John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 3:16

"Moreover Jehovah said, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with outstretched necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet;" — Isaiah 3:16 (ASV)

Because the daughters of Zion are haughty. Next follows another threatening against the ambition, luxury, and pride of women. On these points the Prophet has not followed an exact order, but reproves sometimes one vice and sometimes another, as the subject appears to require, and afterwards sums up what he has said in a few words, as he did in Isaiah 1:7.

He therefore pronounces censure on gorgeous robes and superfluous ornaments, which were undoubted proofs of vanity and ostentation. Wherever dress and splendor are carried to excess, there is evidence of ambition, and many vices are usually connected with it; for from where does luxury in men and women come, but from pride?

And walk with stretched forth neck. First, then, he justly declares pride to be the source of the evil, and points it out by the sign, that is, by their gait, in that the women walk with stretched-forth neck. For just as it is a sign of modesty to have a downcast look (as even pagan writers have declared), so to have excessively sanctimonious looks is a sign of insolence; and when a woman lifts up her head, it can indicate nothing but pride.

The Prophet certainly acts wisely in beginning at the very source. For if he had begun by mentioning signs such as dress, gait, and similar matters, it might have been easy to reply that the mind was still pure and upright. It could also have been argued that if their dress was somewhat too elegant and splendid, that was not a sufficient reason for approaching them with such bitter language and summoning them to the judgment seat of God. Accordingly, to counter their unfounded accusations, he reveals the inward disease, which is manifested in all their outward dress.

And wandering eyes. What he adds about wandering eyes denotes shameless lust, which is usually expressed by the eyes; for unchaste eyes are the heralds of an unchaste heart; but the eyes of chaste women are sedate, and not wandering or unsteady.

And make a tinkling with their feet. This is a part of the indecent gesture by which wantonness is discovered. But it is not easy to say whether the women wore on their sandals some tinkling ornaments which made a noise as they walked, or whether they imitated the dancing women by a measured step, for the form of dresses since that time has been greatly changed. Yet I readily adopt the interpretation that they made a noise in walking, for this is very plainly expressed by the word employed.