Isaiah 3:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: the signet rings and nose rings;

NIV: the signet rings and nose rings,

NASB: finger rings, nose rings,

CSB: signet rings, nose rings,

NLT: rings, jewels,

KJV: The rings, and nose jewels,

NKJV: and the rings; The nose jewels,

Isaiah continues to list all the kinds of jewelry, adornments, and fine clothing that the Lord will take away from the wealthy, sinful women of Jerusalem and Judah. The Lord will use the Babylonians to accomplish this for Him (2 Kings 24:14).

Next listed is a signet ring; this is usually associated with someone in a position of authority. It was embossed with their identifying mark and used to seal official documents and letters. It's possible that important, wealthy women wore their own custom signet rings during this prosperous time. Nose rings and earrings were simple hoops, usually of gold, worn by both men and women through piercings in the nose or ears. These, too, would be taken from the women of Judah by the Lord.

Isaiah 3:16–4:1 describes the wealthy women of Jerusalem and Judah from the Lord's perspective. He describes them as conceited, casting seductive looks all around. Because of their open rebellion, the Lord will take away all their adornments, from their moon-god crescent ornaments to their veils. When the judgment comes, their perfume will be replaced by stench and their styled hair with baldness. They will wear sackcloth with rope belts. They will be destitute and lonely enough to beg any living man to simply say he is their husband. Jerusalem's men will fall in battle, leaving the city exposed. Jerusalem will sit empty and in mourning.

Isaiah reveals that the Lord will take away all the qualified men from Judah and Jerusalem in His judgment. This includes military, political, and spiritual leaders. After they're gone, the people will turn on each other to survive, trying to convince anyone with the slightest advantage to be their leader. The Lord makes his case against Judah's leaders for taking from the poor instead of providing for them. The Lord will take away from Judah's women all the adornments they displayed in public in their arrogance and immorality. Jerusalem's men will fall, and she will be left empty.

Isaiah 3 picks up where the last verse in Isaiah 2 left off (Isaiah 2:22). There Isaiah warned the people not to trust in mere men and now he proclaims that the Lord will remove all the qualified men from Jerusalem. Those left behind will turn on each other. The Lord will bring charges against Jerusalem's current leaders for mistreating the poor. Because the wealthy women of Jerusalem and Judah are arrogant and immoral, the Lord will take away all their adornments, replacing hair with baldness and beauty with enemy brands. Jerusalem's men will die, leaving her broken and empty. This likely refers to the eventual invasion of Jerusalem and the capture of her people (2 Kings 24:14).

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).

Accessed 5/4/2024 3:37:15 AM