16 '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, 17 The Lord also hath scabbed The crown of the head of daughters of Zion, And Jehovah their simplicity exposeth. 18 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, 19 Of the drops, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, 20 Of the bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, And of the bands, And of the perfume boxes, and the amulets, 21 Of the seals, and of the nose-rings, 22 Of the costly apparel, and of the mantles, And of the coverings, and of the purses, 23 Of the mirrors, and of the linen garments, And of the hoods, and of the vails, 24 And it hath been, instead of spice is muck, And instead of a girdle, a rope, And instead of curled work, baldness, And instead of a stomacher a girdle of sackcloth. 25 For instead of glory, thy men by sword do fall, And thy might in battle. 26 And lamented and mourned have her openings, Yea, she hath been emptied, on the earth she sitteth!
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Isaiah 3:16-26
Commentary on Isaiah 3:16-26
(Read Isaiah 3:16-26)
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 represented under the idea of a desolate female seated upon the earth. And when the Romans had destroyed Jerusalem, they struck a medal, on which was represented a woman sitting on the ground in a posture of grief. If sin be harboured within the walls, lamentation and mourning are near the gates.