The Meaning of Isaiah 32:11 Explained

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.

YLT: Tremble ye women, ye easy ones, Be troubled, ye confident ones, Strip and make bare, with a girdle on the loins,

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

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Isaiah 32:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 32:9-20 - The Fruits Of Righteousness
When Christ's kingdom is set up it will bring dismay to the poor children of fashion. For more days than there are in the year will they be troubled, Isaiah 32:10, and will smite on their breasts in lamentation, Isaiah 32:12. The prediction of Isaiah 32:15-20 includes Pentecost, and looks forward to the era which lies immediately beyond this travail of the world. What is now reckoned as a fruitful field will be regarded as a barren forest in comparison with what shall then exist. Let us remember that righteousness must precede peace. See Matthew 5:24 and Hebrews 7:2. When God's judgments are hurtling through the air, and proud cities are being leveled to the earth, let us take refuge in His loving care. In Him are our safe dwellings and our quiet resting-places. But when the world is most unquiet, let us pursue our work of salvation; for when waters overflow the banks of the river, oxen and asses may still be sent forth to make furrows for the harvest seed. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 32

1  The blessings of Christ's kingdom
9  Desolation is foreshown
14  Restoration is promised to succeed

What do the individual words in Isaiah 32:11 mean?

Tremble you [women] who are at ease Be troubled you complacent ones Strip yourselves and make yourselves bare and gird [sackcloth] on [your] waists
חִרְדוּ֙ שַֽׁאֲנַנּ֔וֹת רְגָ֖זָה בֹּֽטְח֑וֹת פְּשֹׁ֣טָֽה וְעֹ֔רָה וַחֲג֖וֹרָה עַל־ חֲלָצָֽיִם

חִרְדוּ֙  Tremble 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: חָרַד  
Sense: to tremble, quake, move about, be afraid, be startled, be terrified.
שַֽׁאֲנַנּ֔וֹת  you  [women]  who  are  at  ease 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: שַׁאֲנָן  
Sense: at ease, quiet, secure.
רְגָ֖זָה  Be  troubled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: רָגַז  
Sense: tremble, quake, rage, quiver, be agitated, be excited, be perturbed.
בֹּֽטְח֑וֹת  you  complacent  ones 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine plural
Root: בָּטוּחַ 
Sense: to trust.
פְּשֹׁ֣טָֽה  Strip  yourselves 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: פָּשַׁט  
Sense: to strip, invade, strip off, make a dash, raid, spread out.
וְעֹ֔רָה  and  make  yourselves  bare 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: עָרַר  
Sense: to strip, make bare, strip oneself.
וַחֲג֖וֹרָה  and  gird  [sackcloth] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: חָגַר  
Sense: to gird, gird on, gird oneself, put on a belt.
חֲלָצָֽיִם  [your]  waists 
Parse: Noun, md
Root: חֲלָצַיִם  
Sense: loins.