Isaiah 3 17

Isaiah 3:17 kjv

Therefore the LORD will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts.

Isaiah 3:17 nkjv

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."

Isaiah 3:17 niv

Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion; the LORD will make their scalps bald."

Isaiah 3:17 esv

therefore the Lord will strike with a scab the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will lay bare their secret parts.

Isaiah 3:17 nlt

So the Lord will send scabs on her head;
the LORD will make beautiful Zion bald."

Isaiah 3 verses

Isaiah 3 17 Meaning

Isaiah 3:17 pronounces God's severe judgment upon the proud and self-indulgent women of Jerusalem, referred to as "the daughters of Zion." It foretells a twofold punishment that directly targets the sources of their pride and status: God will afflict their heads with scabs, transforming their prized elaborate hairstyles into a repulsive skin disease, and He will lay bare their private parts, stripping them of their honor and exposing them to public shame and humiliation, symbolizing their complete loss of protection and dignity. This serves as a reversal of their arrogance, where their outward beauty becomes their defilement and their self-adornment leads to public disgrace.

Isaiah 3 17 Context

Isaiah 3:17 is a pivotal part of Isaiah's oracle against Judah and Jerusalem, specifically focusing on the women of Zion, spanning verses 3:16-4:1. The preceding verse (3:16) directly introduces the pride and haughtiness of these women, describing their pretentious walks, tinkling ornaments, and seductive gazes. This moral decay in the leadership and prominent women of Jerusalem is seen as a primary reason for God's impending judgment. The historical context is pre-exilic Judah, where prosperity under King Uzziah and Jotham had led to complacency, social injustice, and a spiritual decline marked by outward religiosity but inward corruption and idolatry. Isaiah, as God's prophet, exposes the true state of affairs, condemning not just the outward behaviors but the sinful hearts behind them. This judgment is an act of purification, aimed at removing the corruption from Zion before the promised restoration.

Isaiah 3 17 Word analysis

• Therefore (וְלָכֵן - və·lā·ḵên): A consequential conjunction. It links God's judgment directly to the haughty behavior described in verse 16, signaling an immediate and just divine response.
• The Lord (אֲדֹנָי - ’Ăḏōnāy): This divine name, often rendered "Lord" with capital L and small o-r-d, emphasizes God's sovereign authority, ownership, and power as Master and Judge. It underscores that this judgment comes from the supreme ruler.
• Will afflict (סִפַּח - sippach): From the Hebrew root s-f-ch, meaning "to attach, to join oneself, to cleave to." In the Hiphil stem, it means "to cause to cleave to, to inflict." Here, it signifies a persistent, adhering skin affliction. The choice of verb implies a defilement that clings and cannot be easily removed, contrasting with the women's desired state of being immaculate and adorned.
• With scabs (בַּסַּפַּחַת - ba·sa-pachath): From the noun sappachath, also related to s-f-ch. It refers to a scab, a crusty skin eruption, or a contagious skin disease (similar to leprosy-like conditions in Leviticus). This directly contradicts their focus on beauty and cleanliness, turning their heads, the seat of their proud adornments, into sources of repulsion and uncleanness. This disease was also seen as a curse in ancient Israel (Deut 28:27).
• The heads (קָדְקֹד - qaḏqoḏ): Refers to the crown of the head or scalp. This specific targeting highlights that the very part they adorned with elaborate hairstyles, costly oils, and jewelry will be defiled and diseased, striking at the heart of their outward display of pride and status.
• Of the daughters of Zion (בְּנוֹת־צִיּוֹן - bənōṯ-ṣî·yōwn): This poetic designation refers to the women, particularly the prominent and affluent women, of Jerusalem. "Zion" symbolizes God's holy city, but here, its "daughters" have corrupted its spiritual essence through their worldly attitudes and self-absorption.
• And the Lord (וַאדֹנָי - wa·’Ăḏō·nāy): Repeats the emphasis on God's divine agency in this judgment.
• Will lay bare (יַעֲרֶה - ya‘areh): From the root ‘ā·râ, meaning "to strip, to make bare, to uncover." In this context, it signifies an forceful, public, and humiliating stripping away. It implies a total removal of coverings and protections, exposing what was hidden.
• Their private parts (פִלְחָתָן - pil·ḥā·ṯān): This term, related to "nakedness" (‘erwâ), specifically refers to their pudenda or private parts. The KJV's "secret parts" and other translations (ESV, NIV: "private parts") correctly convey the deep humiliation and utter loss of modesty, honor, and dignity that comes with public exposure of one's nakedness. This is a severe judgment, directly retaliating against their flaunting of themselves with their gaits and flirtatious glances (v. 16), by forcing them into ultimate, involuntary shame.

Isaiah 3 17 Bonus section

The severity of the language in Isaiah 3:17 reflects the seriousness with which God views the moral and spiritual decline of His people, especially those who, by their prominence, set an example. The use of "scabs" and "bare their private parts" is highly specific, aiming at what was considered most valued (beauty, fashion) and most protected (modesty, honor) in that society. This hyper-specific targeting reinforces the concept of lex talionis – the punishment fitting the crime. Since these women strutted proudly and intentionally revealed glimpses of themselves (as implied in 3:16) for self-glorification, God's judgment makes their entire bodies a public spectacle of shame. This divine judgment is a cleansing fire, intended to purify Zion by stripping away the superficiality and moral rot, clearing the way for a righteous remnant as described in Isaiah 4:2-6.

Isaiah 3 17 Commentary

Isaiah 3:17 stands as a stark divine judgment, portraying the reversal of fortune for the women of Jerusalem who prioritized self-adornment and social status over godliness. God directly targets the emblems of their pride. Their elaborately styled heads, once centers of beauty and ostentation, are struck with repulsive scabs, symbolizing disease and defilement. This is a physical manifestation of their spiritual corruption. Furthermore, the stripping bare of their private parts signifies a profound and public humiliation, tearing away not just clothing, but honor, security, and dignity. In the ancient world, public nakedness was the ultimate form of disgrace, often inflicted upon conquered enemies or prostitutes, indicating utter vulnerability and a complete loss of standing.

This judgment serves as a polemic against superficiality and materialism. It teaches that true beauty and security come from righteousness, not outward appearance or worldly possessions. God, as Adonai, the sovereign Lord, asserts His right to judge sin and to expose hypocrisy. The passage underlines that divine judgment is not arbitrary but precisely tailored to confront and reverse the very nature of human sin. The haughty will be humbled, and those who elevate themselves will be cast down, demonstrating God's justice and His demand for holiness in His covenant people.