Isaiah 32:11
Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones: strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins.
Original Language Analysis
חִרְדוּ֙
Tremble
H2729
חִרְדוּ֙
Tremble
Strong's:
H2729
Word #:
1 of 9
to shudder with terror; hence, to fear; also to hasten (with anxiety)
שַֽׁאֲנַנּ֔וֹת
ye women that are at ease
H7600
שַֽׁאֲנַנּ֔וֹת
ye women that are at ease
Strong's:
H7600
Word #:
2 of 9
secure; in a bad sense, haughty
רְגָ֖זָה
be troubled
H7264
רְגָ֖זָה
be troubled
Strong's:
H7264
Word #:
3 of 9
to quiver (with any violent emotion, especially anger or fear)
בֹּֽטְח֑וֹת
ye careless ones
H982
בֹּֽטְח֑וֹת
ye careless ones
Strong's:
H982
Word #:
4 of 9
properly, to hie for refuge (but not so precipitately as h2620); figuratively, to trust, be confident or sure
פְּשֹׁ֣טָֽה
strip
H6584
פְּשֹׁ֣טָֽה
strip
Strong's:
H6584
Word #:
5 of 9
to spread out (i.e., deploy in hostile array); by analogy, to strip (i.e., unclothe, plunder, flay, etc.)
Historical Context
Ancient mourning rituals included sackcloth, ashes, fasting, weeping (Genesis 37:34, 2 Samuel 3:31, Esther 4:1-3). Women particularly engaged in professional mourning (Jeremiah 9:17-20). Isaiah commands pre-emptive mourning—don't wait for disaster; repent now. Judah largely ignored this, only mourning after Babylon destroyed everything. Jesus wept over Jerusalem's refusal to recognize 'the time of thy visitation' (Luke 19:41-44).
Questions for Reflection
- What would 'stripping and girding sackcloth' look like today—what tangible acts of repentance is God calling you to?
- How does prophetic warning provide opportunity for preventative repentance rather than reactive grief?
- What comforts or 'fine garments' might need to be stripped away for genuine mourning over sin?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Tremble, ye women that are at ease (חִרְדוּ שַׁאֲנַנּוֹת, chirdu sha'ananot)—the command חָרַד (charad, tremble, be terrified) addresses the שַׁאֲנַנּוֹת (sha'ananot, complacent). Be troubled, ye careless ones (רְגָזָה בֹּטְחוֹת, regazah botechot)—רָגַז (ragaz, be agitated, troubled). Strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins (פְּשֹׁטָה וְעֹרָה וַחֲגוֹרָה עַל־חֲלָצָיִם, peshotah ve'orah vachagorah al-chalatsayim)—strip off (פָּשַׁט, pashat), become naked (עָרָה, arah), gird (חָגַר, chagar) שַׂק (saq, sackcloth) on חֲלָצַיִם (chalatsayim, loins, hips).
The imperatives escalate: from hearing (v. 9) to emotional response (tremble, be troubled) to physical action (strip, don sackcloth). Sackcloth represented mourning and repentance—coarse goat hair worn against skin as physical discomfort matching spiritual anguish. The stripping signifies removing fine garments (symbols of ease) for mourning clothes. Joel 1:13 commands priests: 'Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests... lie all night in sackcloth.' Jonah 3:6-8 describes Nineveh's repentance in sackcloth. Isaiah calls for prophylactic mourning—grieve before disaster strikes, repent while grace remains.