Question 1

Who are the women that are at ease and careless daughters in this passage?

Accepted Answer

The “women that are at ease” and “careless daughters” picture people who feel safe, comfortable, and unconcerned about God or about coming trouble. They enjoy luxury and good harvests and think life will always stay that way. By speaking to women, the prophet shows how deep the problem is, because even those who are usually protected will be touched by what is coming. These women stand for anyone who lets comfort dull their conscience, ignores God’s warnings, and trusts in wealth, food, and security instead of turning to God with a humble heart.

Question 2

What does it mean that the vintage shall fail and the gathering shall not come?

Accepted Answer

The “vintage” is the grape harvest and the “gathering” is the usual collecting of crops. Saying “the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come” means there will be severe loss of food and income. The land that once gave plenty of grapes and grain will suddenly stop producing. This pictures both famine and the effects of war or invasion, where fields are damaged and normal life is broken. It is a warning that God can take away the very things people rely on, especially when those good gifts have been used without thankfulness or obedience to him.

Question 3

Why are sackcloth, trembling, and stripping mentioned as a response?

Accepted Answer

Trembling, stripping off fine clothes, and putting on sackcloth are signs of deep sorrow and repentance in the Bible. The prophet is telling these comfortable people to stop acting as if everything is fine and to respond seriously to God’s warning. Instead of rich garments and parties, they are called to mourning and lowliness. This is not about harming themselves, but about dropping pride and showing grief over sin and over the trouble that is coming. It is a call to wake up, feel the weight of their situation, and seek God with humble hearts before it is too late.

Question 4

What does until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high mean?

Accepted Answer

“Until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high” marks the turning point in the passage. The land is barren and the cities ruined, and nothing truly changes until God sends his Spirit in a rich and generous way. The picture of the Spirit being “poured” is like heavy rain coming on dry ground, making a wilderness into a fruitful field. It shows that real renewal does not come from people fixing themselves, but from God working inside them. This points to a future time when God gives his Spirit more fully, bringing new life, faith, and obedience among his people.

Question 5

How does the wilderness become a fruitful field in this prophecy?

Accepted Answer

The wilderness becoming a fruitful field is a picture of total change. Before, the land is full of thorns and briers, empty palaces, and deserted cities. When God pours out his Spirit, that same land turns fertile, rich with crops and life. The passage also hints at an inward change: people who were like a dry desert in their hearts become fruitful in good works and faith. Even those who already had some growth become far more fruitful, so their old condition looks poor by comparison. It shows how strongly God can reverse both outward loss and inward coldness.

Question 6

What are the work of righteousness and the effect of righteousness in this passage?

Accepted Answer

The passage says, “The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.” The “work of righteousness” is what comes from God’s righteous rule and from people being made right with him. When that happens, the result is not chaos or fear but peace. “Quietness” and “assurance” describe a settled, secure heart and a safe life, not always free from trouble but firmly held by God. This shows that real peace does not come first from better crops or safer cities, but from God’s righteous ways shaping people and communities.

Question 7

What does it mean that God’s people will dwell in a peaceable habitation and sure dwellings?

Accepted Answer

When the prophet says God’s people will live in a “peaceable habitation,” “sure dwellings,” and “quiet resting places,” he is describing the fruit of God’s restoring work. After judgment and loss, when the Spirit is poured out and righteousness spreads, God’s people will finally be settled and safe. Even when storms come, like hail hitting the forest and cities being brought low, God will keep his people. The point is not that they will never face hard things, but that their home with God is secure. Their safety rests on his care, not on human strength or high walls.

Question 8

What is the blessing for those who sow beside all waters in the final verse?

Accepted Answer

“Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass” pictures rich and steady fruitfulness. To sow by many waters is to plant in land that has plenty of moisture, so crops grow well. The fields are so good that both ox and donkey can be sent out to graze there. After a time of failed harvests, this shows generous blessing from God. It points not only to better farming, but also to a season when God’s people are active, fruitful, and busy in good works, enjoying signs of his kindness and favor.

Question 9

How can this passage about complacent women and future peace apply to people today?

Accepted Answer

This passage warns against feeling safe in comfort, money, or success and forgetting God. People today can also live at ease, thinking nothing will change while ignoring sin, injustice, or spiritual emptiness. The call to tremble and put on sackcloth reminds us to take God seriously, turn from pride, and admit our need. The promise of the Spirit, righteousness, and peace shows where real hope lies. Instead of trusting our own plans, we can ask God to work in us by his Spirit, to make our barren places fruitful, and to give us that quietness and assurance that lasts.

Question 10

Why does this passage move from judgment and desolation to hope and restoration?

Accepted Answer

The movement from warning to comfort reflects God’s character. He does not ignore sin or complacency, so he speaks of failed harvests, ruined cities, and thorns covering the land. Yet he also loves his people and has a purpose beyond judgment. That is why the word “until” is so important. The desolation lasts only until the Spirit is poured out. Then wilderness turns fruitful, righteousness fills the land, and people live in peace. Both sides matter: God is holy and deals with sin, and God is merciful and brings restoration to those who turn to him.

Isaiah 32:9

¶ Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech.

The Women of Jerusalem

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Isaiah 32:9

¶ Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech.

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The Women of Jerusalem

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