Isaiah 3:16 · Bible study
Isaiah 3:16 Commentary: The Sin of the Daughters of Zion
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Isaiah 3:16 condemns the pride of Jerusalem's women displayed in posture, gaze, and ornament. A key debate: painted eyes or wanton glances?
Research Summary
- Meaning: God judges the pride of the heart that displays itself through posture, eyes, gait, and jingling ornaments.
- Key words: gavah (haughty), netuvot garon (outstretched neck), saqar (wanton/painted eyes), tapaph (mincing steps), akhas (tinkling with anklets).
- Main debate: Does saqar refer to applying eye makeup (Clarke) or to wanton glances (Calvin, Keil & Delitzsch)?
- Theological theme: Pride and self-exaltation invite divine reversal; God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
- Best use: A cautionary study on vanity, materialism, and the heart posture behind our appearance; appropriate for sermons or classes on pride, judgment, and humility.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
The LORD also says: “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty— walking with heads held high and wanton eyes, prancing and skipping as they go, jingling the bracelets on their ankles—
WEB World English Bible 2000
Moreover Yahweh said, “Because the daughters of Zion are arrogant, and walk with outstretched necks and flirting eyes, walking daintily as they go, jingling ornaments on their feet;
KJV King James Version 1769
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:
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Moreover Jehovah said, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with outstretched necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet;
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`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,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And Jehovah said, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched-out neck and wanton eyes, and go along mincing, and making a tinkling with their feet;
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And the Lord said: Because the daughters of Sion are haughty, and have walked with stretched out necks, and wanton glances of their eyes, and made a noise as they walked with their feet and moved in a set pace:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Asimismo dice Jehová: Por cuanto las hijas de Sión se ensoberbecen, y andan cuellierguidas|strong="H1627, H5186" y los ojos descompuestos; cuando andan van danzando, y haciendo son con los pies:
Além disso o SENHOR diz: Dado que as filhas de Sião se exaltam, e andam com o pescoço levantado, e procuram seduzir com os olhos, e vão andando a passos curtos, fazendo ruídos com os ornamentos dos pés,
L’ Éternel dit: Parce que les filles de Sion sont orgueilleuses,
Und der HERR spricht: Darum daß die Töchter Zions stolz sind und gehen mit aufgerichtetem Halse, mit geschminkten Angesichtern, treten einher und schwänzen und haben köstliche Schuhe an ihren Füßen,
Verder zegt de HEERE: Daarom dat de dochteren van Sion zich verheffen, en gaan met uitgestrekten hals, en lonken met de ogen, al gaande en trippelende daarhenen treden, en alsof haar voeten gebonden waren.
L’Eterno dice ancora: Poiché le figliuolo di Sion sono altere, sen vanno col collo teso, lanciando sguardi provocanti, camminando a piccoli passi e facendo tintinnare gli anelli de’ lor piedi,
I rzekł Pan: Iż się wynoszą córki Syońskie, a chodzą szyje wyciągnąwszy, i mrugając oczyma przechodzą się, a drobno postępując nogami swemi szelest czynią:
И сказал Господь: за то, что дочери Сиона надменны и ходят, подняв шею и обольщая взорами, и выступают величавою поступью и гремят цепочками на ногах, -
耶和華 又說：因為 錫安 的女子 狂傲，行走 挺 項，賣弄 眼目，俏步 徐行，腳下 玎璫，
Again, the Lord has said, Because the daughters of Zion are full of pride, and go with outstretched necks and wandering eyes, with their foot-chains sounding when they go:
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 3:16
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse indicts the pride of Jerusalem's elite women. Calvin describes it as bringing a “proud and haughty spirit” to light through outward signs. The gesture of the “stretched-forth neck” (Barnes) and the mincing, tinkling gait (Cambridge Bible) are not trivial faux pas; they are symptoms of an inner disease. The debated phrase wanton eyes (Hebrew mesakkeroth) divides interpreters. Adam Clarke reads it as “falsely setting off their eyes with paint”, the practice of darkening eyelids with stibium. Calvin and Keil & Delitzsch, however, take it as “blinking” or “ogling”, an amatory glance. Both readings point to a heart using appearance to attract attention and command admiration.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Cosmetic painting: Clarke and Lowth read 'wanton eyes' as painting with stibium, citing Eastern customs and the word's root meaning 'to deceive'
- Seductive glances: Calvin, Keil & Delitzsch, and most modern versions interpret it as wanton or ogling glances, based on Hebrew saqar meaning 'to ogle'
What is clear: The heart attitude of pride is condemned and will be judged by God.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of 'daughters of Zion' | Commentators agree they are the women of Jerusalem, likely from the upper classes or royal court. | Some suggest a symbolic reading (the city personified), but Barnes and most commentators reject this as far-fetched. |
| Meaning of 'wanton eyes' | All agree the expression points to pride and a desire to attract attention through the eyes. | Clarke reads it as painting the eyes with cosmetics (stibium); Calvin and Keil & Delitzsch read it as flashing wanton glances. |
| Nature of the judgment in vv.17-18 | The judgment directly reverses the symbols of pride, beauty replaced with sores, ornaments taken away. | Some see literal physical afflictions (scabs, baldness); others emphasize the symbolic stripping of status. |
| Historical setting | The passage reflects a time of prosperity and luxury, likely under King Uzziah. | Some connect it more specifically to the reign of Ahaz, but most point to Uzziah's reign as the context for increased trade and wealth. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The prophecy belongs to a period of economic growth and social stratification. Barnes and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown connect the scene to the reign of Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26:5), when expanding trade brought luxuries to Judah's capital. The “daughters of Zion”, women of Jerusalem, likely those connected to the court, reflect this new wealth in their dress and bearing.
Specific gestures carried clear social meaning. An “outstretched neck” (Hebrew netuvot garon) signaled haughtiness; it raised the head above others. The “mincing” gait (tapaph, to trip or take quick little steps) was produced by ankle chains, short chains between rings that forced a deliberate, tinkling step (Cambridge Bible). The anklets themselves (akhas, “to tinkle”) are catalogued in v.18, confirming the connection.
The controversy over the eyes reflects two overlapping practices in the ancient Near East. One was cosmetic: women applied stibium (antimony powder) to eyelids and lashes to darken and enlarge the eyes (Clarke cites European travelers observing this in the East). The other was gestural: a certain glance of the eyes, a wink, a slow blink, a sidelong look, communicated sexual invitation (Keil & Delitzsch cite a Talmudic saying against “winking” women). The Hebrew verb saqar can support either meaning; its root sense involves deception or misdirection. What matters for the context is that both uses spring from a heart set on self-display rather than on the Lord.
Textual Notes
The consulted commentators note no significant textual variants for this verse. Clarke discusses the Masoretic pointing of the word for “eyes” but this concerns the basis for interpretation (whether the verb derives from shakar “deceive” or sakar “stibium”), not a manuscript variant.
Reception History
Throughout church history, Isaiah 3:16 has been read as a warning against vanity and ostentatious display. Early church fathers such as Tertullian cited it in treatises on women's adornment. Medieval moralists used the passage to critique extravagance in dress. Reformed commentators such as Calvin emphasized that the sin goes beyond outward actions to the heart's pride. In modern interpretation, the passage is often studied in its social and economic context, highlighting the inequalities that luxury can mask. The verse continues to challenge Christians to examine whether their appearance serves God or self.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Root of Vanity: Pride of Heart. The verse begins with haughtiness (gavah). Outward display flows from inner arrogance. Calvin calls pride the “fountain” of the evil.
- The Expression of Vanity: Posture, Gaze, and Gait. The women use every part of their body to project self-importance. Neck, eyes, steps, and feet all perform for attention.
- The End of Vanity: Divine Reversal. The judgment (vv.17ff) takes away what they trusted in. Scabs for perfume, baldness for curls, sackcloth for silk.
Five-point outline
- The pride that drives us (haughty hearts)
- The posture we show (outstretched necks)
- The looks we give (wanton eyes)
- The steps we take (mincing, tinkling)
- The judgment we meet (God opposes the proud)
Illustration hooks
- The social media feed curated to project a perfect life, while the inner life is neglected.
- The ritual of checking one's appearance before every public encounter, seeking approval through looks.
- The discomfort of being caught in a season of loss where such vanities become meaningless.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is wearing makeup or jewelry wrong according to this passage?
- How do I know if my heart is proud about my appearance?
- Does this mean God doesn't want women to look nice?
Leading a Discussion
This verse peels back the curtain on how pride works. It starts in the heart and works its way out to the smallest details of how we carry ourselves. The women of Zion are not accused of specific crimes; they are judged for an attitude, a spirit of arrogance that expresses itself through posture, glance, and dress. The discussion invites us to examine our own hearts.
Discussion questions
- What specific behaviors does the prophet list? (List: outstretched necks, wanton eyes, mincing walk, jingling feet)
- Why do you think Isaiah includes such detailed descriptions of their walk and accessories?
- What do these gestures tell you about what the women valued and what they were trying to communicate?
- How does the judgment in verses 17-26 respond to each of these signs of pride? (Trace the reversals)
- Where do you see similar patterns of pride through appearance in our own culture today?
- How would you explain the difference between healthy care for one’s appearance and the kind of pride Isaiah condemns?
- How does this passage challenge you personally, and what is one step you could take to respond?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Proverbs 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall. |
| Proverbs 30:13 | There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes! Their eyelids are lifted up. |
| Song of Solomon 3:11 | Go out, you daughters of Zion, and see King Solomon, with the crown with which his mother has crowned him, in the day of his weddings, in the day of the gladness of his heart. |
| Isaiah 1:8 | The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a field of melons, like a besieged city. |
| Isaiah 3:18 | In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, the headbands, the crescent necklaces, |
| Isaiah 4:4 | when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from within it, by the spirit of justice and by the spirit of burning. |
| Isaiah 24:4 | The earth mourns and fades away. The world languishes and fades away. The lofty people of the earth languish. |
| Isaiah 32:9 | Rise up, you women who are at ease! Hear my voice! You careless daughters, give ear to my speech! |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues the Hebrew phrase refers to the literal practice of painting the eyes with stibium, a dark mineral cosmetic common among ancient Eastern women. He insists the word means "falsifying their eyes" through artificial coloring, not merely casting wanton glances. This makeup enhanced the eyes' allure in a seductive, deceptive way.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes strongly rejects the allegorical reading that turns the daughters of Zion into cities or towns. He insists the verses describe actual Jewish women, especially those in the court, and catalogs their pride through specific behaviors: stretching the neck ostentatiously, alluring glances, an affected mincing walk, and noisy anklets worn to attract attention.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin traces the problem back to its root: inner pride, not merely the outward ornaments themselves. He notes the prophet wisely names pride as the source first, so that women cannot claim their hearts are pure while their dress and gait betray vanity.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible Schools commentator focuses on the specific physical gestures that reveal the daughters of Zion’s haughtiness: outstretched neck, flirtatious eyes, and a tripping walk. The last detail refers to the jingling sound of anklets and the short chain linking them, which also forced the tripping gait.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes focus on the specific physical gestures of the daughters of Zion as evidence of their sinful pride. Their stretched-out necks, wandering eyes, mincing steps, and tinkling feet all reveal an arrogant heart that seeks attention and vanity.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill catalogs the specific gestures and ornaments the prophet condemns, seeing each as an outward sign of inner pride. He explains stretched necks, wanton eyes, a mincing walk, and tinkling feet as deliberate displays of haughtiness, drawing on Jewish commentators for each detail.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB traces the specific sins of Zion's daughters—proud postures, suggestive glances, mincing steps, and noisy anklets—to the luxury that flourished under King Uzziah's prosperous reign. Their outward adornment and affected walk directly reflected inner haughtiness fed by wealth.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch corrects a common translation of the women's gait: they are not "waggling" but taking short, childlike steps because chains connecting their ankle rings forced a mincing walk. The "extended throat" describes them bending their necks back to appear taller, and the "winking eyes" are deliberate, seductive glances, not painted eyelids.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues this passage describes a specific historical judgment, not the final end of the world. The punishment involves temporary losses like fine clothing and husbands, which would not apply at the last day. He also notes the women's political influence in the monarchy as a factor in their condemnation.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry reads this passage as the prophet applying the curse from Deuteronomy 28:56 directly to the women of Jerusalem for their haughty pride and love of ornament. His point is that the coming judgment will specifically strip away every mark of their vanity, replacing finery with shame and desolation, because their pride contributed to the nation's guilt.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that after rebuking the men, the prophecy now turns to address the women directly. He clarifies that the "tinkling" refers to decorative ornaments the women wore attached to their shoes, drawing attention to the details of their attire.