Commentaries:
Barnes' Notes
And the people shall be oppressed - This describes the state of anarchy and confusion which would exist under the reign of children and babes Isaiah 3:4, when all law would be powerless, and all rights violated, and when the feeble would be oppressed and borne down by the strong. The word used here, properly denotes that "unjust exactions or demands" would be made, or that the people would be "urged" to fulfill them.
Every one by another - In turn they shall oppress and vex one another. Hebrew ' man by man; and man by his neighbor' - a strong mode of expression, denoting that there would be a state of mutual strife, and violation of rights; compare I Kings 20:20.
The child ... - All ranks of society shall be broken up. All respect due from one rank in life to another shall be violated.
Shall behave himself proudly - The word used here means rather to "urge," or "press on." The child shall "crowd on" the old man. This was particularly descriptive of a state of anarchy and disorder, from the fact that the Jews inculcated so much respect and deference for age; see the note at Isaiah 3:2.
The ancient - The old man.
And the base - The man of low rank in life. The word properly means the man that is despised, the vile, the ignoble; I Samuel 18:23; Proverbs 7:9.
The honorable - All the forms of respect in life would be broken up; all the proper rules of deference between man and man would be violated. Neither dignity, age, nor honor would be respected.
Other Barnes' Notes entries containing Isaiah 3:5:
Isaiah 30:7
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