ישעיהו, פרק ד׳, פסוק א׳

Following a devastating war and a crushing defeat, a severe demographic crisis takes hold. The massive loss of male lives leaves the surviving women in a desperate social and personal reality. This tragedy brings profound humiliation, serving as a measure-for-measure punishment for the pride and pursuit of luxury these women displayed in earlier times [מלבי״ם, שד״ל].

Historically, this catastrophic event is placed during the reign of King Ahaz, when the Kingdom of Judah suffered unimaginable losses. In a single day, one hundred and twenty thousand warriors fell at the hands of Pekah son of Remaliah, a punishment from God for the idolatry and widespread sins of that generation [רד״ק, שד״ל, אברבנאל]. In the aftermath, the surviving widows and single women are left entirely alone. In their desperation, large groups of women physically grab hold of any available man [רש״י, מצודת ציון]. They gather around a single individual, pleading with him to marry them, fully willing to enter into a shared marriage with other women [שד״ל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The concept of seven women approaching one man is not a precise count, but rather a familiar biblical symbol representing a great multitude, much like the days of the week [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, אברבנאל, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Driven by intense distress, these women make an extraordinary offer. They gladly and voluntarily surrender the basic rights that biblical law requires a husband to provide, such as food, clothing, and intimacy. Instead, they commit to fully supporting themselves. Their single request is to gain the official status and name of a married woman [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, אברבנאל, חומת אנך]. They plead for the man to remove, hide, or take away their shame [רש״י, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The primary approach among commentators is that this shame refers to the disgrace, loneliness, and helplessness of living exposed, without a protector or a future. However, another perspective suggests the shame refers to barrenness, meaning the women seek a husband specifically to bring children into the world [אברבנאל].

Alongside the events of King Ahaz, a strong tradition places this desperate scene during the destruction of the Temple. According to this account, King Nebuchadnezzar issued a strict decree threatening severe punishment for any of his soldiers who assaulted married women. Consequently, the women begged to be married and to carry a man's name for the sole purpose of securing legal and physical protection from the abuses of the conquering army [רש״י, מצודת דוד, רד״ק, חומת אנך, אברבנאל].