Moreover the LORD saith, {n} Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with {o} extended necks and {p} wanton eyes, walking and {q} mincing as they go, and making a {r} tinkling with their feet:

(n) He means the people because of the arrogancy and pride of their women who gave themselves to all wantonness and dissolution.

(o) Which declared their pride.

(p) As a sign that they were not chaste.

(q) Which showed their wantonness.

(r) They delighted then in slippers that creaked or had little plates sewn on them which tinkled as they went.

Wesley's Notes

3:16 The daughters - The women; (hitherto he reproved the men). A tinkling - By some ornaments which they wore upon their shoes.

King James Translators' Notes

wanton...: Heb. deceiving with their eyes

mincing: or, tripping nicely

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

16. Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, &c.-Luxury had become great in Uzziah's prosperous reign (2Ch 26:5).

stretched forth-proudly elevated (Ps 75:5).

wanton-rather, "making the eyes to glance about," namely, wantonly (Pr 6:13) [Maurer]. But Lowth, "falsely setting off the eyes with paint." Women's eyelids in the East are often colored with stibium, or powder of lead (see on [691]Job 42:14; Jer 4:30, Margin).

mincing-tripping with short steps.

tinkling-with their ankle-rings on both feet, joined by small chains, which sound as they walk, and compel them to take short steps; sometimes little bells were attached (Isa 3:18, 20).

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

3:16-26 The prophet reproves and warns the daughters of Zion of the sufferings coming upon them. Let them know that God notices the folly and vanity of proud women, even of their dress. The punishments threatened answered the sin. Loathsome diseases often are the just punishment of pride. It is not material to ask what sort of ornaments they wore; many of these things, if they had not been in fashion, would have been ridiculed then as now. Their fashions differed much from those of our times, but human nature is the same. Wasting time and money, to the neglect of piety, charity, and even of justice, displease the Lord. Many professors at the present day, seem to think there is no harm in worldly finery; but were it not a great evil, would the Holy Spirit have taught the prophet to expose it so fully? The Jews being overcome, Jerusalem would be levelled with the ground; which is represented under the idea of a desolate female seated upon the earth. And when the Romans had destroyed Jerusalem, they struck a medal, on which was represented a woman sitting on the ground in a posture of grief. If sin be harboured within the walls, lamentation and mourning are near the gates.