Isaiah 32 11

Isaiah 32:11 kjv

Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones: strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins.

Isaiah 32:11 nkjv

Tremble, you women who are at ease; Be troubled, you complacent ones; Strip yourselves, make yourselves bare, And gird sackcloth on your waists.

Isaiah 32:11 niv

Tremble, you complacent women; shudder, you daughters who feel secure! Strip off your fine clothes and wrap yourselves in rags.

Isaiah 32:11 esv

Tremble, you women who are at ease, shudder, you complacent ones; strip, and make yourselves bare, and tie sackcloth around your waist.

Isaiah 32:11 nlt

Tremble, you women of ease;
throw off your complacency.
Strip off your pretty clothes,
and put on burlap to show your grief.

Isaiah 32 verses

Isaiah 32 11 meaning

Isaiah 32:11 is a prophetic command for the women of Judah, specifically those living in complacent ease, to undergo acts of deep lamentation and repentance. It serves as a stark call to recognize the impending judgment or distress, demanding a shift from a life of careless security and luxury to one of grief, humility, and spiritual earnestness. The stripping and girding with sackcloth are symbolic actions indicating severe sorrow, loss, and penitence.

Isaiah 32 11 Context

Isaiah chapter 32 transitions between prophecies of judgment and future restoration under a righteous king. Verses 1-8 describe a just king and noble princes who will bring security and righteousness. However, this future blessing is preceded by a period of divine discipline for the nation's spiritual condition. Verses 9-14 explicitly address the complacent women of Judah, warning them of impending desolation for their heedlessness and false sense of security. The immediate context of verse 11 is this direct warning (Isa 32:9-10) which foresees the destruction of vineyards and productive land, implying a disruption to their luxurious lifestyle and a future period of distress. Historically, this prophecy might allude to the threat of Assyria, the looming Babylonian captivity, or a more general indictment of Israel's spiritual decline preceding divine judgment and ultimately, the promised Messianic era.

Isaiah 32 11 Word analysis

• Tremble (רְגַ֤זְנָה rəḡaznāh): An imperative verb. It means to shake, quiver, or be agitated. It denotes a strong physical and emotional reaction of fear, often in response to God's judgment or power. It's a call for internal dread and a visceral response to their impending doom, a fear they had not felt while "at ease."
• You women (הַשַּׁלְאֲנֹ֖ות haššalʾănōṯ) (Implied by verb ending in Hebrew, more literally, "tremble, [you who are] at ease").
• Who are at ease (שָׁלְוֹת֙ šālwōṯ): From the root shalav, meaning to be secure, prosperous, quiet, or carefree. In this context, it carries a negative connotation, indicating a heedless or arrogant sense of security that ignores impending danger or divine judgment. It implies a lack of concern for spiritual matters or the plight of others.
• Shudder (חֲרַ֖דְנָה ḥaraḏnāh): An imperative verb meaning to be terrified, to tremble, or to quake from intense fear or anxiety. It is stronger than 'tremble' and indicates a profound alarm and agitation of spirit.
• You complacent daughters (הַבֹּֽטְחֹֽות habōṭəḥōṯ): Refers to women who are overly confident, secure in a false trust or reliance. Like 'at ease,' it suggests an unwarranted sense of safety, possibly in human alliances or material wealth, instead of in God. The term "daughters" often signifies the inhabitants of a city or nation.
• Strip (פְּשֹׁ֙טְנָה֙ pəšōṭnāh): An imperative verb, meaning to remove garments, to unclothe. It signifies abandoning their finery, comfort, and the symbols of their luxury. It is a prelude to humility and mourning.
• And make yourselves bare (וְעֹ֖רֶם wəʿōrem): The noun ʿōrem means nakedness or uncoveredness. This intensifies "strip," indicating complete divestment and exposing themselves to shame or vulnerability. It contrasts sharply with their former adorned state.
• And tie sackcloth (וְחִגְרָ֖ה שַׂ֖ק wəḥiḡrānāh śaq): Imperative verb ḥiḡrānāh (to gird) with saq (sackcloth). Sackcloth was a coarse, rough fabric worn during times of extreme grief, mourning, repentance, or humiliation. Girding it on the loins meant wearing it against the skin as a deep sign of distress and penitence.
• On your loins (עַל־מָתְנָֽיִם ʿal-māṯnāyim): The loins represent the seat of strength and vigor in the body. To gird sackcloth on the loins signifies a complete surrender to grief and spiritual brokenness, replacing symbols of physical strength or adornment with symbols of profound sorrow and humility.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "Tremble... shudder": This powerful parallel structure emphasizes the severity and urgency of the call. It moves from general agitation to intense terror, demanding a profound emotional shift from their comfortable state.
• "You women who are at ease; you complacent daughters": These parallel descriptions specify the target audience: those living in self-indulgent, heedless security, ignoring divine warnings. The term "daughters" likely personifies the community or a segment within it known for its luxury and complacency, particularly contrasting with "Daughter of Zion" when in a state of blessing.
• "Strip, and make yourselves bare, and tie sackcloth on your loins": This three-part command outlines a ceremonial act of deep lamentation. It signifies a radical reversal: from wearing luxurious clothing, symbolizing pride and prosperity, to total divestment and then donning the coarsest fabric of mourning. It represents humiliation, vulnerability, and penitence.

Isaiah 32 11 Bonus section

The specific address to "women" and "daughters" in this passage, much like in Isaiah 3:16-24, suggests that they were seen as particularly representative of the nation's luxurious lifestyle, arrogance, and spiritual decadence. While this may speak to the specific role of women in the cultural and economic life of Judah, it also functions as a powerful literary device to symbolize the nation as a whole—often depicted as the "daughter of Zion." The stripping and baring can also carry the connotation of the removal of adornment and protection by God Himself, much like a husband exposing an unfaithful wife as a sign of judgment and shame (Hosea 2; Ezekiel 16). This emphasizes the directness and severity of God's coming disciplinary action against those who neglected Him in their prosperity. The urgency of the repeated imperatives underscores the very limited window of opportunity for the people to respond before judgment becomes inescapable.

Isaiah 32 11 Commentary

Isaiah 32:11 is a potent prophetic imperative directed towards the women of Jerusalem/Judah who symbolize the nation's spiritual apathy and material self-indulgence. Before the coming of the righteous king (Isa 32:1), a period of judgment and repentance is necessary. The "women who are at ease" and "complacent daughters" epitomize a society deeply entrenched in superficial prosperity and unconcerned with divine judgment or righteousness. Their outward luxury, perhaps a source of national pride, has led to a dangerous spiritual blindness.

The threefold command—to tremble and shudder, strip bare, and gird with sackcloth—demands a complete and visceral shift. Trembling and shuddering signify a profound awakening to fear and agitation in light of impending desolation, a stark contrast to their previous carefree existence. Stripping bare is an act of divestment, humiliation, and vulnerability, representing the loss of all they treasured and found comfort in, exposing their true spiritual nakedness. Girding with sackcloth on the loins completes this ceremonial act, transforming from opulence to abject mourning and sincere repentance. This is a call for outward signs of inward transformation, acknowledging the severity of their spiritual condition and the certainty of God's impending discipline. The message resonates with the idea that genuine spiritual renewal often begins with recognizing one's desperation and turning away from false security.