Lexical Summary taphaph: To skip, to trip, to dance Original Word: טָפַף Strong's Exhaustive Concordance mince A primitive root; apparently to trip (with short steps) coquettishly -- mince. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to trip, take small quick steps NASB Translation mincing steps (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [טָפַף] verb trip, take quick little steps (compare Arabic  pass by quickly,  light, brisk, quick, of horse; possibly compare Syriac  flicker) — Qal Infinitive absolute טָפֹף Isaiah 3:16 הָלוֺךְ וְטָפֹף תֵּלַכְנָה, of women of Jerusalem. Topical Lexicon Scriptural Occurrence Isaiah 3:16 is the sole place where טָפַף appears. In its immediate context the prophet Isaiah relays the LORD’s indictment: “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty—walking with heads held high, flirting with their eyes, prancing along, jingling their anklets—” (Isaiah 3:16). The verb pictures an affected, showy gait that announces pride and sensual self-advertisement. Historical Setting Isaiah ministered during the latter half of the eighth century before Christ, a period of relative affluence in Judah under Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. International trade and urban prosperity introduced foreign fashions and luxurious adornments. While military threats from Assyria loomed, many in Jerusalem indulged in ostentatious lifestyles that betrayed spiritual complacency. The prophet’s rebuke of Judah’s women thus exposes societal decay at the heart level, not merely a cultural fad. Cultural Background: Female Ornamentation and Gait Ancient Near Eastern women often wore strings of anklets fitted with tiny bells. Each step produced a tinkling sound that drew attention. The exaggerated shuffle or short “mincing” step (טָפַף) was designed both to highlight the jewelry and to project allure. Isaiah names thirty-three separate items of female luxury in Isaiah 3:18-23, illustrating how outward display had superseded inward devotion. Prophetic Message The single verb encapsulates a larger oracle of judgment (Isaiah 3:16–4:1). The LORD will strip away the finery, replace perfume with stench, and turn beauty into shame. What begins with self-glorifying footsteps ends with baldness and mourning. The prophet uses the women’s parade as a living parable of Judah’s broader arrogance: “The pride of mankind will be humbled and human loftiness will be brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day” (Isaiah 2:17). Parallel Biblical Themes • Proverbs warns that “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting” (Proverbs 31:30). The tapaf stride stands in stark relief against the biblical ideal of quiet, reverent godliness. Theological Reflection God observes not only words and motives but carriage and demeanor. The haughty walk of Isaiah 3:16 testifies that sin affects the body as well as the heart; pride can be broadcast by posture. Judgment therefore touches the same sphere in which rebellion is displayed. At a deeper level, the verse anticipates the day when Christ will present to Himself a bride “without spot or wrinkle” (Ephesians 5:27), purified from all vain show. Practical Ministry Implications 1. Preaching and Teaching: Isaiah 3:16 allows pastors to address contemporary preoccupation with image, fashion, and social media display. The text roots the call to modesty in theology, not legalism. Christological and Eschatological Links Where the daughters of Zion walked proudly, the true Daughter of Zion—embodied in the faithful remnant and ultimately fulfilled in Christ’s church—will one day tread in humility and holiness. Revelation 19 pictures the Bride clothed “in fine linen, bright and pure,” a garment granted by grace rather than garnered by display. Thus the lone verb טָפַף, though negative in its original setting, indirectly points to the redemptive reversal accomplished by the gospel: pride supplanted by praise, vanity replaced with virtue, and shallow footsteps transformed into a walk worthy of the calling believers have received (Ephesians 4:1). Forms and Transliterations וְטָפֹף֙ וטפף vetaFof wə·ṭā·p̄ōp̄ wəṭāp̄ōp̄Links Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 3:16 HEB: עֵינָ֑יִם הָל֤וֹךְ וְטָפֹף֙ תֵּלַ֔כְנָה וּבְרַגְלֵיהֶ֖ם NAS: And go along with mincing steps And tinkle the bangles KJV: walking and mincing [as] they go, INT: eyes and go mincing and walk their feet 1 Occurrence |
    |