Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 3:5

"And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbor: the child shall behave himself proudly against the old man, and the base against the honorable." — Isaiah 3:5 (ASV)

And the people shall be oppressed - This describes the state of anarchy and confusion that would exist under the reign of children and babes (Isaiah 3:4), when all law would be powerless, 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 will oppress and trouble one another. The Hebrew, ‘man by man; and man by his neighbor’ – a strong mode of expression – denotes that there would be a state of mutual strife and violation of rights (Compare to 1 Kings 20:20).

The child... - All ranks of society will be broken up. All respect due from one rank in life to another will be violated.

Shall behave himself proudly - The word used here instead means to “urge,” or “press on.” The child will “crowd on” the old man. This was particularly descriptive of a state of anarchy and disorder, because 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 who is despised, the vile, the ignoble (1 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 people would be violated. Neither dignity, age, nor honor would be respected.