The Meaning of Isaiah 3:17 Explained

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.

YLT: The Lord also hath scabbed The crown of the head of daughters of Zion, And Jehovah their simplicity exposeth.

Darby: therefore the Lord will make bald the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and Jehovah will lay bare their secret parts.

ASV: therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and Jehovah will lay bare their secret parts.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Isaiah 3:17 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 3:13-26 - Vanity And Selfish Luxury Condemned
This paragraph opens with the majestic figure of Jehovah Himself, who arises to judge the misrulers and plead the cause of the poor. The prophet enumerates the trinkets of the women of Israel, who had given themselves up to luxury and corruption. Woman is the priestess and prophetess of the home and religion, and when she forsakes the level of spiritual influence for that of physical adornment, the salt has lost its savor and the whole commonwealth suffers. The manhood of a land is lost, morally and spiritually when woman falls from her high estate; and there could be no hope for Jerusalem until the divine fire had consumed the filth of her daughters, and the oppressive selfishness of her sons. Then once more each home in Jerusalem would have the same blessed signs of the divine presence as had once been granted to the Tabernacle-the shadowing cloud by day and the gleam of the Shekinah-fire by night. Let us claim these for our homes also! [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 3

1  The great calamities which come by sin
10  The different rewards of the righteous and wicked
12  The oppression and covetousness of the rulers
16  The judgments which shall be for the pride of the women
25  The general desolation

What do the individual words in Isaiah 3:17 mean?

Therefore will strike with a scab the Lord the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion and Yahweh their secret parts will uncover -
וְשִׂפַּ֣ח אֲדֹנָ֔י קָדְקֹ֖ד בְּנ֣וֹת צִיּ֑וֹן וַיהוָ֖ה פָּתְהֵ֥ן יְעָרֶֽה ס

וְשִׂפַּ֣ח  Therefore  will  strike  with  a  scab 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָפַח 
Sense: to join, attach to, join together.
אֲדֹנָ֔י  the  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
קָדְקֹ֖ד  the  crown  of  the  head 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קָדְקֹד  
Sense: head, crown of head, top of head, hairy crown, scalp.
בְּנ֣וֹת  of  the  daughters 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
צִיּ֑וֹן  of  Zion 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: צִיּׄון  
Sense: another name for Jerusalem especially in the prophetic books.
וַיהוָ֖ה  and  Yahweh 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
פָּתְהֵ֥ן  their  secret  parts 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine plural
Root: פֹּת  
Sense: sockets, hinges, secret parts (meaning dubious).
יְעָרֶֽה  will  uncover 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָרָה  
Sense: to be bare, be nude, uncover, leave destitute, discover, empty, raze, pour out.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation