The Meaning of Isaiah 3:16 Explained

Isaiah 3:16

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:

YLT: 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: 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;

ASV: 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;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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: 

What does Isaiah 3:16 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord"s condemnation of His people continues, but there is a change in focus. In Isaiah 3:1-5 it was the male leaders who received criticism, but in this section the female citizens are more prominent. Undoubtedly what the Lord said about these women was true of them as females, but we should not limit their indictment to females alone. Men have been just as guilty of these sins as women, though in Isaiah"s day they were more blatant among some women. The point is that the whole nation of Judah was guilty, not just the men.

Context Summary

Isaiah 3:13-26 - Vanity And Selfish Luxury Condemned
This paragraph opens with the majestic figure of Jehovah Himself, who arises to judge the misrulers and plead the cause of the poor. The prophet enumerates the trinkets of the women of Israel, who had given themselves up to luxury and corruption. Woman is the priestess and prophetess of the home and religion, and when she forsakes the level of spiritual influence for that of physical adornment, the salt has lost its savor and the whole commonwealth suffers. The manhood of a land is lost, morally and spiritually when woman falls from her high estate; and there could be no hope for Jerusalem until the divine fire had consumed the filth of her daughters, and the oppressive selfishness of her sons. Then once more each home in Jerusalem would have the same blessed signs of the divine presence as had once been granted to the Tabernacle-the shadowing cloud by day and the gleam of the Shekinah-fire by night. Let us claim these for our homes also! [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 3

1  The great calamities which come by sin
10  The different rewards of the righteous and wicked
12  The oppression and covetousness of the rulers
16  The judgments which shall be for the pride of the women
25  The general desolation

What do the individual words in Isaiah 3:16 mean?

Moreover says Yahweh because that are haughty the daughters of Zion and walk - with outstretched necks and wanton eyes Walking and mincing [as] they go and with their feet Making a jingling
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֗ה יַ֚עַן כִּ֤י גָֽבְהוּ֙ בְּנ֣וֹת צִיּ֔וֹן וַתֵּלַ֙כְנָה֙ [נטוות] (נְטוּי֣וֹת) גָּר֔וֹן וּֽמְשַׂקְּר֖וֹת עֵינָ֑יִם הָל֤וֹךְ וְטָפֹף֙ תֵּלַ֔כְנָה וּבְרַגְלֵיהֶ֖ם תְּעַכַּֽסְנָה

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  Moreover  says 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
יַ֚עַן  because 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַעַן  
Sense: because, therefore, because that, on account of prep.
כִּ֤י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
גָֽבְהוּ֙  are  haughty 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: גָּבַהּ  
Sense: to be high, be exalted.
בְּנ֣וֹת  the  daughters 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
צִיּ֔וֹן  of  Zion 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: צִיּׄון  
Sense: another name for Jerusalem especially in the prophetic books.
וַתֵּלַ֙כְנָה֙  and  walk 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
[נטוות]  - 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine plural
(נְטוּי֣וֹת)  with  outstretched 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine plural
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
גָּר֔וֹן  necks 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: גָּרֹון  
Sense: neck, throat.
וּֽמְשַׂקְּר֖וֹת  and  wanton 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Participle, feminine plural
Root: שָׂקַר  
Sense: (Piel) to ogle, be wanton.
עֵינָ֑יִם  eyes 
Parse: Noun, cd
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
הָל֤וֹךְ  Walking 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וְטָפֹף֙  and  mincing 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: טָפַף  
Sense: (Qal) to skip, trip, take quick little steps.
תֵּלַ֔כְנָה  [as]  they  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וּבְרַגְלֵיהֶ֖ם  and  with  their  feet 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, fdc, third person masculine plural
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.
תְּעַכַּֽסְנָה  Making  a  jingling 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: עָכַס  
Sense: (Piel) to shake bangles, rattle, tinkle.