Isaiah 3:16-26

The Pride of Jerusalem’s Women

16 And Yahweh said: "Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and they walk [with] outstretched neck, and they give flirting glances [with their] eyes, {mincing along as they go}, and {with their feet they rattle their bangles},
17 the Lord will make the heads of the daughters of Zion scabby, and Yahweh will lay their foreheads bare."
18 In that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets and the headbands and the crescent necklaces,
19 the pendants and the bracelets and the veils,
20 the headdresses and the armlets and the sashes, and the {perfume boxes} and the amulets,
21 the signet rings and the nose rings,
22 the festal robes and the mantles, and the cloaks and the handbags,
23 and the mirrors and the linen garments, and the turbans and the wraps.
24 And this shall happen: There will be a stench instead of perfume, and a rope instead of a sash, and baldness instead of a well-set hairdo, and a clothing wrap of sackcloth instead of a rich robe, branding instead of beauty.
25 Your men shall fall by the sword, and your warriors in battle.
26 And her gates shall lament and mourn, and she shall be banished; she shall sit upon the ground.

Isaiah 3:16-26 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 3

In this chapter the Jews are threatened with various calamities, on account of their sins, which would issue in their entire ruin and destruction. They are threatened with a famine, Isa 3:1 with a removal of useful men in church and state, and in common life, Isa 3:2,3 with ignorant and effeminate governors; the consequences of which would be oppression and insolence, Isa 3:4,5 yea, that such would be their state and condition, that men, though naturally ambitious of honour, would refuse to have the government of them, Isa 3:6,7 the reasons of these calamities, and of this ruin and fall of them, are their evil words and actions against the Lord, which were highly provoking to him; and their impudence in sinning like Sodom, which was to their own harm, Isa 3:8,9 yet, in the midst of all this, it is the will of God that the righteous should be told it shall be well with them, with the reason of it; when it shall be ill with the wicked, as a just recompence of reward, Isa 3:10,11 the errors and mistakes of the people are attributed to their childish and effeminate governors, Isa 3:12 wherefore the Lord determines to plead their cause, and contend with their elders and rulers, because they had spoiled and devoured the poor, Isa 3:13-15 and particularly the women are threatened, for their pride and luxury, to have their ornaments taken from them, which are particularly mentioned, Isa 3:16-24 and the chapter is concluded with a prophecy, that their mighty men should perish by the sword in war, and the city should be desolate, Isa 3:25,26.

Footnotes 6

  • [a]. There are two Hebrew words for "because" here
  • [b]. Literally "they go walking and mincing along"
  • [c]. Literally "they tinkle with their feet"
  • [d]. Hebrew "head"
  • [e]. Literally "houses of [the] breath"
  • [f]. That is, Jerusalem's
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.