Isaiah 4:1
In that day seven women
will take hold of one man
and say, “We will eat our own food
and provide our own clothes;
only let us be called by your name.
Take away our disgrace!”
New Living Translation
In that day so few men will be left that seven women will fight for each man, saying, “Let us all marry you! We will provide our own food and clothing. Only let us take your name so we won’t be mocked as old maids.”
Contemporary English Version
When this happens, seven women will grab the same man, and each of them will say, “I’ll buy my own food and clothes! Just marry me and take away my disgrace.”
Good News Translation
When that time comes, seven women will grab hold of one man and say, “We can feed and clothe ourselves, but please let us say you are our husband, so that we won’t have to endure the shame of being unmarried.”
This text has been used and abused and made to mean what it never ever meant or could ever mean. Allegorical interpretation of scripture is a fallacious approach to scripture assuming that there is a hidden meaning and the obvious meaning should be ignored. Allegorical interpretation of scripture makes God seem to be hiding and hiding things instead of revealing. The God of the Bible reveals Himself and helps us know Him and what He means. This God wouldn’t complicate scripture to hide anything from us. The first and most basic rule in scripture interpretation is that we take the first impression meaning until there is enough plausible reason to believe that a deeper meaning exists.
This text means exactly that, that seven women would be so desperate for marriage that they would plead with one man to marry them just for the status of marriage. This text is a continuation of Isaiah chapter three. In Isaiah Chapter two and three, God punishes Israelites for their sins. The punishment will include a war situation. Since it is men who go to war, men will die in large numbers as a punishment from God, Isaiah 3:25. The death of men will create a shortage of husbands. Therefore seven women will plead with one man to give them the status of being married. It is that simple and straightforward. It speaks of Israel then and not a future time. The women and the man are not symbolic of anything future beyond what the prophet spoke of.
We are not looking forward to this prophecy being fulfilled again in the future, it was already fulfilled. What we pick from this prophecy are principles and lessons that apply beyond that time. The first lesson is that sin has ramifications that affect even the social balance in society. One sin can have a chain of consequences whose end destroys the order and balance God created. The sins of Israelites not only killed men at war but also created desperate women who cannot bear the shame of being unmarried.
Secondly, this prophecy reveals to us that while men may seem useless as society advances and women become independent, men are not useless. While a man may not provide anything and maybe incompetent in many and all ways, yet, that man provides a very critical contribution to a lady’s life, the status of being married, and where possible children. The women in our text are pleading to just have the status of being married and nothing more. That is all they ask of this man. A man may not have money but he can give you a name. A man may not have much education but he can give children. A man may fail all standards you expected of him, but you can call him husband. At the least and minimum, he has some use. This is in no way to encourage lazy careless men, but to place value where it is due.
Thirdly, a lady with so much advancement, education, and property still needs a man. God created it so, Genesis 3:16, told the woman that her desire will be for her husband. The women in our text have their own resources, their own clothes, their own food, and everything their own, but they still need a man to call husband and enable them to have children. The need for companionship and marriage cannot be eliminated by advancement in life or the acquisition of wealth. God created marriage and nothing can make it irrelevant.
Fourth is that society can create a fertile ground for abuse. Israelite society was totally opposed to being unmarried or childless. That societal expectation pressured women to degrade themselves to a level of begging a man for just a marriage name and childbearing. Society can easily drive women into loveless marriages that end up being abusive in the name of maintaining some old outdated standards, traditions, rules, and policies. These women are sure to be ashamed if they are not married. They are sure of abusive and toxic environment all their lives. Though they have enough resources to manage their own lives, they are forced by societal expectations into marriage.
Can we change these societal pressures that force people into slavery and painful company in the name of marriage? Can we force a discussion of these issues? Can we begin at the church level to set people free from such bad cultures and expectations? We must agitate to set people free from pressures that will cause seven women against the nature of female jealousy to accept the pain of sharing a husband. Women who are this desperate will tolerate abuse and even die hoping things will change yet they never do as long as the interest in the marriage is imbalanced. The woman needs the marriage more than the man needs it, and that is a recipe for domestic heartache and violence.
Fifth, this text does not approve polygamy or promote it, this text instead shows the damage sin caused to marriage relationships. Description of polygamy is not approval of polygamy.
Finally, we need to be cautious about sin and neglecting our relationship with God. The extent to which sin can affect us is too deep and wide that safety is in reconciling with God. Sin can have personal ramifications that would make our situation than ever before. The situation of seven women pleading to marry one man was created by sin, then sin brought war and war depleted the men. Sin is very dangerous and can go too far in affecting us. May God forgive my sins in Jesus’ name, Amen!
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“We must agitate to set people free from pressures..” I agree.
Thank you pastor and God bless you.
Blessings on you too!
Thank you for putting much needed light to this verse that has long been misinterpreted. Be. Blesses Pastor.
Amen, be blessed too!
Amen 🙏
May God forgive my sins, in the Name of Jesus I pray.
Happy Sabbath my brother and friend. Thank you for sharing.
Blessings on you!
God bless for insight
Amen, be blessed too!
God bless
Be blessed too!
Amen..
Amen..
Amen..
Amen..
Amen..
Amen..
Amen
Amen..
Amen
Thank you for putting much needed light to this verse that has long been misinterpreted. Be. Blessed Pastor.
Hallelujah!