Isaiah 3:14-24

14 The Lord will enter into judgment with the ¹elders and princes of his people: “It is you who ²have devoured^[a] the vineyard, ³the spoil of the poor is in your houses.

15 What do you mean by ⁴crushing my people, by grinding the face of the poor? ”declares the Lord God of hosts.

16 The Lord said: ⁵Because ⁶the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with outstretched necks, glancing wantonly with their eyes, mincing along as they go, ⁷tinkling with their feet,

17 therefore the Lord ⁸will strike with a scab the heads of ⁹the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will lay bare their secret parts.

18 In that day the Lord will take away ¹⁰the finery of the anklets, the ¹¹headbands, and the ¹²crescents;

19 the pendants, the bracelets, and the scarves;

20 the ¹³headdresses, the armlets, the sashes, the perfume boxes, and the amulets;

21 the signet rings and ¹⁴nose rings;

22 the ¹⁵festal robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the handbags;

23 the mirrors, the linen garments, the turbans, and the veils.

24 Instead of ¹⁶perfume there will be rottenness; and instead of a ¹⁷belt, a rope; and instead of ¹⁸well-set hair, ¹⁹baldness; and instead of a rich robe, a ²⁰skirt of sackcloth; and ²¹branding instead of beauty.

Isaiah 3:14-24 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.

Cross References

• 1. 3:14 Mic. 3:1
• 2. 3:14 Ps. 14:4
• 3. 3:14 Amos 3:10
• 4. 3:15 [Ps. 94:5]
• 5. 3:16 See ch. 32:9-11
• 6. 3:16 ch. 4:4; Song 3:11
• 7. 3:16 ver. 18
• 8. 3:17 [Deut. 28:60]
• 9. 3:17 [See ver. 16 above]
• 10. 3:18 ver. 16
• 11. 3:18 [1 Pet. 3:3]
• 12. 3:18 Judg. 8:21, 26
• 13. 3:20 Ex. 39:28; Ezek. 24:17
• 14. 3:21 Gen. 24:47; Ezek. 16:12
• 15. 3:22 [Luke 15:22]
• 16. 3:24 [Esth. 2:12]
• 17. 3:24 Prov. 31:24
• 18. 3:24 1 Pet. 3:3
• 19. 3:24 ch. 15:2; 22:12; Ezek. 27:31; Amos 8:10; Mic. 1:16
• 20. 3:24 ch. 15:3; Gen. 37:34; Lam. 2:10
• 21. 3:24 Lev. 19:28

Footnotes

• [a] 3:14 Or 'grazed over'; compare Exodus 22:5