John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 3:26

"And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she shall be desolate and sit upon the ground." — Isaiah 3:26 (ASV)

Her gates shall mourn and lament. From this arises the mourning of the gates, which, he threatens, will occur when calamities befall them. He means that where there were once great crowds and multitudes, only a dismal solitude will be found.

We know that public meetings were held at the gates at that time. Therefore, just as the gates sometimes rejoice at the multitude of citizens, so they are said to mourn on account of their frightful desolation.

Yet, I do not deny that he compares Jerusalem to a sad woman who bewails her widowhood. This is because it was customary for mourners to sit on the ground, as that nation habitually used ceremonies and outward signs to a greater extent than would align with our customs.

But the essence of the matter is that the city will have lost her inhabitants.