Isaiah 3:18

18 In that day the Lord shall take away the ornament of shoes, and golden little bells like the moon, (On that day the Lord shall take away all the ornaments for shoes, the little gold bells 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 And the Lord God said, For that that the daughters of Zion were raised (up), and went with neck stretched forth, and went by signs of eyes, and clapped with hands, and went, and with their feet went in well-arrayed going (and went with their feet in well-arrayed fashion, and with bangles on their ankles),
17 the Lord shall make bald the noll of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord shall make naked the hair of them. (the Lord shall make the daughters of Zion bald, yea, the Lord shall shave off all their hair.)
18 In that day the Lord shall take away the ornament of shoes, and golden little bells like the moon, (On that day the Lord shall take away all the ornaments for shoes, the little gold bells like the moon,)
19 and (also the) ribbons, and brooches, and (the) ornaments of arms nigh the shoulders,
20 and mitres, either chaplets, and combs, and ornaments of arms nigh the hands, and (the) golden ornaments like lampreys, and little vessels of ointments, and earrings,
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.