Isaiah 3:15 - Exposition

What mean ye? i.e. "What has come over you?" or "What strange perversity has possessed yon?" (Kay). That ye beat my people to pieces, etc. The strongest possible expressions are used to mark God's abhorrence of the oppression to which the poor were subjected. Under the Law, he constituted himself the champion of such persons (see Exodus 22:22-24 ).

2. The sins of the women . ( Isaiah 3:16-26 .) These may be summed up under the three heads of pride, wanton manners ( Isaiah 3:16 ), and love of dress and ornament ( Isaiah 3:18-23 ). It was natural that, with increased commerce ( 2 Kings 14:22 ; Isaiah 2:16 ) and more frequent communication with foreign nations, such as Assyria ( 2 Kings 16:7-10 ) and Babylon ( 2 Kings 20:12 , 2 Kings 20:13 ), there should be an increase of luxury, and quite in accordance with Eastern ideas that the luxury should particularly show itself in the dress and adornment of the women. The Egyptian remains show an advanced state of luxury among the women at a time anterior to Moses; and in Assyria, though the evidence is less abundant, we find also indications of a similar kind. The Jews, whose regard for their women was high, are not likely to have been behindhand in the gallantry which shows itself in heaping ornament and the newest appliances of civilization on the weaker sex.