym of the end-time king of Assyria/Babylon, who personifies the burning wind that obliterates Jehovah's unrepentant people and the nations after they are warned.
red
A term signifying the presence of Jehovah, whose pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night rests on his holy ones to protect them when he comes out in judgment against the wicked of the world.
green
A chaos motif and pseudonym of the end-time king of Assyria/Babylon and his alliance, whom Jehovah empowers to burn up the evildoers of his people and the nations in his Day of Judgment.
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Storm imagery representing the end-time king of Assyria/Babylon and his alliance, a power of chaos that pours a Sodom-and-Gomorrah type of holocaust on a corrupt world.
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Apocalyptic Commentary
Isaiah 4
Because so many men are killed in the great war (Isaiah 3:25-26), a disproportionate number of women survives “in that day”—Jehovah’s Day of Judgment. Another reason may be that in general women are more righteous than men, perhaps even by a ratio of seven to one. In contrast to the flirting women we saw previously (Isaiah 3:16-24), these women are under no covenant curse, having prepared a sufficiency of food and clothing in anticipation of the evil time (cf. Isaiah 3:10). They consider it a “reproach” not to raise their own families, and they appeal to the men who remain to marry them.
Those whom Jehovah exalts—who live into his millennial age of peace—compare to a “plant” (semah)—a messianic term denoting Jehovah’s servant—and to the earth’s “fruit” (peri), signifying the “firstfruits” of Jehovah’s people (cf. Exodus 23:19; Leviticus 23:10). It is in large part for the sake of Jehovah’s servant and his fellowservants—the earth’s “firstfruits”—that Jehovah spares the “survivors of Israel” (Isaiah 55:3-5; 63:17; 65:8-9). As saviors of his people under the terms of the Davidic Covenant in the pattern of Israel’s kings, they seek and obtain Jehovah’s protection in his Day of Judgment.
While those who are “left” and “remain” in Zion and Jerusalem consist of ascending categories of Jehovah’s people (Isaiah 30:19; 37:22; 40:9; 51:16-17; 52:1-2), the names Zion and Jerusalem additionally designate places of safety in his Day of Judgment (vv 5-6; Isaiah 1:8; 27:13; 31:5; 35:10; 37:32). Called “holy” or “sanctified” (qados), those who are left are “inscribed among the living”—that is, their names are written in the Book of Life as Jehovah’s elect. It is these holy men, not the unrighteous and idolaters, whom the surviving women seek to marry (v 1; cf. Isaiah 6:13; 13:3; 34:16; 35:8).
Jehovah’s washing away the excesses of Zion’s women as so much “excrement” (Isaiah 3:16-24), and his cleansing of the men’s crimes of “bloodshed” and injustices (Isaiah 1:15-17), manifests his divine “justice” (mispat). Unlike his people who repent—whom he judges under the law of mercy (Isaiah 30:18-20; 55:7; 60:10)—those who don’t repent he judges under the law of justice (Isaiah 3:11; 28:17-20; 59:15-19). The burning wind forms a part of Isaiah’s storm imagery that denotes Jehovah’s Day of Judgment and the king of Assyria/Babylon’s destructive role in it (v 6; Isaiah 27:8; 40:23-24; 57:13).
Those who sanctify themselves, who participate in Zion’s “solemn assembly,” enjoy Jehovah’s divine protection in the place Zion, also called “Mount Zion” (Isaiah 8:13-14, Isaiah 8:13-14, 18; 24:23; 24:23). Jehovah’s cloud of glory—signifying his presence (Exodus 24:15-18; 33:8-11)—makes glorious his holy people and the place where they abide. By its means, Jehovah protected ancient Israel when he appeared among his people during their wilderness travels (Exodus 13:20-22; 14:19-20). Jehovah’s “canopy”—as in a traditional marriage canopy—denotes his people’s renewal of their covenant with him at that time.
Jehovah’s cloud of glory (v 5) acts as a shelter, shade, and secret refuge from the heat and downpour—that is, from the elements and from the king of Assyria/Babylon in Jehovah’s Day of Judgment (Isaiah 25:4-5). As Pharaoh’s armies were unable to penetrate the cloud when they pursued after Jehovah’s people (Exodus 14:19-20), so in that day will no enemies molest those who participate in Zion’s solemn assemblies. According to the terms of his covenant, Jehovah is obligated to protect his people when they keep his law and word. His divine intervention attests to their utmost compliance.