וְהֶחֱזִיקוּ שֶׁבַע נָשִׁים בְּאִישׁ אֶחָד בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמֹר לַחְמֵנוּ נֹאכֵל וְשִׂמְלָתֵנוּ נִלְבָּשׁ רַק יִקָּרֵא שִׁמְךָ   4:1 עָלֵינוּ אֱסֹף חֶרְפָּתֵנוּ׃

Isai. 4:1   And seven women shall take hold of one man on that day saying, “We will eat our own bread and we will wear our own clothes, only let your name be given to us.  Remove our shame!

Although no one may agree with me, I believe that when Isaiah predicts that seven women will plead with one man, he is either implying or expecting that there will be few men left in that day.  This idea seems to be reinforced by his use of the phrases the survivors of Israel in the next verse, and the remnant in Zion and the residue in Jerusalem in the following verse.

בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִהְיֶה צֶמַח יְהוָה לִצְבִי וּלְכָבוֹד וּפְרִי הָאָרֶץ לְגָאוֹן וּלְתִפְאֶרֶת לִפְלֵיטַת יִשְׂרָאֵל   4:2

Isai. 4:2   On that day shall the budding of the Lord

                 Be for beauty and for glory,

                 And the fruit of the land for excellence and for majesty

                 For the survivors of Israel.

וְהָיָה הַנִּשְׁאָר בְּצִיּוֹן וְהַנּוֹתָר בִּירוּשָׁלִַם קָדוֹשׁ יֵאָמֶר לוֹ כָּל־הַכָּתוּב לַחַיִּים בִּירוּשָׁלִָם׃   4:3

Isai. 4:3   And it shall be, the remnant in Zion and the residue in Jerusalem, holiness shall be avouched to it, everyone who is inscribed to life in Jerusalem.

אִם רָחַץ אֲדֹנָי אֵת צֹאַת בְּנוֹת־צִיּוֹן וְאֶת־דְּמֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם יָדִיחַ מִקִּרְבָּהּ בְּרוּחַ מִשְׁפָּט וּבְרוּחַ בָּעֵר׃   4:4

Isai. 4:4   When the Master has washed away

                 The filth of the daughters of Zion, and the blood of Jerusalem,

                 He shall purge from its midst

                 With the spirit of judgment and with the blast of burning.

וּבָרָא יְהוָה עַל כָּל־מְכוֹן הַר־צִיּוֹן וְעַל־מִקְרָאֶהָ עָנָן יוֹמָם וְעָשָׁן וְנֹגַהּ אֵשׁ לֶהָבָה לָיְלָה כִּי   4:5

  עַל־כָּל־כָּבוֹד חֻפָּה׃

Isai. 4:5   And the Lord shall create over all the habitation of Mount Zion, and over its assemblies, a cloud with smoke by day, and a light of flaming fire by night, that a canopy is over all the glory.

First, let me say the following:  The habitation of Mount Zion would be the restored temple. Its assemblies would be all the peoples of the earth.  I also believe that Isaiah is using an apt reference and metaphor in this verse:  Smoke by day, fire by night.  The Lord employed these in the desert to lead and protect the Israelites through the wilderness.  In that day (end time?) He will offer them again to lead us from evil (slavery?) to His righteous way.

וְסֻכָּה תִּהְיֶה לְצֵל־יוֹמָם מֵחֹרֶב וּלְמַחְסֶה וּלְמִסְתּוֹר מִזֶּרֶם וּמִמָּטָר׃   4:6

Isai. 4:6   And it shall be a pavilion for a defense by day from the heat and for a refuge, and for protection from storm and from rain.

Here I believe Isaiah is using another metaphor in the word pavilion, but we can’t be sure whether he’s referring to the temple (habitation) or the smoke and fire as the pavilion.

 

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