Isaiah 3:21
21 The rings, [tabba`ath] and nose
['aph] jewels, [nexem]KJV-Interlinear
21
finger rings, nose rings, NASB
Rings, ‘tabba ath,’ is a
reference to a signet for sealing, to sink, and comes to refer to ring that is masculine
in nature and used not for beauty but for the purpose of signing or sealing
documents. A ring or image sunk into
melted wax to seal a document or official agreement.
This also can be referred
to as rings in general as in the plural reference here for rings. Generally only one signet was worn or carried
due to its business or official purpose.
However, when many rings are used, then that implies numerous official
capacities as in the case of all of these accessories which we have been
studying.
The direction of these
verses is that the nature of the individual is toward anything in opposition to
God and doctrine. Instead of doctrine or
truth decorating the soul, the outer appearance is decorated as a substitute,
in order to bring an artificial beauty to the person, rather than an intrinsic
beauty. The persons character is
transferred to the ornaments, rather than being retained within ones soul.
Nose rings refer to the
jewels that usually hang down from necklaces on the forehead and hang down to
or below the nose. This also refers to
the puncturing of the nose into which rings may be inserted.
Together these refer to
the image placed on the face, that directs the view away from the face and onto
the ornaments. The person is placed
behind the ornaments. In uncultured
societies, when beauty was not an attribute of the woman or man, then ornaments
were used as a substitute to redirect the attention away from the ugliness of
the individual and onto the accessories.
The accessories being on the person, but not a part of the person.
Both person and
accessories are mutually exclusive. Neither
being a part of the other.
Doctrine is the only
source of beauty. Doctrine in the soul
places true beauty inside the individual and becomes an inherent part of the
individual.
Accessories on the outer
parts of the body, which body is temporary, makes for temporary decorations on
a temporary vessel, of which both will sooner or later be discarded. The individual then has nothing of intrinsic
value within them.
The nothing individual
amounts to the ugliness of an empty of soul. So other things are used to present the
appearance of beauty, that does not exist.
Thus far we have covered
several verses that describe, that people will go to great lengths to acquire
what is in effect nothing.
We still have a few more
verses to go, but in the end, the end of this chapter, we will see the ultimate
result. It is not a pretty picture and
the original has a greater description of misery than is readily obvious. Suffice to say, if your emphasis in life is
on the accessories of life, to the exclusion of doctrine, then your future will
not be a good one.
You might want to rethink
your priorities.
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