Isaiah 3:17

17 therefore the Lord 1will strike with a scab the heads of 2the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will lay bare their secret parts.

Isaiah 3:17 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 3:17

Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the
head of the daughters of Zion
This is opposed to the lifting up of their heads in that haughty manner they did, and to the binding, and plaiting, and curling of their hair, which now will fall off, through the scab or leprosy upon them, or must be obliged to be shaven off. And the Lord will discover their secret parts;
the Vulgate Latin renders it, "their hair", which is their glory, ( 1 Corinthians 11:6 ) . The Targum is, "and the Lord shall take away their glory". The Syriac and Arabic versions render it "their sex", that which distinguishes their sex; of which Aben Ezra and Kimchi interpret it; than which nothing could be more distressing and intolerable, being worse than baldness of the head, and yet common with captives; and the Septuagint render it "their habit": the meaning is, they shall be stripped of their fine apparel, and be clothed in rags, so that their nakedness shall be seen. An enumeration of the several particulars follows.

Isaiah 3:17 In-Context

15 What do you mean by crushing my people, by grinding the face of the poor?" declares the Lord GOD of hosts.
16 The LORD said: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with outstretched necks, glancing wantonly with their eyes, mincing along as they go, tinkling with their feet,
17 therefore the Lord will strike with a scab the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will lay bare their secret parts.
18 In that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, the headbands, and the crescents;
19 the pendants, the bracelets, and the scarves;

Cross References 2

  • 1. [Deuteronomy 28:60]
  • 2. [See ver. 16 above]
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.