Verses 2-4 and 12 deal with the loss of power of the mighty men of Jerusalem. Because of their pride and wickedness, they will be removed and political authority will be given to children, babes, and women. Such a thought was untenable to one of Jewish tradition. This loss of power is part of the humbling of the loftiness of man theme discussed in the preceding chapter.
"Many of the Jewish kings before the Babylonian captivity came to rule at a very early age. Ahaz, Hezekiah, Amon, and Jehoiakim were all in their early twenties. Manasseh was only twelve, Josiah a mere eight years old, and Jehoiachim either eighteen or eight, depending upon whether the age recorded in 2 Kings or 2 Chronicles is correct. (See 2 Kgs 24:8, 2 Chr. 36:9)." (Isaiah: Prophet, Seer, and Poet, by Victor L. Ludlow, p. 103)