Isaiah 3:18

18 At that time the Lord will take away everything that makes them proud: their beautiful ankle bracelets, their headbands, their necklaces shaped like the moon,

Isaiah 3:18 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 3:18

In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of [their]
tinkling ornaments [about their feet]
With which they made a tinkling as they went, ( Isaiah 3:16 ) it being about the shoe, and made a noise; or seeing the word used signifies "stocks", and is so rendered ( Proverbs 7:22 ) , it may design some sort of attire about the feet, as golden chains, as the Talmudists say F20, which being fastened to both, directed their motion in walking, and prevented them taking too large steps: or rather these may intend some ornaments of the feet, used by the eastern nations; which, according to Golius, as related by De Dieu on the place, were plates of gold, one or two fingers broad, and sometimes four, which were put about the ankles of infants of rich families; not to make a tinkling, nor to direct their walk, but for ornament, and to distinguish them from the meaner sort. The Targum renders it, "the ornament of the shoes"; these were put about the place where the shoes were tied; and in the Talmud F21 the word is explained by (hyyqydrwq) , "shoes"; which the gloss interprets of wooden shoes: the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, are, "the ornament of their clothing"; as if this was the general name for the particulars that follow: and [their] cauls:
the attire of the head, of network: the word is used in the Misnah F22 for the ornament of cauls; which was, as one of their commentators F23 says, a picture made upon the caul for ornament; it was placed upon the forehead, and reached from ear to ear; and it was made by itself, so that it might be removed, and put upon another caul. Under these cauls they plaited their hair; hence the Septuagint render the word "the plaiting and the curls"; and to the same purpose the Syriac and Arabic versions. And [their] round tires like the moon;
these were not tires for the head, as our version suggests; much less were they clasps, buckles, or strings for the shoes, in the form of a half moon; such as were the "lunuloe" which the Roman senators had on their feet, to distinguish them from the common people; and were used by Evander and the Arcadians, to show that they sprung from the moon; which custom the noblemen of Rome followed; and some say F24 they put them under their feet, see ( Revelation 12:1 ) but these were ornaments wore about the necks, such as those which were found upon the necks of the kings of Midian, and even upon the necks of their camels, ( Judges 8:21 Judges 8:26 ) where the same word is used as here; they were no other than bracelets, necklaces, or golden chains, in the form of the moon; and the word is in the Talmud F25 rendered (hyyqnwe) , "chains". See also footnote F26.


FOOTNOTES:

F20 T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 63. 2. Maimon. in Misn. Sabbat, c. 6. sect. 4.
F21 T. Hieros. Sabbat, fol. 8. 2.
F22 Misn. Sabbat, c. 28. sect. 10. & Negaim, c. 11. sect. 11.
F23 Bartenora in Misn. Sabbat, ib.
F24 Vid. Scacch, Sacrer. Eleaochr. Myrothec. 1. c. 49. col. 248.
F25 T. Hieros. Sabbat, fol. 8. 2.
F26 Vid. Bynaeus de Calceis Heb. l. 1. c. 9.

Isaiah 3:18 In-Context

16 The Lord says, "The women of Jerusalem are proud. They walk around with their heads held high, and they flirt with their eyes. They take quick, short steps, making noise with their ankle bracelets."
17 So the Lord will put sores on the heads of those women in Jerusalem, and he will make them lose their hair.
18 At that time the Lord will take away everything that makes them proud: their beautiful ankle bracelets, their headbands, their necklaces shaped like the moon,
19 their earrings, bracelets, and veils,
20 their scarves, ankle chains, the cloth belts worn around their waists, their bottles of perfume, and charms,
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.