Isaiah: Women of Judah Denounced
Isaiah 3:16-23 - Isaiah demonstrates that he knows the vast variety of accessories and fancy dress that seduce the women of Judah.
“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,
Therefore the Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs,
And the Lord will make their foreheads bare.”
In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, headbands, crescent ornaments, dangling earrings, bracelets, veils, headdresses, ankle chains, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets, finger rings, nose rings, festal robes, outer tunics, cloaks, money purses, hand mirrors, undergarments, turbans and veils.”
Isaiah 3:16-23 NASB1995
Isaiah must have spent some time lurking in the boutiques of that Biblical era looking at all of the accoutrements and accessories that the women of Judah longed for and eagerly purchased (probably through money stolen from the poor). He calls out their haughtiness and seductive behavior that come from pride and warns that they will have their beautiful hair replaced with scabs and their foreheads will be bare, with no ornate headbands and veils in place.
Here is what the ChatGPT AI tool said about the image at the top:
A wealthy young woman of Jerusalem stands before a large polished bronze mirror in an elegant chamber, dressed in exquisite clothing and adorned with bracelets, earrings, necklaces, anklets, and a delicate veil. But the reflection in the bronze is not quite as glamorous as the woman herself—the imperfect metal subtly distorts and dulls all that beauty. Behind her are tables crowded with the ornaments Isaiah names. In the background, through an open doorway, Jerusalem lies beneath gathering storm clouds. Nothing supernatural—just a visual suggestion that the image she values so greatly is fragile and temporary.
By the way, bronze mirrors were introduced in Egypt as early as 2900 BC.
Let’s look at commentary from Enduring Word for this passage:
a. The daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with outstretched necks: The women of Judah were proud. They were taken with themselves and loved to consider themselves better than others (are haughty).
i. This proud heart was the basis for the rest of the sin among the daughters of Zion. “To meet their unfounded accusations, he lays open the inward disease, which is manifested in the whole of their outward dress.” (Calvin)
ii. In contrast, women of God are called to in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than [themselves] (Philippians 2:3).
b. Wanton eyes: The women of Judah were sexually seductive and promiscuous. They wanted to leer at men and draw them into sexual immorality with their flirtations.
i. “What he adds about wandering eyes denotes shameless lust, which for the most part is expressed by the eyes; for unchaste eyes are the heralds of an unchaste heart; but the eyes of chaste women are sedate, and not wandering or unsteady.” (Calvin)
ii. In contrast, women of God are called to be discreet and chaste (Titus 2:5).
c. Walking and mincing as they go, making a jingling with their feet: The women of Judah were obsessed with finery, luxury, and “accessories.” They devoted far too much of their lives to their appearance and image.
i. For emphasis, the prophet declared a list of the “accessories” and luxury items the women of Judah longed for and devoted too much of their lives to: The jingling anklets, the scarves, and the crescents; the pendants, the bracelets, and the veils; the headdresses, the leg ornaments, and the headbands; the perfume boxes, the charms, and the rings; the nose jewels, the festal apparel, and the mantles; the outer garments, the purses, and the mirrors; the fine linen, the turbans, and the robes. Apparently, there was good shopping in Jerusalem.
ii. This love of finery, luxury, and the obtaining of it all is not unique to women. Many men have a problem with it also. But it is definitely a problem among many women. A 1992 story in the Los Angeles Times told about Michelle, a successful writer and editor, who feared the day her husband might discover her secret stash of credit cards, her secret post office box or the other tricks she used to hide how much money she spent shopping for herself. “I make as much money as my husband…. If I want a $500 suit from Ann Taylor, I deserve it and don’t want to be hassled about it. So the easiest thing to do is lie,” she explained. Last year, when her husband forced her to destroy one of her credit cards, Michelle went out and got a new one without telling him. “I do live in fear. If he discovers this new VISA, he’ll kill me.”
iii. In the same article, a school teacher explained more: “Men just don’t understand that shopping is our drug of choice,” she joked, even while admitting that some months her salary goes exclusively to paying the minimum balance on her credit cards. “Walking through the door of South Coast Plaza is like walking through the gates of heaven. God made car trunks for women to hide shopping bags in.” A young professional named Mary explained: “Shopping is my recreation. It’s my way of pampering myself. When you walk into [a mall] and you see all the stores, it’s like something takes over and you get caught up in it.”
iv. “It is worthy of notice that the Prophet had good reason for reproving, with so great earnestness and vehemence, the luxury of women; for while they are chargeable with many vices, they are most of all inflamed with mad eagerness to have fine clothes. Covetous as they naturally are, still they spare no expense for dressing in a showy manner, and even use spare diet, and deprive themselves of what nature requires, that their clothes may be more costly and elegant. So grievously are they corrupted by this vice, that it goes beyond every other.” (Calvin)
v. “Nothing can exceed the curiosity which dwells in woman. Indeed there is no end to those contrivances; and it was not without reason that the ancients called the collection of a woman’s ornaments a world; for if they were collected into one heap, they would be almost as numerous as the parts of the world.” (Calvin)
vi. In contrast, women of God are commanded: Do not let your adornment be merely outward; arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel; rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. (1 Peter 3:3-4)
No one would ever accuse me of being a fashionable woman. I hate shopping for clothes and shoes, only being persuaded when what I own is becoming a bit threadbare. I don’t like using makeup. I have one functional handbag that I use. I admit that I like to wear very casual clothing and have many sweatshirts, hoodies, casual shirts and t-shirts to choose from, so I have bought those types of clothes.
Retirement is a blessing, because I can get away with being quite casual now, instead of having to dress more appropriately for work (I do struggle to look acceptable on more dressy occasions, like a wedding or a formal night on a cruise). I have some jewelry (mostly inherited from my Mom) but I usually limit what I wear because I have been “blessed” with a nickel allergy and most costume jewelry uses nickel as a metal in cheaper chains and bands that appear to be gold or silver. I’m just very not interested in this stuff, which has been a blessing for Steve because I’m not begging for beautiful necklaces and bracelets and rings. I would never be competition for someone like the late Grace Kelly (thinking of her in great Hitchcock movies like “Rear Window” and “To Catch a Thief” wearing incredible fashions).
The examples in the Enduring Word commentary are quite good, but perhaps a bit dated. Can you imagine the credit card debt NOW when you can purchase all sorts of lovely outfits and jewelry on-line and create bushels of good will with merchants like Amazon, Etsy and Coldwater Creek, even having it delivered to your front porch within a day? I think it is really true - the devil DOES wear Prada, carries a Gucci bag and has a deep line of credit at Jared’s or Tiffany.
John Calvin, the fiery Protestant reformer, recognized over 500 years ago that women had a predilection for fancy outfits and even starvation diets to fit into their costumes. He considered it a vice. It is really a sin, driven by envy and covetousness and pride. There’s nothing wrong with looking groomed and neat, but in this day and age you can add also add acres of tattoos, a bizarre variety of piercings of every visible orifice, and hair dye colors not found in nature to the mix. Yes, men have those predilections, too, sadly. Humans are always trying to upstage the more flamboyant creatures in nature. God gave the peacock its beautiful coloration and patterns but humans are not content with simple, discreet adornments. They want to push the limits.
The point of this admonishment to the women of Judah is the fact that very soon they would lose all of these treasures when they are brought into captivity and even suffer worse humiliations. Here is more from the Enduring Word commentary (this is a sobering commentary):
d. Therefore the Lord will strike with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will uncover their secret parts: Their obsession with their appearance, their love of luxury, and their promiscuity made the daughters of Zion ripe for judgment. Their “crown” will be a scab, and instead of being beautifully adorned, they will be exposed and humiliated. Also, the Lord will take away the finery.
i. In Isaiah’s time, these judgments were connected with the coming invasions. Because of scarcity and disease, the haughty daughters of Zion would be sick and diseased. They would be raped and humiliated. And all their wonderful “accessories” would be taken away.
ii. Because of their role in the nurture of children, it is important that women of God live and think like women of God. When the women of a culture become degenerate, then the hope for the next generation is gone. But when the women of a culture turn to the LORD and His ways, there is great hope for the future.
iii. “In short, both men and women are instructed to make a sober use of the gifts of God, both in food and in clothing, and in the whole conduct of life. For the Lord cannot endure extravagance, and absolutely must inflict severe punishment on account of it; for it cannot be restrained by a lighter chastisement.” (Calvin)
Yikes! Some translations say that the captives, including the women, will be stripped bare as they are dragged to Babylon and have all of their possessions taken away. The subjugation of women has been a tool of war and conquering nations since the beginning of time. The behaviors of the Japanese troops in Nanking in 1937/1938 and the Russian soldiers as they advanced into Germany at the end of WWII, as examples, are horrifying to read about.
I think one of the most sobering thoughts from David Guzik is that when the women of a culture become degenerate and turn away from God, there is no hope for the next generation. The degeneracy of our culture has reached the point that millions of unborn children are destroyed through abortions because many women will not give up their proclivities for instant sexual gratification, even though contraception is readily available (that’s a topic for another day).
I also thought about this passage in Isaiah, especially the idea that the women of Judah were trying to be seductive in their behavior and dress. I looked at some of the young women at our church on this hot Sunday in August. There were several teeny-tiny short skirts or shorts, halter tops and skimpy dresses showing cleavage that I observed in just a few rows around me. The young woman right in front of me had on a short denim skirt that barely covered her rear end, bare legs, and a see-through lace top (she did have a second skimpy shirt on underneath). Decorum and modesty in dress cannot even be found in 2026 in a conservative non-denominational church!
We can only pray fervently for our present-day “women of Judah” and pray for a revival.
My next devotional examines Isaiah 3:24-26 - The fate that awaits the women and men of Judah.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - Please help me to be humble and discreet in my dress and appearance and to realize that all the things we have could disappear in a moment. Amen.
Citations and Credits:
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org.
Precept Austin was accessed on 08/16/2026 to review commentary for Isaiah 3:16-23.
Commentary from Enduring Word is used with written permission and without any alteration. ©1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com. At the link referenced, the bibliography used by David Guzik can be accessed.