< 2 Nephi 14 >
v. 1 And in that day, seven women shall take hold of one man, saying: We will eat our bread, and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach.
We want your name backIn ancient Israel, marriage and family were the foundation of social and economic stability.
A woman unmarried or childless could face:
So the scene Isaiah paints is one of desperation and reversal: Seven women (a symbolic number for “many”) plead with one man to take them in marriage — not for provision or luxury, but simply to remove their reproach (the shame of barrenness or being unmarried). They even say, “We’ll eat our own bread and wear our own apparel” — meaning, we’ll provide for ourselves; we just need your name.
Symbolic / Prophetic Meaning:
Isaiah often uses marriage as a metaphor for covenant relationship between God and His people. Here, the women can represent Israel (or the Church) seeking to be called by the Lord’s name after having been spiritually unfaithful.
The imagery suggests:
“We no longer seek worldly sustenance — only to be restored to covenant relationship, that our shame (sin, separation) may be taken away.”
So while on the surface it’s social devastation, at a deeper level it’s spiritual longing — Israel humbled, yearning for reconciliation with her divine Bridegroom.
We want your name backIn ancient Israel, marriage and family were the foundation of social and economic stability.
A woman unmarried or childless could face:
- economic insecurity,
- social reproach (seen as a mark of divine disfavor), and
- loss of posterity or inheritance.
So the scene Isaiah paints is one of desperation and reversal: Seven women (a symbolic number for “many”) plead with one man to take them in marriage — not for provision or luxury, but simply to remove their reproach (the shame of barrenness or being unmarried). They even say, “We’ll eat our own bread and wear our own apparel” — meaning, we’ll provide for ourselves; we just need your name.
Symbolic / Prophetic Meaning:
Isaiah often uses marriage as a metaphor for covenant relationship between God and His people. Here, the women can represent Israel (or the Church) seeking to be called by the Lord’s name after having been spiritually unfaithful.
The imagery suggests:
“We no longer seek worldly sustenance — only to be restored to covenant relationship, that our shame (sin, separation) may be taken away.”
So while on the surface it’s social devastation, at a deeper level it’s spiritual longing — Israel humbled, yearning for reconciliation with her divine Bridegroom.