Old Testament & Book of Mormon Commentary
- Isaiah 3 / 2 Nephi 13

Judah and Jerusalem shall be punished for their disobedience—The Lord pleads for and judges his people—The daughters of Zion cursed and tormented for their worldliness—Compare 2 Nephi 13.

Judah and Jerusalem shall be punished for their disobedience—The Lord pleads for and judges his people—The daughters of Zion are cursed and tormented for their worldiness—Compare Isaiah 3. [Between 559 and 545 B.C.]

 3^a The captain of fifty Of all the various ranks of leadership of the military/'police' from 10 to 1,000, it is the 'captain of fifty' which seems to hold some significance in scripture. Laban, Lehi's relation, was such, a 'captain of fifty'. But in particular, Laban was 'captain of fifty' within the city of Jerusalem and not merely out in the battle field. That Laban would attend meetings with the elders of the church fully dressed in his military armor with sword, must speak to the fact that Laban in particular was a 'captain of fifty' unto the church, its sarim/princes of judgment— the council of elders/rulers in the city. Like that officer of the Sanhedrin, who came to arrest Jesus in the garden, Laban was that military or police officer who enforced the commands of the judgment council of the elder of the Law of Moses. Laban would have been the one who was given the charge to take Lehi when the 'Jews,' meaning that very judgment council, determined that Lehi was to be so taken and done away with, as it was also so in the case of them arresting and taking Jeremiah later on in those days in Jerusalem.

 1^a the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem, and from Judah, the stay and the staff, the whole staff of bread, and the whole stay of water Filled with dualistic meanings, the fact that the Jews did reject the Lord when it did appear that he was of Judah has brought the lose to Judah of all things, including even the claim to the Messiah. Judah had presumed to have had prevailed in Israel and in that David had claimed Judah over Israel. Thus in the writings of the Jews, they did claim the parenthood of the Messiah to be through Boaz unto Judah. Yet when the child they claimed as their own did come unto them, they did reject and curcify him. Thus the true Mother in Israel will claim her child and that is Rachel. For Obed was the firstborn of Ruth unto the dead, her husband Mahlon the son of Elimelech, Ephrathites meaning Ephraimites. An the Messiah will be taken from Judah and given to his true tribe and the house of Joseph in the last days of the restoration through Ephraim to the establishment of Zion on the land of Joseph, and the coming of the Lord in glory as the true heir of the covenant through Joseph by whom the promises remained (D&C 27:10 ~ See also Messiah ben David ~ Messiah ben Joseph).

 7^a in my house there is neither bread nor clothing; make me not a ruler of the people The day will be when the poor will be they who are considered the righteous or in that all will be made poor and have nothing. Then who will rule the Lord's people when none are of substance, but all are poor one like unto another. The Lord's plan of shared substance may then be the only means available by which men might survive. Will the Lord so force the living of his law upon us or will those who do have share with those who do not to the making of all one with another having all things common among them?

 13^a The LORD standeth up to plead As the Mediator, Intercessor and Advocate of mankind, it is Jesus/Jehovah who will 'plead' our cause before God the Father of Spirits.

 13^b standeth to judge the people And it is also Jesus/Jehovah who will be given the right to judge the people, the House of God, 'Jerusalem', his people, the House of Israel (Zechariah 3:7 and Hebrews 12:22).

 13^c The Lord Or 'The LORD'? That is the question. As Jehovah, who is the same as Jesus Christ, stands in the 'stead of the Father' particularly in the Old Testament reference as the God of the Old Testament Jehovah, it is proper and correct to use all caps as in 'LORD' as Jehovah does stand in the stead of God the Father of Spirits. Yet also, as Jesus Christ the Son of the Father, it is correct to use the initial capital 'Lord', recognizting Jesus as the Son, who is also Jehovah, to denote Jesus' 'submission' to the well of the FATHER in all things. So which is correct? Both, depending upon the current emphasis being stated, Jehovah acting in the stead of the FATHER, is LORD and Jehovah as Jesus Christ, as the Book of Mormon particularly speaks as being the same as Jesus, is the 'Lord' acting according to the direction and the will of the FATHER, is subjection to him.

19 The chains and the bracelets, and the mufflers; 
20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the ear-rings; 
21 The rings, and nose jewels; 
22 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping-pins; 
23 The glasses, and the fine linen, and hoods, and the veils.