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Isaiah 3:16 Moreover, the
LORD
said,
"Because
* the
daughters of
Zion are
proud and
walk with
heads
held
high and
seductive
eyes, and
go along with
mincing
steps And
tinkle the
bangles on
their
feet,
(NASB:
Lockman) |
|
English Translation of
the Greek (Septuagint):
Thus saith the Lord, Because the daughters of Sion are haughty, and
have walked with an outstretched neck, and with winking of the eyes,
and motion of the feet, at the same time drawing their garments in
trains, and at the same time sporting with their feet:
Amplified: Moreover, the Lord said, Because the daughters of
Zion are haughty and walk with outstretched necks and with
undisciplined (flirtatious and alluring) eyes, tripping along with
mincing and affected gait, and making a tinkling noise with [the
anklets on] their feet,
(Amplified
Bible - Lockman)
KJV: Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are
haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking
and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:
NET: The LORD says, "The women of Zion are proud. They
walk with their heads high and flirt with their eyes. They skip along
and the jewelry on their ankles jingles.
(NET
Bible)
NJB: Yahweh says: Because Zion's daughters are proud and walk
with heads held high and enticing eyes -- with mincing steps they go,
jingling the bangles on their feet- (NJB)
NLT: Next the LORD will judge the women of Jerusalem, who walk
around with their noses in the air, with tinkling ornaments on their
ankles. Their eyes rove among the crowds, flirting with the men.(NLT
- Tyndale House)
Young's Literal: 'Because that daughters of Zion have
been haughty, And they walk stretching out the neck, And deceiving
with the eyes, Walking and mincing they go, And with their feet they
make a tinkling, |
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Moreover, the LORD said,
"Because the daughters of Zion are proud and walk with heads held
high and seductive eyes, and go along with mincing steps and tinkle
the bangles on their feet: (Daughters Is 1:8; 4:4; Matthew 21:5; Luke 23:28) (Proud - Is 24:4; 32:9, 10, 11;
Pr 16:18; 30:13; Ezek 16:49,50; Zeph 3:11)
The LORD said - Emphasizing
that
Jehovah
is speaking.
Because - explains in the
verse why
Jehovah
will judge the women beginning in
the next verse.
The daughters of Zion
(phrase used in Song 3:11, Is 3:16, 17, 4:4) - Jehovah specifically
focuses on the proud, wealthy women
in Judah who were the benefactors of their husbands' crimes against
the poor (Is 3:14, 15-notes).
Proud (01361)(gabah)
literally is that which is tall or high (like a tree Ezek 19:11;
Isaiah speaks of the Suffering Messiah who would be very high [gabah]
in Is 52:13). Here in Is 3:16 gabah is used figuratively to
describe these women's pride or haughtiness. It is notable that pride
is linked with the heart (Ezek 28:2, 5, 17; Ps 131:1; Pr 18:12;
2Chr 26:16; 32:25), with the eyes (words related to gabah used in Is
2:11; 5:15, Ps 101:5).
Pride was their root problem
The KJV translates it as
haughty which describes one who is blatantly and disdainfully
proud. Furthermore, haughty suggests a consciousness of
superior birth or position (cp the phrase "a haughty aristocrat").
The
Septuagint
translates gabah with the
verb hupsoo which literally means lifted up or raised high and
figuratively means to exalt oneself or think of oneself as better than
others (used with this meaning in Mt 23:12).
Solomon uses gabah
describing the heart declaring that...
Before destruction (ruin,
affliction) the heart of man is haughty (gabah), but humility
goes before honor. (Pr 18:12).
The prophet Jeremiah
uses gabah exhorting his hearers...
Listen
(command) and give heed
(command), do not be haughty (gabah), (Why
not?) for the Lord has
spoken. (Je 13:15).
Gabah - 33v in the OT - 1Sa
10:23; 2Chr 17:6; 26:16; 32:25; 33:14; Job 5:7; 35:5; 36:7; 39:27; Ps.
103:11; 113:5; 131:1; Pr. 17:19; 18:12; Isa. 3:16; 5:16; 7:11; 52:13;
55:9; Je 13:15; 49:16; Ezek 16:50; 17:24; 19:11; 21:26; 28:2, 5, 17;
31:5, 10, 14; Ob 1:4; Zeph 3:11
The NAS renders gabah
as build high(1), exalt(2), exalted(4), haughty(4), high(4),
higher(3), lifted(3), loftier(1), made high(1), make high(1),
mounts(1), proud(4), raised(1), raises(1), taller(1), took great
pride(1), upward(1).
Young explains that...
When the women are wholly vain and
self-centered, the cancer of moral decay is truly consuming the
nation’s heart. Proper adornment and true beauty in women should be a
reflection of the glory of God. When women cultivate and cherish
beauty only for itself, they are infringing upon and detracting from
the glory and beauty that belong to Him. That ordinary women of the
world should be vainglorious might be expected. But the daughters of
Zion, women who live in the city of God, under the very shadow of the
Temple, who should have set the example of the beauty of holiness,
these are haughty and walk with outstretched neck.
Walk with heads held high
- This picture needs no description, for we have all encountered
"snooty" women who think more highly of themselves then they ought (Ro
12:3). Literally the Hebrew here reads “with an outstretched neck.”
Why outstretched?
They were seeking attention, attempting to proudly display the jewelry
around their necks.
Young observes that...
“To stretch out the neck” served in
the ancient world as a succinct expression for haughtiness. In the
ancient Syriac language, for example, “to stretch out the neck” meant
“to be haughty.” In the Hamasa it is said, “by our noses and necks
pride is shown,” and in the Proverbs of Maidani (No. 30), we read,
“Much money does nothing else than to make the neck long.” (Young,
Ed: The Book of Isaiah - 3 Volume Commentary. Eerdmans Pub.
1992-hardcopy or
Logos
or
Wordsearch)
Seductive eyes...mincing
steps...bangles - Flirtatious attention seekers!
Seductive (08265)
(saqar - this verse is the only use in OT) describes a flirting
glance, ogling with one's eyes, communicating the message of desire
for a possible relationship.
Solomon warns men...
Do not desire her beauty in your
heart, nor let her catch you with her eyelids. (Pr 6:25-note)
(Listen to the words "it's the second glance that ties your hands
as darkness pulls the string" in the powerful
Slow Fade by Casting Crowns)
Go along with mincing steps
- English dictionaries define mincing describes one's manner, speaking
or gait as affectedly (affectation = act of taking on or displaying an
attitude or mode of behavior not natural to oneself or not genuinely
felt) dainty or delicate. Isaiah's point is that these wealthy women
were too self absorbed, self centered and puffed up to be humble and
God absorbed. Their lack of concern for justice and righteousness in
Judah was manifest in the way they dressed.
Young observes (and I
think history bears him out) that...
When the women of a nation
have turned to such an extent away from God, the end of that nation
cannot be far away. (Ibid)
Constable sums up the
proud appearance of these women writing that...
Pride led these ladies to walk with
their noses in the air assuming superiority over others and to use
their eyes to draw men to themselves. They took small steps to give
the appearance of humility and drew attention even to their feet.
Everything they did was designed to attract attention. (Isaiah 3 - Expository Notes)
John Calvin adds that
God's warnings of judgment are now directed...
against the ambition, luxury, and
pride of women...He therefore pronounces censure on gorgeous robes and
superfluous ornaments, which were undoubted proofs of vanity and
ostentation...First he justly declares pride to be the source of the
evil, and points it out by the sign, that is, by their gait (mincing
steps). (Commentary
on Isaiah)
John MacArthur observes
that...
When women cultivate beauty for
beauty’s sake, they thereby reflect the moral decay of the nations and
detract from the glory of God. Rather than emphasizing outward apparel
and activities (Is 3:16-24), ladies should cultivate the beauty of the
inner person (1Ti 2:9,10; 1Pe 3:3,4).
(MacArthur,
J.: The MacArthur Study Bible Nashville: Word
or
Logos)
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Isaiah 3:17 Therefore
the
Lord will
afflict the
scalp of the
daughters of
Zion with
scabs, And the
LORD will
make their
foreheads
bare."
(NASB:
Lockman) |
|
English Translation of
the Greek (Septuagint):
therefore the Lord will humble the chief daughters of Sion, and the
Lord will expose their form in that day;
Amplified: Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown
of the heads of the daughters of Zion [making them bald], and the Lord
will cause them to be [taken as captives and to suffer the indignity
of being] stripped naked.
(Amplified
Bible - Lockman)
KJV: Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the
head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret
parts.
NET: So the sovereign master will afflict the foreheads of
Zion's women with skin diseases, the LORD will make the front of their
heads bald."
(NET
Bible)
NJB: the Lord will give Zion's daughters scabby heads,
Yahweh will lay their foreheads bare. (NJB)
NLT: The Lord will send a plague of scabs to ornament their
heads. Yes, the LORD will make them bald for all to see!
18 The Lord will strip away their artful beauty--their ornaments,
headbands, and crescent necklaces;
(NLT
- Tyndale House)
Young's Literal: The Lord also hath scabbed The crown of
the head of daughters of Zion, And Jehovah their simplicity exposeth. |
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Therefore the Lord will
afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs, and the LORD
will make their foreheads bare: (Afflict - Leviticus
13:29,30,43,44; Deuteronomy 28:27; Revelation 16:2) ( make naked - Is
20:4; 47:2,3; Jeremiah 13:22; Ezekiel 16:36,37; 23:25, 26, 27, 28, 29;
Micah 1:11; Nahum 3:5)
Solomon's proverb applies...
Pride goes before destruction, and
a haughty spirit before stumbling. (Pr 16:18)
The Lord (0136)
(adon) means the one who is master, is often used in place of
Yahweh which many Jews felt was too holy to utter, and emphasizes the
supreme authority or absolute mastery of God over all things, animate
and inanimate.
Will afflict the scalp
- There is no reason to not interpret this prophecy of future judgment
literally. It is certainly a horrible picture and the antithesis of
their ostentatious, pomposity described look in Is 3:16!
Scabs - These are
characterized by a crust of hardened blood and serum over a wound.
Scabs in place of beauty. They held their heads high, so fittingly it
would be their heads that would be so severely affected by God's
judgment.
Constable comments
that...
God would humble them by making the
hair that they loved so much a patch of scabs and the foreheads they
decorated so carefully bare. Having delighted in immodest exposure,
God gave them over to it (cf. Ro 1:24, 26, 28). He did not condemn
their luxurious lifestyle but their arrogant spirit, which their
lifestyle demonstrated. (Isaiah 3 - Expository Notes)
NETBible notes observes
that In the Hebrew text
Is 3:16,17 is one long sentence, “Because the daughters of Zion are
proud and walk…, the sovereign master will afflict….” In Is 3:17 the Lord refers to himself in the third person.
LORD will make their foreheads
bare -
Jehovah
, the covenant
keeping God, will cause the "glory" of these women, their hair, to
fall out. Imagine for a moment what these proud women looked like in
their day of glory and how contemptible they would appear in their day
of judgment. This is a powerful picture of God's just and righteous
wrath directed against pride, and it is one that should make all sane
men and women tremble with a holy fear and dread.
Note that the Septuagint
says that... the
Lord will humble the chief daughters of Sion, and the Lord will expose
their form in that day
Clarke comments...
It was the barbarous custom
of the conquerors of those times to strip their captives naked, and to
make them travel in that condition, exposed to the inclemency of the
weather; and the worst of all, to the intolerable heat of the sun. But
this to the women was the height of cruelty and indignity; and
especially to such as those here described, who had indulged
themselves in all manner of delicacies of living, and all the
superfluities of ornamental dress; and even whose faces had hardly
ever been exposed to the sight of man. This is always mentioned as the
hardest part of the lot of captives. |
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Isaiah 3:18 In that
day the
Lord will
take
away the
beauty of their
anklets,
headbands,
crescent
ornaments,
(NASB:
Lockman) |
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English Translation of
the Greek (Septuagint):
and the Lord will take away the glory of their raiment, the curls and
the fringes, and the crescents,
Amplified: In that day the Lord will take away the finery of
their tinkling anklets, the caps of network, the crescent head
ornaments,
(Amplified
Bible - Lockman)
KJV: In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of
their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their
round tires like the moon,
NET: At that time the sovereign master will remove their
beautiful ankle jewelry, neck ornaments, crescent shaped ornaments,
(NET
Bible)
NJB: That day the Lord will take away the ornamental chains,
medallions, crescents, (NJB)
NLT: The Lord will strip away their artful beauty--their
ornaments, headbands, and crescent necklaces;
(NLT
- Tyndale House)
Young's Literal: In that day doth the Lord turn aside The
beauty of the tinkling ornaments, And of the embroidered works, And of
the round tires like moons, |
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In that day the Lord will
take away the beauty of their anklets, headbands, crescent ornaments:
(Jdg 8:21) In that day
- The day when Adonai afflicts their scalps and makes them bald, in
the time leading up to and culminating in the third and final siege of
Jerusalem in 586BC when Judah would be utterly defeated, sacked and
plundered by the Babylonian forces who would seize these showy babbles
and bangles. As stated earlier, there are some that see a more
complete fulfillment in the time of the
Jacob's distress = the Great
Tribulation.
The Lord will take away the
beauty - Adonai, the Master, will remove the trappings of their
external beauty, the very things they trusted in, instead of placing
their trust in God.
Anklets (05914)
('ekec) is used only one other place in the OT. In Pr 7:22 'ekec
describes fetters or stocks, which serve as instruments for confining
persons or for controlling them to lead them to execution! One wonders
if there is a double entendre intended in Isaiah's description
of these proud women!
Headband - Used
only here and describes an ornamental decoration which encircled these
women's heads.
Beginning in this verse Isaiah
records 22 Judean "fashion" items that were a clear manifestation of
the pomposity and pride of the wearers. With the exception of the
amulets, these 22 fashion statements in themselves were not wrong.
It was the fact that these fashion statements were
manifestations of their proud hearts.
Crescent ornaments (07720)
(saharon) refers to moon shaped ornaments that were found on
camels (Jdg 8:21), kings (Jdg 8:26) and women (Is 3:18). |
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Isaiah 3:19 dangling
earrings,
bracelets,
veils,
(NASB:
Lockman) |
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English Translation of
the Greek (Septuagint):
and the chains, and the ornaments of their faces,
Amplified: The pendants, the bracelets or chains, and the
spangled face veils and scarfs,
(Amplified
Bible - Lockman)
KJV: The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,
NET: earrings, bracelets, veils,
(NET
Bible)
NJB: pendants, bracelets, trinkets, (NJB)
NLT: their earrings, bracelets, and veils of shimmering gauze.
(NLT
- Tyndale House)
Young's Literal: Of the drops, and the bracelets, and the
mufflers, |
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dangling earrings,
bracelets, veils: ( Genesis 24:22,30,53; 38:18,25; Exodus
35:22; Numbers 31:50; Ezekiel 16:11)
Dangling earrings - Ear
pendants. Drop shaped ornaments that hang from some point such as ear
lobe. Only other use in Jdg 8:26.
Bracelets - Only use in
the OT
Veils - Cloth covering
the face to accentuate the beauty. Only use in the OT
We need to understand that in
this list of 22 fashion items, it is not the items per se that are the
problem. The root problem as he has stated is pride, and these fashion
items simply reflect the arrogant hearts of these women.
As John Calvin
observed...
Wherever dress and splendor are
carried to excess, there is evidence of ambition, and many vices are
usually connected with it; for whence comes luxury in men and women
but from pride? (Commentary
on Isaiah)
Peter describes the
divine "fashion statement" as he exhorts women to...
let not your adornment be merely
external-- braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on
dresses but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the
imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious
in the sight of God. (1Pe 3:3,4-notes)
The heart of the problem of
these women in Jerusalem and Judah was their heart!
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Isaiah
3:20 headdresses,
ankle
chains,
sashes,
perfume
*
boxes,
amulets,
(NASB:
Lockman) |
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English Translation of
the Greek (Septuagint):
and the array of glorious ornaments, and the armlets, and the
bracelets, and the wreathed work, and the finger-rings, and the
ornaments for the right hand,
Amplified: The headbands, the short ankle chains [attached
from one foot to the other to insure a measured gait], the sashes, the
perfume boxes, the amulets or charms [suspended from the ears or
neck],
(Amplified
Bible - Lockman)
KJV: The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the
headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,
NET: headdresses, ankle ornaments, sashes, sachets,
amulets,
(NET
Bible)
NJB: diadems, ankle-chains, necklaces, scent bottles, amulets, (NJB)
NLT: Gone will be their scarves, ankle chains, sashes,
perfumes, and charms;
(NLT
- Tyndale House)
Young's Literal: Of the bonnets, and the ornaments of the
legs, And of the bands, And of the perfume boxes, and the amulets, |
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headdresses, ankle chains,
sashes, perfume boxes, amulets:
Headdresses - 7v in OT -
Exod. 39:28; Isa. 3:20; 61:3, 10; Ezek. 24:17, 23; 44:18 and rendered
in NAS as decorated(1), garland(2), headdresses(1), turban(1),
turbans(2).
Ankle chains - These
ornaments have made a revival in America in the 21st century. The
Amplified Bible has an interesting translation describing these
ornaments as "short ankle chains [attached from one foot to the other
to insure a measured gait]". This is an interesting thought that could
explain their "mincing" steps
Sashes - Is used only here
in the OT and describes a band worn about the waist (or over one
shoulder) as a dress accessory.
Perfume boxes - Literally
the Hebrew reads “houses of breath” where the Hebrew word for "breath"
(nephesh) refers to the soul, so one might call these "houses of the
soul"! Compare similar boxes in Song 1:13; Pr. 27:9; alabaster boxes
of Lk 7:37; Mt 26:7, Mk 14:3.
Amulets (03908)(lahas)
means whispering (speaking in low volume tones - Is 26:16),
enchantment (influencing with charms and incantation or charms. The
action of whispering, with the connotations of casting a spell, is the
basis for lahas. Isaiah uses lahas to describe
amulets as charms (as an ornament) often inscribed with a magic
incantation or symbols to protect the wearer against evil (as disease
or witchcraft). Lahas describes the charming of deadly snakes
through soothing sounds of some kind (Eccl 10:11; Je 8:17),
Lahas - 6v in OT - Eccl
10:11; Isa. 3:3, 20; 26:16; Je 8:17 and rendered in NAS as
amulets(1), charm(1), charmed(1), enchanter(1), whisper a prayer (1).
Isaiah uses this Hebrew noun
lahas earlier in this chapter to describe those who craft
clever words so as to enchant (enchanters = Is 3:3-note) |
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Isaiah 3:21 finger
rings,
nose
rings (NASB:
Lockman) |
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English Translation of
the Greek (Septuagint):
and the ear-rings, and the garments with scarlet borders,
Amplified: The signet rings and nose rings,
(Amplified
Bible - Lockman)
KJV: The rings, and nose jewels,
NET: rings, nose rings,
(NET
Bible)
NJB: finger-rings, nose-rings, (NJB)
NLT: their rings, jewels,
(NLT
- Tyndale House)
Young's Literal: Of the seals, and of the nose-rings, |
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finger rings, nose rings : (Jewelry
has some interesting connotations in the following cross references - Ge
35:4; Ex 32:2; Ezek 16:12; Ho 2:13)
Nose rings - How interesting
to see a reemergence of this and similar fashions in this section in
our own day! One wonders what it portends?! |
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Isaiah
3:22 festal
robes,
outer
tunics,
cloaks,
money
purses (NASB:
Lockman) |
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English Translation of
the Greek (Septuagint):
and the garments with purple grounds, and the shawls to be worn in the
house, and the Spartan transparent dresses,
Amplified: The festal robes, the cloaks, the stoles and
shawls, and the handbags,
(Amplified
Bible - Lockman)
KJV: The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the
wimples, and the crisping pins,
NET: festive dresses, robes, shawls, purses.
(NET
Bible)
NJB: party dresses, cloaks, scarves, purses (NJB)
NLT: party clothes, gowns, capes, and purses.
(NLT
- Tyndale House)
Young's Literal: Of the costly apparel, and of the
mantles, And of the coverings, and of the purses, |
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festal robes, outer tunics,
cloaks, money purses:
Walter L Wilson writes that baldness...
It is evident that the garments
referred to in this passage represent and are types of the outward
show with which hypocrites adorn themselves, thinking that this
outward pretense and sham will influence our Lord in the time of His
judgment. (Wilson's Dictionary
of Bible Types)
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Isaiah 3:23 hand
mirrors,
undergarments,
turbans and
veils. (NASB:
Lockman) |
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English Translation of
the Greek (Septuagint):
and those made of fine linen, and the purple ones, and the scarlet
ones, and the fine linen, interwoven with gold and purple, and the
light coverings for couches.
Amplified: The hand mirrors, the fine linen [undergarments],
the turbans, and the [whole body-enveloping] veils.
(Amplified
Bible - Lockman)
KJV: The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and
the veils.
NET: garments, vests, head coverings, and gowns.
(NET
Bible)
NJB: mirrors, linen clothes, turbans and mantillas. (NJB)
NLT: their mirrors, linen garments, head ornaments, and
shawls.
(NLT
- Tyndale House)
Young's Literal: Of the mirrors, and of the linen
garments, And of the hoods, and of the vails, |
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hand mirrors,
undergarments, turbans and veils: (Mirrors - Exodus 38:8)
(undergarments - Genesis 41:42; 1Chronicles 15:27; Ezekiel 16:10; Luke
16:19; Revelation 19:8,14) (Genesis 24:65; Ruth 3:15; Song of Solomon
5:7) The purpose for this lengthy list is to impress
the reader concerning the guilt of these gaudy, proud, materialistic women who
undoubtedly are able to dress this way because of the oppression and
plundering of the poor.
Vine comments that a...
general worldliness found its great
expression in the ways and doings of the females, in their luxurious
style of dress, and adornment...Dire retribution must ensue. |
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