The Gods Word to Women Word Press site is a great Bible study resource. https://godswordtowomen.wordpress.com/
In her article Isaiah 3:12 – “the nations could sink no lower than to pass under women rulers”???, Charis explores the meaning of the words עולל (Strong’s H5065), and נשים (Strong’s H802), translated ‘children’ and ‘women’ in most Bible versions, except the Brenton Septuagint where they are translated ‘exactors’ and ‘extortioners’, and the Good News Translation ‘moneylenders’ and ‘creditors’.
The following evidence supports that these words mean ‘gleaners’ and ‘debtors’:
- the Hebrew word עולל (Strong’s H5768 21 occurrences) that means ‘child’, is often found in the form עלל, that can mean ‘to act severely’ (Strong’s H5953 19 occurrences), or ‘a gleaning’ (Strong’s H5955 6 occurrences).
- The Hebrew word נשי (Strong’s H5386 1 occurrence) means ‘a debt’, from נשה (Strong’s H5383 13 occurrences) that means ‘to lend, become a creditor’. Also, the Hebrew נשך (Strong’s H5392 10 occurrences) means ‘interest, usury’, from נשך (Strong’s H5391 16 occurrences) that means ‘usury, oppress with interest’.
Let’s compare the properly translated Isaiah 3:12 found in the Good News Translation to the improperly translated verse in the King James Bible:
“Moneylenders oppress my people, and their creditors cheat them. My people, your leaders are misleading you, so that you do not know which way to turn.” Good News Translation
“As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.” King James Bible
We see by this comparison, that most Bibles have rendered the English translation not only useless to understand God’s word, but deceptive as to who the oppressors of God’s people are, making it appear that children and woman are the problem, when it is the creditors. When the first sentence says “women rule over them”, then the assumption could be made that women ruling over them are “they which lead thee cause thee to error” in the second sentence.
That is why it is critical that we study the Bible in Hebrew, testing the translation to ensure we understand it’s meaning, so we don’t head in the wrong direction as a result of a faulty translation.