Isaiah 3

14. ancients--Hence they are spoken of as "taken away" ( Isaiah 3:1 Isaiah 3:2 ).
vineyard--the Jewish theocracy ( Isaiah 5:1-7 , Psalms 80:9-13 ).
eaten up--"burnt"; namely, by "oppressive exactions" ( Isaiah 3:12 ). Type of the crowning guilt of the husbandmen in the days of Jesus Christ ( Matthew 21:34-41 ).
spoil . . . houses--( Matthew 23:14 ).

15. What right have ye to beat, &c. ( Psalms 94:5 , Micah 3:2 Micah 3:3 ).
grind--by exactions, so as to leave them nothing.
faces--persons; with the additional idea of it being openly and palpably done. "Presence," equivalent to "face" (Hebrew).

16. Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, &c.--Luxury had become great in Uzziah's prosperous reign ( 2 Chronicles 26:5 ).
stretched forth--proudly elevated ( Psalms 75:5 ).
wanton--rather, "making the eyes to glance about," namely, wantonly ( Proverbs 6:13 ) [MAURER]. But LOWTH, "falsely setting off the eyes with paint." Women's eyelids in the East are often colored with stibium, or Jeremiah 4:30 , Margin).
mincing--tripping with short steps.
tinkling--with their ankle rings on both feet, joined by small chains, which sound as they walk, and compel them to take short steps; sometimes little bells were attached ( Isaiah 3:18 Isaiah 3:20 ).

17. smite with a scab--literally "make bald," namely, by disease.
discover--cause them to suffer the greatest indignity that can befall female captives, namely to be stripped naked, and have their persons exposed ( Isaiah 47:3 ; compare with Isaiah 20:4 ).

18. bravery--the finery.
tinkling--(See Isaiah 3:16 ).
cauls--network for the head. Or else, from an Arabic root, "little suns," answering to the "tires" or neck ornaments, "like the moon" ( Judges 8:21 ). The chumarah or crescent is also worn in front of the headdress in West Asia.

19. chains--rather, pendants, hanging about the neck, and dropping on the breast.
mufflers--veils covering the face, with apertures for the eyes, close above and loosely flowing below. The word radically means "tremulous," referring to the changing effect of the spangles on the veil.

20. bonnets--turbans.
ornaments of the legs--the short stepping chains from one foot to another, to give a measured gait; attached to the "tinkling ornaments" ( Isaiah 3:16 ).
headbands--literally, "girdles."
tablets--rather, "houses of the breath," that is, smelling boxes [Vulgate].
earrings--rather, amulets suspended from the neck or ears, with magic formulæ inscribed; the root means to "whisper" or "conjure."

21. nose jewels--The cartilage between the nostrils was bored to receive them; they usually hung from the left nostril.

22. Here begin entire articles of apparel. Those before were single ornaments.
changeable--from a root, "to put off"; not worn commonly; put on and off on special occasions. So, dress clothes ( Zechariah 3:4 ).
mantles--fuller tunics with sleeves, worn over the common one, reaching down to the feet.
wimples--that is, mufflers, or hoods. In Ruth 3:15 , "veils"; perhaps here, a broad cloak, or shawl, thrown over the head and body.
crisping pins--rather, money bags ( 2 Kings 5:23 ).

23. glasses--mirrors of polished metal ( Exodus 38:8 ). But the Septuagint, a transparent, gauze-like, garment.
hoods--miters, or diadems ( Isaiah 62:3 , Zechariah 3:5 ).
veils--large enough to cover the head and person. Distinct from the smaller veils ("mufflers") above ( Genesis 24:65 ). Token of woman's subjection ( 1 Corinthians 11:10 ).

24. stink--arising from ulcers ( Zechariah 14:12 ).
girdle--to gird up the loose Eastern garments, when the person walked.
rent--the Septuagint, better, a "rope," an emblem of poverty; the poor have nothing else to gird up their clothes with.
well-set hair--( 1 Peter 3:3 1 Peter 3:4 ).
baldness--( Isaiah 3:17 ).
stomacher--a broad plaited girdle.
sackcloth--( 2 Samuel 3:31 ).
burning--a sunburnt countenance, owing to their hoods and veils being stripped off, while they had to work as captives under a scorching sun ( Solomon 1:6 ).

25. Thy men--of Jerusalem.

26. gates--The place of concourse personified is represented mourning for the loss of those multitudes which once frequented it.
desolate . . . sit upon . . . ground--the very figure under which Judea was represented on medals after the destruction by Titus: a female sitting under a palm tree in a posture of grief; the motto, Judæa capta ( Job 2:13 , Lamentations 2:10 , where, as here primarily, the destruction by Nebuchadnezzar is alluded to).