“Say to the righteous that it will go well with them,
For they will eat the fruit of their actions.
Woe to the wicked! It will go badly with him,
For what he deserves will be done to him.
O My people! Their oppressors are children,
And women rule over them.
O My people! Those who guide you lead you astray
And confuse the direction of your paths.”
Isaiah 3:10-12 NASB1995
Let’s start with the ChatGPT description of the image at the top:
In the near foreground, a righteous family is tending a small but flourishing vineyard. They’re harvesting grapes and placing them into baskets. Their little patch of land looks healthy, orderly, and fruitful.
But beyond their vineyard, the larger landscape tells a different story.
Along a road toward Jerusalem, people are following young, confused, self-important leaders. The crowd is disorganized. Some people argue. A few older citizens hesitate rather than follow. Beyond them, portions of Jerusalem appear neglected and troubled.
The family isn’t magically protected inside some glowing bubble. They’re simply continuing to live rightly and faithfully in the middle of a society that is coming apart around them.
And that, to me, gets especially close to the heart of verses 10–12: Isaiah isn’t saying everything around the righteous will necessarily be fine. He’s saying that even while Judah suffers the consequences of its rebellion and terrible leadership, God still sees and distinguishes those who do what is right.
I think that’s a decent explanation. Even the AI tool can recognize that those who continue to live rightly and faithfully will be seen by God. In contrast, the wicked person will have things go badly for him and will get what he deserves. Paul reminds us of these same precepts in Galatians:
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”
Galatians 6:7-8 NASB1995
Isaiah once again refers to the oppressors of Judah and Jerusalem as children and then says that women rule over them. There are some commentators who feel that this is figurative (the leaders are like women). Here is what Precept Austin says about these verses, with a reference to the minor prophet Nahum:
Women rule over them - In Isaiah 3:6,7 we see that no one wanted to hold office (be ruler), so here we see women and children rule which would have been especially humiliating in Judah’s male-dominated society! Some commentators (Ed Young, John MacArthur) do not take this literally but rather as a figurative description of the rulers who were as weak as women. Others think this may refer to wives (or mistresses) influencing the leadership of their husbands. The interpretation of this phrase is difficult and not conclusive.
Nahum does use women in a figurative description of the people…
Behold, your people are women in your midst! The gates of your land are opened wide to your enemies; Fire consumes your gate bars. (Nah 3:13)
Enduring Word is a little more straightforward in their interpretation:
i. Women rule over them: this was seen as a curse, not a blessing. Certainly, God may raise up particular women at particular times to be leaders in different spheres. Deborah (Judges 4-5) and Esther are examples of this. But this is entirely different from a society where, in general, women rule over them. Such a society is cursed, not blessed.
I am a woman (I know what that term means and I am not confused about gender). I made many bad choices in life because I was ambitious and wanted to be “liberated”, including choosing not to be a mother; this is a major regret that I will never live down; it has created a lingering internal sadness in my soul but I pray God has forgiven me. Even good conservative commentators seem to tiptoe around the truth of what Isaiah is saying (and there is more to come about women in this same chapter of Isaiah).
Warning - A bit of a rant ahead: There are many women whom I admire who have done great things in their lives and were used by God, but there are many MORE women who are like the current governor of Massachusetts who did this recently (link goes to LifeNews):
Mass. Governor signs bill to allow abortions up to birth for any reason
This action was greeted with thunderous applause by an audience of mostly young women who want the freedom to be wicked without the burden of having to carry a child to term (casual sex without burden and murder without legal consequences). Women call this “health care” without regard to the separate and distinct life (and DNA) of the unborn child. And if you think the term “murder” is too harsh, keep in mind that someone under this law (now the norm in several states) can choose to kill a healthy child who is mere moments away from birth; a few minutes later and it WOULD be prosecutable murder in any state.
In case there are readers who are also proclaiming the concerns for the health of the child and the mother or other exceptional cases, here are the statistics from the Charlotte Lozier Institute (updated in 2024):
Way back in my days of wandering in the secular wilderness, I was “pro-choice”. I now believe we will reap what we sow in this nation, between this horrible madness and other lifestyle “choices” that are beyond the pale. People are led astray and their paths are confused. Later in Isaiah 5, we will see that it is woe for those who call evil good. I would like to see a return to reason and personal responsibility as well as a society that allows the unborn human to have at least the same level of respect that is awarded to pets and endangered species.
Sorry (not sorry) for the rant. The more the Holy Spirit convicts my soul, the more I understand and agree with obedience to God’s commands, even if I stumble often in my conviction. Psalm 139 says it well:
“For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.”
Psalms 139:13-14 NASB1995
My next devotional examines Isaiah 3:13-14 - God will judge.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - I pray earnestly and desperately for a change of heart in our nation and against the evil of abortion. I pray that I continue to grow in my conviction of the righteousness and holiness of Your commands. Amen.
Citations and Credits:
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org.
Precept Austin was accessed on 08/12/2026 to review commentary for Isaiah 3:10-12.
Commentary from Enduring Word is used with written permission and without any alteration. ©1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com. At the link referenced, the bibliography used by David Guzik can be accessed.
Great is the Lord, thanks alot.
Great is the Lord, thanks alot.