2 Nephi 13 – Commentary

Differences with the King James Version of Isaiah 3

4 And I will give children unto them (“unto them” not in KJV) to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.

6 When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, and shall say, (“and shall say” in KJV is “saying“) Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let not this ruin come under thy hand (“and let not this ruin come under thy hand” in KJV is “and let this ruin be under thy hand“):

8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongues(“tounges” in KJV is “tounge“) and their doings have been (“have been” in KJV is “are“) against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory.

9 The shew of their countenance doth witness against them, and doth (“doth” in KJV is “they“) declare their sin to be even (“to be even” not in KJV) as Sodom, and they can not hide it (“can not hide it” in KJV is “hide it not“). Wo unto their souls (“souls” in KVJ not plural)! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.

10 Say unto (“unto” KJV uses “ye to“) the righteous, that it is well with them (“is well with them” KJV uses “shall be well with him:“) for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.

11 Wo unto the wicked! for they shall perish:(“for they shall perish” KJV uses “it shall be ill with him“) for the reward of their hands shall be upon them(“their hands shall be upon them” KJV uses “his hands shall be given him“).

12 And my people (“And my people” KJV uses “As for my people“), children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

14 The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard, and the spoil of the poor in your houses(“and the spoil of the poor in your houses” KJV uses “the spoil of the poor is in your houses“).

15 What mean ye? Ye (“ye? Ye” KJV uses “ye that ye“) beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor, (“,” KJV uses “?“)saith the Lord God of hosts.

18 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of (KJV adds “their“) tinkling ornaments (KJV adds “about their feet“), and (KJV adds “their“)cauls, and (KJV adds “their“)round tires like the moon,

23 the glasses, and the fine linen, and (KJV adds “the“) hoods, and the vails.

24 And it shall come to pass, (KJV adds “that“) instead of sweet smell, there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle, a rent; and instead of well set hair, baldness; and instead of a stomacher, a girding of sackcloth (KJV adds “and“) burning instead of beauty.

26 And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she shall (“shall” KJV uses “being“) be desolate, and (“and” KJV does not have) shall sit upon the ground.

Commentary

This chapter from Isaiah is prominently written for the past. It is a prophesy that was fulfilled when the Assyrians captured the Kingdom of Israel about 721 BC, carrying the people to the lands north. It was fulfilled again by the Babylonians as they ransacked Jerusalem and carried many of the people away about 586 BC. ^{[Source 5, pages 170-171]} It was fulfilled again when Jerusalem was destroyed by Rome about 70 AD. ^{[Source 4, page 8]} It will be fulfilled again as a type in our day. ^{[Source 5, page 171]}

1. Stay – supply
2. Staff – support
3. All food supply and water supply ^{[Source 6, page 11]}

• The Prudent – one who practices divination. ^{[Source 2, page 37]}
• The Ancient – the hebrew word zaqen probably refers to the older man. ^{[Source 2, page 37]}
• The cunning artificer – the skilled craftsmen. ^{[Source 2, page 37]}

• The term Children and Babes refers to the untrained and young who will become rulers as community authority is taken away.
• No resect for the elderly.
• Base – the wretched will show no respect for those with integrity. ^{[source 2 page 39]}

And babes shall rule over them: Many of the Jewish kings before the Babylonian captivity came to rule at a very early age. Ahaz, Hezekiah, Amon, and Jehoiakim were all in their early twenties. Manasseh was only twelve, Josiah a mere eight years old, and Jehoiachim either eighteen or eight, depending upon whether the age recorded in 2 Kings or 2 Chronicles is correct. ^{[Source 4, page 23]}

The ones who need to be led are doing the leading.^{[Source 1]}

Living conditions will be terrible. Food, shelter, and clothing will be hard to come by. Individuals will see a person with clothes and want to be taken in by them. But they cannot be taken in. For they with clothing also can barely provide for self.

Verse 8 points out that this ruination comes upon the Jews, and it did twice. The first time was when Babylon with King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem taking many of them to Babylon about 587 BC. It happened again in the year 70 AD under the rule of the Roman named Titus.

Their tongues and their doings are the words and actions of the people.^{[Source 2 page 39]}

God sees everything with his eyes and he is all knowing. In spite of this, the people provoke God to anger by mocking him by sinful activities.

The light found in your countenance is everything in the spirit world. In the general conference talk given by Elder Garret Gong, in October, 2022, Elder Gong spoke of a faithful sister who had her father’s temple work done, and then had a vision of her father.

“In my sleep my dad appeared to me in a dream, all dressed in white. He had changed. He said, ‘Look at me. I am all clean. Thank you for doing the work for me in the temple.’” Her father added, “Get up and go back to the temple; your brother is waiting to be baptized.”

Our countenance shows our cleanliness, it also shows our filth.

Alma 5:19 I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?

When Isaiah writes that the righteous shall eat the fruit of thier doings, this may signify that the righteous will enjoy the fruits of the spirit, which include “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperence. (Galations 5:22-23, Ephesians 5:9-11) ^{[Source 2 page 40]}

Because they are righteous, the Lord takes care of them.^{[source 1]}

This is similar to verse 4 regarding the young that are leading them. ^{[source 2 page 40]} The inexperienced young are prone to error and shall lead the people astray.

The Lord has sent his prophets to plead for repentance, but the people have not hearkened. Therefore, as the judge in Israel, the Lord will extract justice. The Lord will judge the leaders of the people as the people wasted their abundance without caring for the poor.

The vineyard represents the Lords people. ^{[source 1]}

The leaders are judged as corrupt government misused the tax funds and did not care for the poor and others under their stewardship. The poor and the needy are the Lord’s people. In fact, verse 15 is saying that the corrupt government is abusing the Lord’s people.^{[source 1]}

Zion is a higher category than the Jacob / Israel category. It represents a people who had repented. The people here who were of a Zion category, did not live up to it. Here specifically referring to the women of Zion. Previous to verse 16, he had been writing about the men.^{[source 1]}

In verse 17, beauty will be taken from them.^{[source 6 page 13]} The covenant curse of baldness will be given to the women. Regarding the secret parts, they were once flaunting their bodies. Now their clothes will be taken from them and they their bodies will be exposed.^{[source 1]}

Some academics point out that when Isaiah makes certain references such as “In that day”, he is emphasizing that these words are also an archetype to the last days. I quote below:

“Throughout Isaiah, the phrases day of the Lord, in that day, day of visitation, day of his fierce anger, and day of the Lord’s vengeance, are found more than fifty five times, underscoring how frequently Isaiah’s writings emphasize the last days and the second coming.” ^{[source 2 page 33]}

There is no consensus on the meanings of each term listed here. However, emphasis should be placed on excess. As the daughters of Zion had given themselves to excess, the Lord lays these things out also in excess to make the point.

As this is also an archetype of the future, my belief is that this would be referring to the daughters of the top nation of the world – the United States – and more particularly to those women who were raised in gospel oriented families — yet they turned from the path of righteousness and did not walk as they were taught. These travesties shall hit them the worst.

The men will die in battle and the land will be left desolate.

Commentary Sources

1. The website Isaiah Explained – by Avriham Gileadi.
2. The book Understanding Isaiah by Donald and Jay Parry, and Tina Peterson published by Deseret Book Company, 1998.
3. The book Annotated Edition – The Book of Mormon published by David R. Hocking and Rod Meldrum, 2018.
4. The book The Book of Isaiah – Annotated Edition eBook published by David R. Hocking, 2020.
5. Verse by Verse – The Book of Mormon by D. Kelly Ogden and Andrew C. Skinner, published by Deseret Book Company, 2011.
6. Isaiah Made Easier by David J Ridges, Second Edition, published by Cedar Fort, Inc., 2009.
7. Commentary of the Book of Mormon – writings from George Reynolds and Janne Sjodahl.
8. My own understanding.

Isaiah Explained

This video file was downloaded from the website at Isaiah Explained – Avraham Gileadi. He has a very detailed commentary to this chapter.

https://www.isaiahexplained.com/chapter/3

The website Isaiah Explained has this type of detailed description for all chapters of Isaiah.

Commentary from George Reynolds and Janne M. Sjodahl taken from Commentary on the Book of Mormon published in 1955:

VERSE 1. Stay and Staff. Refer to articles of food, but also to the leaders of the people enumerated in verses 2 and 3.

VERSE 4. Children shall Rule. Consequently, children would be the rulers. This was particularly unfortunate when the country had been swept by destructive tornadoes and devastated, needed the wise and steady counsel of experienced men.

VERSE 5. The People Shall be Oppressed. Anarchy prevailed. Everybody took advantage of his neighbor. Children defied and humiliated their elders; the unworthy crowded those who were entitled to honor and respect to the wall.

VERSES 6-9. Thou hast Clothing, etc. Thou hast, at least, a respectable looking raiment. Take the government of the ruined state into thy hands. But the individual approached shall refuse emphatically to accept the offer. His answer is: It is a physician the people need, and I am not a healer ( v. 7 ). I have no food and no clothes in my house to distribute. It would do you no good to put me at the head of the government, if it is maintenance you are expecting. Look at their faces. ( v. 9 ) Their appearance testifies against them. They cannot hide their sin.

VERSES 10-11. The Righteous – the Wicked. The righteous need really not fear. They have the fruit of their works to draw on. The wicked perish as a result of the unnatural use to which they have put their own hands. God is just.

VERSES 12-15. Children are Oppressors, etc. Inexperienced rulers are likely to become tyrants and to bring about all kinds of misgovernment. This happened ( v. 12 ), but the Lord would stand up to plead and to judge ( 13 ). “The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients.” I understand this to mean, probably, that he would inspire the elders of the people, and strengthen them to state their grievance and pronounce the consequences.

Lord God of Hosts. The same as “Lord of Sabaoth” ( Rom. 9:29; James 5: 4 ), or, Zebaoth, The hosts of the Lord are his angels, the ministers of the Lord and his people, or, the innumerable heavenly bodies in the firmament, all of which are the subjects of his will.

VERSES 16-17. Because the Daughters of Zion are Haughty. The wealthy, fashionable women were, undoubtedly as guilty as the men in the oppression of the poor, wherefore the poor, wherefore the vengeance of the Almighty fell upon them, too, in the form of loathsome diseases, or captivity, with scanty clothing ( v. 17 ).

VERSES 18-24. Feminine Ornaments. In this section a very complete list of feminine jewelry and ornaments is furnished by the prophet. We notice “tinkling ornaments,” probably rings worn on the feet; “cauls,” nets, or perhaps diadems; “round tires,” necklaces ( v. 18 ); “chains, bracelets and mufflers;” probably, earrings, bracelets and veils ( v. 19 ); “ornaments of the legs,” chains connecting the legs, to prevent the wearer from taking too long steps when walking; “headbands, tablets and ear-rings,” ( v. 20 ), also translated, “girdles, perfume bottles and amulets, or charms;” “glasses,” ( v. 20 ) means “mirrors.” The Lord would cause all these to be removed. Instead of finery there would be the misery of women in slavery, even “burning instead of beauty” ( v. 24 ), which evidently refers to the mark of the cruel brand-iron on slaves. To these sufferings would be added the agony of seeing the men in every grade of society swept away by war. In the gates ( v. 26 ) where, under normal conditions, business was transacted and affairs of state and communities discussed, lamentations and mourning were heard. Zion, desolate, was sitting in the dust on the ground.