The Meaning of Isaiah 3:15 Explained

Isaiah 3:15

KJV: What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

YLT: 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:

Darby: What mean ye that ye crush my people, and grind the faces of the afflicted? saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.

ASV: what mean ye that ye crush my people, and grind the face of the poor? saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

What mean ye [that] ye beat  my people  to pieces,  and grind  the faces  of the poor?  saith  the Lord  GOD  of hosts. 

What does Isaiah 3:15 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 3:13-26 - Vanity And Selfish Luxury Condemned
This paragraph opens with the majestic figure of Jehovah Himself, who arises to judge the misrulers and plead the cause of the poor. The prophet enumerates the trinkets of the women of Israel, who had given themselves up to luxury and corruption. Woman is the priestess and prophetess of the home and religion, and when she forsakes the level of spiritual influence for that of physical adornment, the salt has lost its savor and the whole commonwealth suffers. The manhood of a land is lost, morally and spiritually when woman falls from her high estate; and there could be no hope for Jerusalem until the divine fire had consumed the filth of her daughters, and the oppressive selfishness of her sons. Then once more each home in Jerusalem would have the same blessed signs of the divine presence as had once been granted to the Tabernacle-the shadowing cloud by day and the gleam of the Shekinah-fire by night. Let us claim these for our homes also! [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 3

1  The great calamities which come by sin
10  The different rewards of the righteous and wicked
12  The oppression and covetousness of the rulers
16  The judgments which shall be for the pride of the women
25  The general desolation

What do the individual words in Isaiah 3:15 mean?

What to you what do you mean by crushing My people and the faces of the poor grinding says the Lord GOD of hosts -
[מלכם] (מַה־) (לָּכֶם֙‪‬) תְּדַכְּא֣וּ עַמִּ֔י וּפְנֵ֥י ؟ עֲנִיִּ֖ים תִּטְחָ֑נוּ נְאֻם־ אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִ֖ה צְבָאֽוֹת ס

[מלכם]  What  to  you 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: אָבִי 
Sense: entreat, longing, desire.
(לָּכֶם֙‪‬)  do  you  mean 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
תְּדַכְּא֣וּ  by  crushing 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: דָּכָא  
Sense: to crush, be crushed, be contrite, be broken.
עַמִּ֔י  My  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
וּפְנֵ֥י  and  the  faces 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
؟ עֲנִיִּ֖ים  of  the  poor 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: עָנִי  
Sense: poor, afflicted, humble, wretched.
תִּטְחָ֑נוּ  grinding 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: טָחַן 
Sense: (Qal) to grind, crush.
נְאֻם־  says 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְאֻם  
Sense: (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet).
אֲדֹנָ֥י  the  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
יְהוִ֖ה  GOD 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
צְבָאֽוֹת  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation