Isaiah 3:7
in Isaiah 3On that day he will cry aloud: “I am not a healer. I have no food or clothing in my house. Do not make me leader of the people!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
in that day shall he lift up his voice, saying, I will not be a healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: ye shall not make me ruler of the people.
KJV
In that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be an healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people.
⋯
This verse in Isaiah 3
Commentary
9 notes on this verse(Verse 7) And he shall answer in that day, saying, I am not a physician, and in my house there is no bread nor clothing; do not make me the ruler of the people. For physician, Symmachus and the Septuagint translated principem as Theodotio, ἐπιδεσμεύοντα, who binds wounds and provides for health. He shall answer, in Hebrew it is not found, but it is added from the Septuagint. In Hebrew, for it is joined with the things that are written above: In that day he shall say, I am not a physician, and so on.
This site's exposition
I will make mere lads
on Isaiah 3:4-7
Verse 4 names the judgment that follows the removal of leaders, "mere lads" as rulers, incompetent rule in place of none. A man begs his own brother to lead, because no one qualified is left. The brother refuses, "I am not a healer," having no food or clothing.
This site's exposition
I am not a healer
The man cries aloud that he is no healer, and the wounds of the people in 1:6 need one. He says his house has no food or clothing, denying the cloak his brother named in verse 6. Matthew Henry drew from it that rulers must be healers.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
107. He shall answer. Here the refusal of the one elected is set out. And first, his reasonable excuse is shown; second, his renunciation of office is concluded where it says, make me not ruler of the people. In excuse, he brings forward three things, …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
): He shall swear (shall lift up the hand, the ancient ceremony used in taking the oath) I will not be a healer; make not me a ruler. Note, Rulers must be healers, and good rulers will be so; they must study to unite their subjects, and not to widen the differences that are among them. Those only are fit for government that are of a meek, quiet, healing, spirit.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
In that day shall he swear,.... Or "lift up", that is, his hand (e), which was a gesture used in swearing, and therefore is so rendered; the meaning is, that he shall at once immediately give an answer, and for the solemn confirmation of it shall say an oath with it, saying, I will not be a healer, or "a binder"; that is, of wounds, of political wounds, made in the nation, and which were incurable.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
In that day shall he swear - Hebrew, ישׁא yı̂shā' ‘Shall he lift up’ - that is, the voice, or the hand. To lift up the hand was one of the modes of taking an oath. Perhaps it means only that he should lift up “the voice” - that is, “should answer;” compare Num 14:1. The Vulgate, the Septuagint, and the Chaldee, read it simply ‘he shall answer.’ I will not be an healer - Hebrew, ‘a binder up,’ Isa 1:
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
swear--literally, "lift up," namely, his hand; the gesture used in solemn attestation. Or, his voice, that is, answer; so Vulgate. healer--of the body politic, incurably diseased (Isa 1:6). neither . . . clothing--so as to relieve the people and maintain a ruler's dignity.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
In that day shall he swear “Then shall he openly declare” - The Septuagint, Syriac, and Jerome, read וישא veyissa, adding the conjunction, which seems necessary in this place. I will not be a healer - I am noy a leche. - Old MS. Bible. Leech was the ancient English word for a physician. For in my house is neither bread nor clothing “For in my house is neither bread nor raiment” - “It is customary through all the East,” says Sir J. Chardin, “to gather together an immense quantity of furniture and clothes; for their fashions never alter.” Princes and great men are obliged to have a great stock of such things in readiness for presents upon all occasions. “The kings of Persia,” says the same author, “have great wardrobes, where there are always many hundreds of habits ready, designed for presents, and sorted,” Harmer, Observ., 2:11 and 88. A great quantity of provision for the table was equally necessary. The daily provision for Solomon’s household, whose attendants were exceedingly numerous, was proportionately great, 1Ki 4:22, 1Ki 4:23. Even Nehemiah, in his strait circumstances, had a large supply daily for his table; at which he received a hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, besides those that came from among the neighboring heathen, Neh 5:17, Neh 5:18. This explains the meaning of the excuse made by him that is desired to undertake the government. He alleges that he has not wherewithal to support the dignity of the station, by such acts of liberality and hospitality as the law of custom required of persons of superior rank. See Harmer’s Observations, 1:340, 2:88.
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יִשָּׂא֩ | yisa' | he will lift up | H5375 → | 656 times |
| בַיּ֨וֹם | vaiyom | in the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַה֤וּא׀ | hahu' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| לֵאמֹר֙ | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אֶהְיֶ֣ה | ʾehyeh | I will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| חֹבֵ֔שׁ | chovesh | a wrapper | H2280 → | 33 times |
| וּבְבֵיתִ֕י | uveveiti | and in house my | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| אֵ֥ין | ʾein | there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| לֶ֖חֶם | lechem | [is] food | H3899 → | 298 times |
| וְאֵ֣ין | veein | and there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| שִׂמְלָ֑ה | simlah | [is] a cloak | H8071 → | 29 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תְשִׂימֻ֖נִי | tesimuni | you must appoint me | H7760 → | 584 times |
| קְצִ֥ין | ketzin | a ruler of | H7101 → | 12 times |
| עָֽם׃ | ʾam | [the] people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
יִשָּׂא֩he will lift up
yisa'H5375 →656 times
בַיּ֨וֹםin the day
vaiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַה֤וּא׀<the> that
hahu'H1931 →1879 times
לֵאמֹר֙<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
אֶהְיֶ֣הI will be
ʾehyehH1961 →3559 times
חֹבֵ֔שׁa wrapper
choveshH2280 →33 times
וּבְבֵיתִ֕יand in house my
uveveitiH1004 →2046 times
אֵ֥יןthere not
ʾeinH369 →789 times
לֶ֖חֶם[is] food
lechemH3899 →298 times
וְאֵ֣יןand there not
veeinH369 →789 times
שִׂמְלָ֑ה[is] a cloak
simlahH8071 →29 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תְשִׂימֻ֖נִיyou must appoint me
tesimuniH7760 →584 times
קְצִ֥יןa ruler of
ketzinH7101 →12 times
עָֽם׃[the] people
ʾamH5971 →1873 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 58:12Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will restore the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of the Breach, Restorer of the Streets of Dwelling.
it leads to
- Isaiah 61:4
They will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.
- Amos 9:14
I will restore My people Israel from captivity; they will rebuild and inhabit the ruined cities. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.
- Ezekiel 36:33
This is what the Lord GOD says: On the day I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be resettled and the ruins to be rebuilt.
- Nehemiah 2:17
Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned down. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we…
- Amos 9:11
“In that day I will restore the fallen tent of David. I will repair its gaps, restore its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old,
- Isaiah 61:4
Through
Ezekiel 34:4You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bound up the injured, brought back the strays, or searched for the lost. Instead, you have ruled them with violence and cruelty.
it leads to
- Matthew 18:12–13
What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go out to search for the one…
- Ezekiel 34:16
I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bind up the broken, and strengthen the weak; but the sleek and strong I will destroy. I will shepherd them with justice.’
- Matthew 9:36
When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
- Matthew 18:12–13
About Isaiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.