Isaiah 3:16

16 The LORD says, “Beautiful Zion is haughty: craning her elegant neck, flirting with her eyes, walking with dainty steps, tinkling her ankle bracelets.

Isaiah 3:16 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 3:16

Moreover the Lord saith, because the daughters of Zion are
haughty
The wives or daughters of the rulers, princes, or elders; these were "high", affected to look high and tall, and therefore stretched out their necks, and walked on tiptoes; or "were lifted up" with pride, which is the root and source of all the vanity expressed in their gesture and ornaments. And walk with stretched forth necks
or "throats"; looking high, and above others, and upon them with contempt and disdain; this is a sign of pride; see ( Psalms 75:5 ) : and wanton eyes;
either winking with their eyes to others to follow them to their houses, as Kimchi interprets it; so Jarchi thinks it is expressive of their looks, as we, of wanton looks; and the Septuagint render it, "with winking of eyes"; so the Syriac and Arabic versions, or painting their eyes; so the Targum,

``they walk with their eyes painted,''

as Jezebel painted her face, ( 2 Kings 9:30 ) ( Jeremiah 4:30 ) (arqyo) , in the Talmudic language, is used ^F17 for vermilion, or red lead, with which they painted their eyes, as they did also with (adydu) , ^F18 black lead. Walking and mincing [as] they go:
jumping and dancing as children in the streets; or using the like gesture as those who beat upon a drum; or walking in even paces, in a soft and delicate manner; all which senses Kimchi ^F19 observes in the word. The whole is rendered by the Septuagint, "and in the walk of their feet", or as they walk "together, drawing their coats" upon the ground after them, which makes a noise. The Targum is, "with hair rolled up", bound up and plaited. And making a tinkling with their feet;
having a sort of bells hanging on them, as Kimchi thinks, which made a noise as they went. Of the word here used, and the sense of it, (See Gill on Isaiah 3:18). The Targum renders it, "provoking with their feet"; either the lust of men; or the anger of the Lord, as the Syriac version; the Septuagint and Arabic versions, "playing with the feet".

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 T. Bab. Roshhashanah, fol. 18. 1. Misn. Sabbat. c. 12. sect. 4. Maimon. & Bartenora in ib.
F18 Targum on 2 Kings ix. 30.
F19 Sepher Shorash. rad. (Ppj) .

Isaiah 3:16 In-Context

14 The LORD comes forward to pronounce judgment on the elders and rulers of his people: “You have ruined Israel, my vineyard. Your houses are filled with things stolen from the poor.

15 How dare you crush my people, grinding the faces of the poor into the dust?” demands the Lord, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

16 The LORD says, “Beautiful Zion is haughty: craning her elegant neck, flirting with her eyes, walking with dainty steps, tinkling her ankle bracelets.

17 So the Lord will send scabs on her head; the LORD will make beautiful Zion bald.”

18 On that day of judgment the Lord will strip away everything that makes her beautiful: ornaments, headbands, crescent necklaces,

Footnotes

• [a]. Or The women of Zion (with corresponding changes to plural forms through verse 24 ); Hebrew reads The daughters of Zion; also in 3:17 .