Isaiah 3:24

24 And stink shall be for sweet odour, and a cord for the girdle; baldness shall be for the crisp hair, and an hair-shirt for a breast girdle.

Isaiah 3:24 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 3:24

And it shall come to pass, [that] instead of sweet smell
there shall be a stink
Instead of "spice", or in the place where they put spices, carried musk, or had their smelling bottles, of precious and aromatic ointment, balsam, and myrrh, and such like things {g}, namely, in their bosoms, there should be a "stink" or putrefaction, arising from ulcers and diseases of the body, ( Zechariah 14:12 ) the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, render it "dust"; or this may refer to the anointing of their hair with ointment of myrrh and other things, which gave an agreeable scent; but instead of this there would be a scab, giving an ill scent, ( Isaiah 3:17 ) and instead of a girdle a rent;
such as is made in times of mourning and distress, or by the enemy. The Septuagint and Arabic versions render it, a "rope"; instead of fine curious girdles, wrought with gold and silver, they should have nothing but a rope about their loins. The Targum is,

``in the place where they bind the girdles, shall be marks of smiting;''

stripes, cuts, see ( Isaiah 10:34 ) as either by blows from the enemy, by whom they should be taken, or by the hand of God, being smitten with sores and ulcers, so that they should not be able to bear girdles upon them; or "holes", in their clothes or skin: and instead of well set hair baldness;
instead of plaited hair, and curled locks, kept in order, there would be scabs, ulcers, leprosy, or such diseases as would cause the hair to fall off, and leave a baldness. The Septuagint and Arabic versions render it, "instead of the golden ornament of the head, thou shall have baldness for thy works"; and the Syriac version, "instead of gems, incisions": and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth;
the word for a "stomacher" is only used in this place; according to Kimchi, it signifies a very broad girdle; but Aben Ezra says it was a thin garment embroidered, which was put over all the rest of the clothes; perhaps something like a "mantelet". The Septuagint version renders it, "instead of the garment worked with purple"; and so the Syriac version, "instead of their hyacinths, or purples"; and the Arabic version, "instead of thy silken garment thou shall be girt with sackcloth"; which was usually done in times of distress and mourning: [and] burning instead of beauty;
either through the scorching beams of the sun, being stripped of their hoods and veils; or rather this is to be understood of carbuncles, and such like hot burning ulcers in their faces, which once were beautiful, and they prided themselves in; though the Hebrew word (yk) seems rather to be a preposition than a noun; so Jarchi, whose note is,

``for this is fit to be unto them instead of beauty, with which they have prided themselves,''

or have lifted up themselves; and so in his gloss upon the Talmud ^F8, where this clause, with the context, is cited and paraphrased,

``for all these things shall come unto thee instead of thy beauty;''

and this clause may be read in connection with the following, "because of beauty", or "instead of beauty, thy men shall fall" and so the Targum,

``this vengeance shall be taken on them, because they have committed fornication in their beauty; thy beautiful men shall be killed by the sword.''

The Syriac version is, "because their beauty shall be corrupted", and those versions which seem to have left out this clause, yet retain something of it in the beginning of the next verse ( Isaiah 3:25 ) . The Vulgate Latin version is, "thy most beautiful men also shall fall by the sword". The Septuagint and Arabic versions begin it thus, "and thy beautiful son, whom thou lovest, shall fall by the sword".

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 Misn. Sabbat, c. 6. sect. 3.
F8 T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 62. 2.

Isaiah 3:24 In-Context

22 and changing clothes, and mantles, and sheets, either smocks, and needles [and pins], (and changes of clothing, and cloaks, and smocks, and pins and needles,)

23 and mirrors, and small linen clothes about the shoulders, and kerchiefs, and rochets. (and mirrors, and capes, and handkerchiefs, and veils.)

24 And stink shall be for sweet odour, and a cord for the girdle; baldness shall be for the crisp hair, and an hair-shirt for a breast girdle.

25 Also thy fairest men shall fall by sword, and thy strong men shall fall in battle. (And thy best shall fall by the sword, and thy strong shall fall in battle.)

26 And the gates thereof shall wail, and mourn; and it shall sit desolate in [the] earth. (And her gates shall wail, and mourn; and she shall sit desolate upon the ground.)