Isaiah 4:1
in Isaiah 4In that day seven women will take hold of one man and say, “We will eat our own bread and provide our own clothes. Just let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name; take thou away our reproach.
KJV
And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.
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This verse in Isaiah 4
Commentary
10 notes on this verse(Chapter IV, Verse 1) And in that day, seven women will take hold of one man, saying: We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothing, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach. When the most beautiful of the city of Jerusalem fall by the sword and the strong ones perish in battle, and its gates mourn and lament; and it becomes desolate due to the scarcity of people, with the warriors being killed, seven women will take hold of one man, desiring to have offspring in Zion and descendants in Jerusalem.
This site's exposition
In that day seven women
The seven women who seize one man close the war-emptied Jerusalem of chapter 3. They waive a husband's duty to support them, asking only his name to remove the disgrace of childlessness. Barnes and Henry take the verse as the low point from which the chapter rises into promise.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
Victorinus of PettauCommentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John · Written before 304.
proposed
"And He had in His right hand seven stars." He said that in His right hand He had seven stars, because the Holy Spirit of sevenfold agency was given into His power by the Father. As Peter exclaimed to the Jews: "Being at the right hand of God exalted, He hath shed forth this Spirit received from the Father, which ye both see and hear." Moreover, John the Baptist had also anticipated this, by saying to his disciples: "For God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him. The Father," says he, "loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hands." Those seven stars are the seven churches, which he names in his addresses by name, old calls them to whom he wrote epistles. Not that they are themselves the only, or even the principal churches; but what he says to one, he says to all. For they are in no respect different, that on that ground any one should prefer them to the larger number of similar small ones. In the whole world Paul taught that all the churches are arranged by sevens, that they are called seven, and that the Catholic Church is one. And first of all, indeed, that he himself also might maintain the type of seven churches, he did not exceed that number. But he wrote to the Romans, to the Corinthians, to the Galatians, to the Ephesians, to the Thessalonians, to the Philippians, to the Colossians; afterwards he wrote to individual persons, so as not to exceed the number of seven churches. […]
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
BonaventureCollations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 7 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
Second, their fecundity is represented by the seven women in Isaiah: Seven women will take hold of one man on that day. A man, because these virtues produce virility; and one, because they do not divide him, but make him stable and fruitful.
133. And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man. After he denounces the calumny of the oppressors in chapters 2 and 3, in this chapter, the prophet sets out the consolation of the oppressed. And this is divided into two parts: …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
One man - Because few men shall survive that dreadful stroke. Only - Own us for thy wives. Our reproach - Virginity was esteemed a reproach; children, the usual fruit of marriage, being both an honour to their parents, and a blessing of God, especially to that people, from some of whose loins the Messiah was to spring.
), which might fitly enough have been added to the close of the foregoing chapter, to which it has a plain reference. A promise of the restoration of Jerusalem's peace and purity, righteousness and safety, in the days of the Messiah,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
And seven women - The division of the chapters has interrupted the prophet’s discourse, and broken it off almost in the midst of the sentence. “The numbers slain in battle shall be so great, that seven women shall be left to one man.” The prophet has described the greatness of this distress by images and adjuncts the most expressive and forcible. The young women, contrary to their natural modesty, shall become suitors to the men: they will take hold of them, and use the most pressing importunity to be married. In spite of the natural suggestions of jealousy, they will be content with a share only of the rights of marriage in common with several others; and that on hard conditions, renouncing the legal demands of the wife on the husband, (see Exo 21:10), and begging only the name and credit of wedlock, and to be freed from the reproach of celibacy. See Isa 54:4, Isa 54:5. Like Marcia, on a different occasion, and in other circumstances: - Da tantum nomen inane Connubii: liceat tumulo scripsisse, Catonis Marcia. Lucan, 2:342. “This happened,” says Kimchi, “in the days of Ahaz, when Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judea one hundred and twenty thousand men in one day; see 2Ch 18:6. The widows which were left were so numerous that the prophet said, ‘They are multiplied beyond the sand of the sea,’” Jer 15:8. In that day - These words are omitted in the Septuagint, and MSS.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
In that day - The time of calamity referred to in the close of the previous chapter. This is a continuation of that prophecy, and there was no reason why these six verses should have been made a separate chapter. That the passage refers to the Messiah, is apparent from what has been stated in the note at the commencement of the prophecy Isa 2:1-4, and from the expressions which occur in the chapter itself; see the notes at Isa 4:2, Isa 4:5-
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
At that time shall the Messiah of the Lord be for joy and for glory to those that are escaped, and those that keep the law shall be for greatness and for praise.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 7 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהֶחֱזִיקוּ֩ | vehecheziku | and they will take hold | H2388 → | 291 times |
| שֶׁ֨בַע | sheva' | seven | H7651 → | 394 times |
| נָשִׁ֜ים | nashim | women | H802 → | 781 times |
| בְּאִ֣ישׁ | beish | on a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֶחָ֗ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| בַּיּ֤וֹם | baiyom | in the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַהוּא֙ | hahu' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לַחְמֵ֣נוּ | lachmenu | own food our | H3899 → | 298 times |
| נֹאכֵ֔ל | nokhel | we will eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| וְשִׂמְלָתֵ֖נוּ | vesimlatenu | and own clothing our | H8071 → | 29 times |
| נִלְבָּ֑שׁ | nilbash | we will wear | H3847 → | 110 times |
| רַ֗ק | rak | only | H7535 → | |
| יִקָּרֵ֤א | yikare' | let it be called | H7121 → | 733 times |
| שִׁמְךָ֙ | shimkha | name your | H8034 → | 864 times |
| עָלֵ֔ינוּ | ʾaleinu | on us | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אֱסֹ֖ף | ʾesof | remove | H622 → | 200 times |
| חֶרְפָּתֵֽנוּ׃ ס | cherpatenu | reproach our | H2781 → | 73 times |
וְהֶחֱזִיקוּ֩and they will take hold
vehechezikuH2388 →291 times
שֶׁ֨בַעseven
sheva'H7651 →394 times
נָשִׁ֜יםwomen
nashimH802 →781 times
בְּאִ֣ישׁon a man
beishH376 →1663 times
אֶחָ֗דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
בַּיּ֤וֹםin the day
baiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַהוּא֙<the> that
hahu'H1931 →1879 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
לַחְמֵ֣נוּown food our
lachmenuH3899 →298 times
נֹאכֵ֔לwe will eat
nokhelH398 →810 times
וְשִׂמְלָתֵ֖נוּand own clothing our
vesimlatenuH8071 →29 times
נִלְבָּ֑שׁwe will wear
nilbashH3847 →110 times
רַ֗קonly
rakH7535 →
יִקָּרֵ֤אlet it be called
yikare'H7121 →733 times
שִׁמְךָ֙name your
shimkhaH8034 →864 times
עָלֵ֔ינוּon us
ʾaleinuH5921 →5755 times
אֱסֹ֖ףremove
ʾesofH622 →200 times
חֶרְפָּתֵֽנוּ׃ סreproach our
cherpatenuH2781 →73 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
Luke 1:25“The Lord has done this for me. In these days He has shown me favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
it leads to
- Genesis 30:22–23
Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb,
- Isaiah 54:1–4
“Shout for joy, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth in song and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her…
- Genesis 21:1–2
Now the LORD attended to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised.
- Genesis 25:21
Later, Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD heard his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived.
- 1 Samuel 1:6
Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival would provoke her and taunt her viciously.
- Genesis 30:22–23
Through
Genesis 30:23and she conceived and gave birth to a son. “God has taken away my shame,” she said.
it leads to
- Luke 1:25
“The Lord has done this for me. In these days He has shown me favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
- Luke 1:25
Through
Luke 21:22For these are the days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written.
it leads to
- Hosea 9:7
The days of punishment have come; the days of retribution have arrived—let Israel know it. The prophet is called a fool, and the inspired man insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity and…
- Isaiah 65:12–16
I will destine you for the sword, and you will all kneel down to be slaughtered, because I called and you did not answer, I spoke and you did not listen; you did evil…
- Hosea 9:7
Where this verse is studied
About Isaiah
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bonaventure, Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 7; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah and Victorinus of Pettau, Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John.