Isaiah 3:16

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: BECAUSE THE DAUGHTERS OF ZION ARE HAUGHTY. Luxury had become great in Uzziah's prosperous reign (2 Chronicles 26:5; 2 Chronicles 26:15). AND WALK WITH STRETCHED FORTH NECKS - necks proudly elevated (Psalms 75:5). AND WANTON EYES - Hebrew ( uwmsaqrowt (H8265), to deceive), 'deceiving with their eyes.' But Buxtorf and Mercer write it mªsaquqero...

16._Because the daughters of Zion are haughty. _Next follows another threatening against the ambition, luxury, and pride of women. On these points the Prophet has not followed an exact order, but reproves sometimes one vice and sometimes another, as the subject appears to require, and afterwards sums up what he has said in a few words, as he did in the seventh verse of the first chapter. He therefore pronounces censure on gorgeous robes and superfluous ornaments, which were undoubted proofs of vanity and ostentation. 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? _And walk with stretched forth neck. _First, then, he justly declares pride to be the source of the evil, and points it out by the sign, that is, by their gait; that the women _walk with stret...

16-26 The prophet reproves and warns the daughters of Zion of the sufferings coming upon them. Let them know that God notices the folly and vanity of proud women, even of their dress. The punishments threatened answered the sin. Loathsome diseases often are the just punishment of pride. It is not material to ask what sort of ornaments they wore; many of these things, if they had not been in fashion, would have been ridiculed then as now. Their fashions differed much from those of our times, but human nature is the same. Wasting time and money, to the neglect of piety, charity, and even of justice, displease the Lord. Many professors at the present day, seem to think there is no harm in worldly finery; but were it not a great evil, would the Holy Spirit have taught the prophet to expose it so fully? The Jews being overcome, Jerusalem would be levelled with the ground; which is represente...

Verse Isaiah 3:16. _AND WANTON EYES_ - "And falsely setting off their eyes with paint"] Hebrew, _falsifying_ their eyes. I take this to be the true meaning and literal rendering of the word; from שקר _shakar_. The Masoretes have pointed it, as if it were from שקר _sakar_, a different word. This arose, as I imagine, from their supposing that the word was the same with סקר _sakar, Chaldee_, "intueri, innuere oculis; " or that it had an affinity with the noun סיקרא _sikra_, which the Chaldeans, or the rabbins at least, use for _stibium_, the mineral which was commonly used in colouring the eyes. See _Jarchi's_ comment on the place. Though the colouring of the eyes with stibium be not particularly here expressed, yet I suppose it to be implied; and so the Chaldee paraphrase explains it; stibio linitis oculis, "with eyes dressed with stibium." This fashion s...

MOREOVER, THE LORD SAITH - In the previous parts of this prophecy, the prophet had rebuked the princes, magistrates, and the people generally. In the remainder of this chapter, he reproves with great severity the pride, luxury, and effeminacy of the female part of the Jewish community. Some interpreters have understood this as designed to reprove the pride and luxury of the “cities” and “towns” of Judah, regarded as “daughters of Zion;” see the note at Isaiah 1:8. But this interpretation is far-fetched and absurd. On this principle everything in the Bible might be turned into allegory. THE DAUGHTERS OF ZION - Jewish females; they who dwelt in “Zion.” Perhaps he means particularly those who dwelt in Zion, the capital - or the females connected with the court. It is probable that the prophet here refers to the prosperous reign

EXPOSITION ISAIAH 3:1 GOD'S JUDGMENT UPON JERUSALEM. The general denunciations against Israel of the two preceding chapters are here turned especially against Jerusalem. God will deprive her of all her superior and more honorable classes (Isaiah 3:1); and will give her "children" for her rulers (Isaiah 3:4). There will be continued oppression, and the rise of an insolent and undutiful spirit (Isaiah 3:5). Those fit to bear rule will refuse to do so (Isaiah 3:6,...

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

CHAPTER 3 Judgments upon the Rulers and the Daughters Of Zion 1. _The judgment against the rulers (Isaiah 3:1)_ 2. _Jerusalem's sad condition (Isaiah 3:8)_ 3. _Jehovah's message (Isaiah 3:10)_ 4. _The worldliness of the daughters of Zion (Isaiah 3:16)_ 5. _Their humiliation in judgment (Isaiah 3:24; Isaiah 4:1)_ This chapter describes the corrupt conditions among the professing people of God in Isaiah's day. A similar corruption and worldliness pr

ISAIAH 3:16 TO ISAIAH 4:1. THE LUXURIOUS LADIES OF JERUSALEM AND THEIR DOOM. As Amos attacked the women of Samaria for their luxury, made possible through the oppression of the poor (Amos 4:1), so Isaiah assails the luxury and haughtiness of the women. These West-end ladies, disdainful and affected, walking with short mincing steps, ogling the men with wanton glances, tinkling with their step-chains and making a clanging sound as they struck their ankle-rings together, will be smitten with leprous scab in their scalps, and be stripped bare of their finery. They will then offer a hideous contrast to their present magnificence for perfume the stench of scabs, the rope of captivity for the girdle, baldness of mourning ...

DAUGHTERS. Compare the "kine of Bashan" (Amos 4:1). THEIR. Hebrew masculine. Often used of women who act as men....