John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 3:4

"And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them." — Isaiah 3:4 (ASV)

And I will appoint children to be their princes. To make the vengeance of God more manifest, he now describes how sad and wretched the change will be when competent and faithful rulers are taken from among them, and God puts cowardly and worthless persons in their place.

By children is meant not only those who are so by age, but also by mind and conduct—such as delicate and effeminate persons, who lack courage and cannot wield the sword entrusted to them. He does not here carry out the contrast clause by clause, for he thought it enough to point out one way in which a commonwealth is quickly ruined: that is, when its rulers are weak and foolish men like children, who have no gravity or wisdom.

However, it must be laid down as a principle that no one is qualified for governing a commonwealth unless he has been appointed to it by God and is endowed with uncommon excellence. Plato, too, understood this matter well. For though, being a heathen, he had no true knowledge of this kind, his quick sagacity enabled him to perceive that no one is fit and qualified for public government who has not been prepared for it by God in an extraordinary measure. Public government proceeds from God alone, and similarly, every part of it must be upheld by Him.

Besides, those whom the Lord does not govern have nothing left for them but to be children, or rather to be doubly children—that is, lacking all skill and all wisdom.

Now, the Lord executes this vengeance in two ways. First, it frequently happens that when we appear to have those who are grave and skillful in business, no sooner do they come to action than they stumble like blind men and have no more wisdom than children. This is because the Lord deprives them of that remarkable ability which they had formerly received from Him and stuns them, as if He had struck them with a thunderbolt.

But sometimes the Lord proceeds more gently, gradually removing men of extraordinary ability who were fit for ruling, and commits the reins of government to those who were unable to govern a family or even a single child. When these things happen, it is very certain that destruction is near.

Besides, it deserves our notice, as I recently mentioned, that a well-regulated commonwealth is a unique gift of God, where the various orders of judges and senators, soldiers, captains, artisans, and teachers aid each other by mutual cooperation and join in promoting the general safety of the whole people.

For when the Prophet threatens and pronounces it a very severe punishment that these things will be taken away, he clearly shows that those eminent and uncommon gifts of God are necessary for the safety of nations. Accordingly, he here commends the office of magistrates, captains, and soldiers, and also the office of teachers.

This deserves our notice in opposition to fanatics who endeavor to banish from the world the power of using the sword, together with all civil government and order. But the Prophet declares that these things are not taken away or removed unless God is angry. It follows, therefore, that those who oppose and, as far as lies in their power, set aside or destroy such benefits are wicked men and enemies of the public safety.

He also commends instruction, without which a commonwealth cannot stand; for, as Solomon says, where prophecy is not, the nation must be ruined (Proverbs 29:18).

At the same time, he commends the mechanical arts, agriculture, manual occupations of every description, architecture, and the like, which we cannot do without. For all artisans of every kind who contribute what is useful to people are the servants of God and have the same end in view as those previously mentioned: namely, the preservation of mankind.

The same thing must be said about war. For, although lawful, war should be nothing other than an attempt to obtain peace. Yet sometimes an engagement is unavoidable, so that those who have the power of the sword may use it and defend themselves and their followers by arms. War, therefore, is not in itself to be condemned, for it is the means of preserving the commonwealth.

Nor must eloquence be despised, for it is often needed, both in public and in private life, to clearly and fully explain and demonstrate something as true. This is also counted among the gifts and important blessings of God, when a state abounds in wise and eloquent men, who can contend with the adversaries in the gate (Psalms 127:5).

This passage may be summarized as follows: “When God takes away those gifts and alters the condition of a people—in whatever way this takes place, either by changing the form of government or by taking away the rulers—the anger of God must be acknowledged.” For, as Hosea says, He takes away Kings in His wrath,
And appoints them in His indignation (Hosea 13:11).

Let us not, therefore, ascribe these changes to chance or other causes.