Isaiah 3:16

Authorized King James Version

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:

Word-by-Word Analysis
#1
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר
saith
to say (used with great latitude)
#2
יְהוָ֗ה
Moreover the LORD
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
#3
יַ֚עַן
Because
properly, heed; by implication, purpose (sake or account); used adverbially to indicate the reason or cause
#4
כִּ֤י
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
#5
גָֽבְהוּ֙
are haughty
to soar, i.e., be lofty; figuratively, to be haughty
#6
בְּנ֣וֹת
the daughters
a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)
#7
צִיּ֔וֹן
of Zion
tsijon (as a permanent capital), a mountain of jerusalem
#8
תֵּלַ֔כְנָה
walking
to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
#9
נְטוּוֹ֣ת
with stretched forth
to stretch or spread out; by implication, to bend away (including moral deflection); used in a great variety of application (as follows)
#10
גָּר֔וֹן
necks
the throat (as roughened by swallowing)
#11
וּֽמְשַׂקְּר֖וֹת
and wanton
to ogle, i.e., blink coquettishly
#12
עֵינָ֑יִם
eyes
an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)
#13
תֵּלַ֔כְנָה
walking
to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
#14
וְטָפֹף֙
and mincing
to trip (with short steps) coquettishly
#15
תֵּלַ֔כְנָה
walking
to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
#16
וּבְרַגְלֵיהֶ֖ם
with their feet
a foot (as used in walking); by implication, a step; by euphemistically the pudenda
#17
תְּעַכַּֽסְנָה׃
and making a tinkling
to put on anklets

Analysis

The salvation theme here intersects with the metanarrative of redemption running from Genesis to Revelation. Biblical theology recognizes this as part of a unified storyline from the promise in Genesis 3:15 to its fulfillment in Christ. The phrase emphasizing divine sovereignty contributes to our systematic understanding of Christian doctrine and connects to the broader scriptural witness about God's saving work from the Exodus to the cross.

Historical Context

This passage must be understood within the political and social structures of the biblical period. The author writes to address believers seeking to understand God's will and purposes, making the emphasis on salvation particularly relevant. Historical documents from this period show cultural practices and social structures that would have been familiar to the original readers, illuminating the verse's original impact.

Questions for Reflection

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