Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 3:18
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of [their] tinkling ornaments [about their feet], &c.] With which they made a tinkling as they went, (<230316>Isaiah 3:16) it being about the shoe, and made a noise; or seeing the word used signifies “stocks”, and is so rendered (<200722>Proverbs 7:22), it may design some sort of attire about the feet, as golden chains, as the Talmudists sayf67, which being fastened to both, directed their motion in walking, and prevented them taking too large steps: or rather these may intend some ornaments of the feet, used by the eastern nations; which, according to Golius, as related by Deuteronomy Dieu on the place, were plates of gold, one or two fingers broad, and sometimes four, which were put about the ankles of infants of rich families; not to make a tinkling, nor to direct their walk, but for ornament, and to distinguish them from the meaner sort. The Targum renders it, “the ornament of the shoes”; these were put about the place where the shoes were tied; and in the Talmudf68 the word is explained by hyyqydrwq, “shoes”; which the gloss interprets of wooden shoes: the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, are, “the ornament of their clothing”; as if this was the general name for the particulars that follow: and [their] cauls: the attire of the head, of network: the word is used in the Misnahf69 for the ornament of cauls; which was, as one of their commentatorsf70 says, a picture made upon the caul for ornament; it was placed upon the forehead, and reached from ear to ear; and it was made by itself, so that it might be removed, and put upon another caul. Under these cauls they plaited their hair; hence the Septuagint render the word “the plaiting and the curls”; and to the same purpose the Syriac and Arabic versions. And [their] round tires like the moon; these were not tires for the head, as our version suggests; much less were they clasps, buckles, or strings for the shoes, in the form of a half moon; such as were the “lunuloe” which the Roman senators had on their feet, to distinguish them from the common people; and were used by Evander and the Arcadians, to show that they sprung from the moon; which custom the noblemen of Rome followed; and some sayf71 they put them under their feet, (see <661201>Revelation 12:1) but these were ornaments wore about the necks, such as those which were found upon the necks of the kings of Midian, and even upon the necks of their camels, (<070821>Judges 8:21,26) where the same word is used as here; they were no other than bracelets, necklaces, or golden chains, in the form of the moon; and the word is in the Talmudf72 rendered hyyqnw[, “chains”. See also footnotef73.
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