Isaiah 3:18-26

Context

3:18 ¹At that time² the sovereign master will remove their beautiful ankle jewelry,³ neck ornaments, crescent shaped ornaments, 3:19 earrings, bracelets, veils, 3:20 headdresses, ankle ornaments, sashes, sachets,⁴ amulets, 3:21 rings, nose rings, 3:22 festive dresses, robes, shawls, purses, 3:23 garments, vests, head coverings, and gowns.⁵

3:24 A putrid stench will replace the smell of spices,⁶

a rope will replace a belt,

baldness will replace braided locks of hair,

a sackcloth garment will replace a fine robe,

and a prisoner’s brand will replace beauty.

3:25 Your⁷ men will fall by the sword,

your strong men will die in battle.⁸

3:26 Her gates will mourn and lament;

deprived of her people, she will sit on the ground.⁹

[3:18] ¹sn The translation assumes that the direct quotation ends with v. 17. The introductory formula “in that day” and the shift from a poetic to prosaic style indicate that a new speech unit begins in v. 18.

[3:18] ²tn Or “in that day” (KJV).

[3:18] ³tn Or “the beauty of [their] ankle jewelry.”

[3:20] ⁴tn Heb “houses of breath.” HALOT 124 s.v. בַּיִת defines them as “scent-bottles”; cf. NAB, NRSV “perfume boxes.”

[3:23] ⁵tn The precise meaning of many of the words in this list is uncertain.

[3:24] ⁶tn Heb “and it will be in place of spices there will be a stench.” The nouns for “spices” and “stench” are right next to each other in the MT for emphatic contrast. The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[3:25] ⁷tn The pronoun is feminine singular, suggesting personified Zion, as representative of its women, is the addressee. The reference to “her gates’ in v. 26 makes this identification almost certain.

[3:25] ⁸tn Heb “your strength in battle.” The verb in the first clause provides the verbal idea for the second clause.

[3:26] ⁹tn Heb “she will be empty, on the ground she will sit.” Jerusalem is personified as a destitute woman who sits mourning the empty city.