Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice; you complacent daughters, give ear to my speech.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet calls out "women at ease" and "careless daughters," highlighting that their complacency isn't just about personal comfort, but a deeper spiritual deafness to God's warnings. This direct address suggests their supposed security is actually a dangerous illusion, making them prime targets for the coming judgment because they are so unprepared.
Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice; you complacent daughters, give ear to my speech.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Isaiah is addressing the complacent women of Jerusalem and Judah, who are living in ease and luxury while ignoring the impending dangers. He's calling them to wake up to the reality of the coming destruction that will strip away their comforts and bring lamentation to their land, contrasting their false security with the coming judgment. This passage sets the stage for a prophecy of ruin that will ultimately give way to future restoration.
Why would a prophet specifically address women, and what does it reveal about their role and spiritual condition?
A Direct Address
Isaiah 32:9 opens with a striking command: "Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice; you complacent daughters, give ear to my speech." This isn't a gentle suggestion; it's a forceful summons.
Who is being addressed?
Why this directness?
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It's a powerful reminder that spiritual complacency, no matter who embodies it, is a serious issue that warrants a prophet's urgent call to wake up and listen.
What happens when comfort breeds carelessness and deafness to God's word?
Judgment's Shadow
The prophet doesn't just call out complacency; he lays bare its severe consequences. The "ease" and "carelessness" of these women are directly linked to impending disaster.
The Loss of Abundance:
The Desolation of Joy:
This isn't just about losing material possessions; it's about the complete collapse of the secure and comfortable world these women inhabited. Their complacency left them unprepared for a judgment that would strip away every source of their worldly joy.
Isaiah contrasts the superficial comfort of complacency with the lasting peace that comes from God's Spirit.
From Ruin to Righteousness
The prophecy doesn't end with judgment; it points towards a future restoration, highlighting a profound difference between the security the complacent seek and the security God provides.
The Failure of Self-Reliance:
The Promise of God's Spirit:
The Difference:
The complacency of the "women at ease" is a shallow, temporary security based on external circumstances. The peace that comes from the Spirit is an internal transformation, rooted in righteousness and God's presence, providing true and enduring security, even amidst potential external upheaval.
Understand the original words
sha'anan · Hebrew Adjective
A state of careless, self-sufficient security, often resulting in spiritual apathy. It is a dangerous condition because it causes individuals to ignore God's warnings and remain unaware of imminent judgment.
betach · Hebrew Adjective
Similar to being at ease, this indicates a false sense of security or lack of concern, often rooted in pride and wealth. It is a state of ignoring the reality of God’s impending judgment.
This prophecy comes during a time of intense national anxiety as the Assyrian empire under Sennacherib threatens Judah. The prophet Isaiah addresses the women of Jerusalem, who are living in complacent ease, to shake them out of their complacency before impending disaster, highlighting the stark contrast between their false security and the coming judgment.
c. 705 BC
Sennacherib becomes King of Assyria
Sennacherib ascended the throne of the powerful Assyrian Empire, marking the beginning of a period of significant military campaigns and expansion.
c. 704-702 BC
Intrigues with Egypt
During this period, Judah, under King Hezekiah, was engaged in complex political maneuvers and alliances, particularly with Egypt, against the looming threat of Assyria.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Assyrian Invasion of Judah
Sennacherib launched a major invasion of Judah, conquering many fortified cities and besieging Jerusalem. This invasion directly threatened the existence of the kingdom.
c. 701 BC
Sennacherib's Army Withdraws from Jerusalem
The Assyrian army mysteriously withdrew from Jerusalem after a devastating plague, a pivotal moment described in both Scripture and Assyrian records, saving the city from destruction.
c. 701 BC
Hezekiah's Reign Continues
Following the Assyrian withdrawal, King Hezekiah's reign continued, marked by the prophet Isaiah's ongoing ministry of both warning and hope for Judah.
This passage also directly addresses the 'careless' and 'at ease' people of Israel, specifically those who feel secure in Zion and Samaria, highlighting a similar theme of complacency before judgment.
Luke 12:16-21Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool, who is focused on his material wealth and security, mirroring the 'women at ease' in Isaiah who are unaware of impending spiritual destitution.
Luke 21:34-36Jesus warns His followers to be vigilant and pray, so that they may 'escape all these things that are about to take place' and 'stand before the Son of Man,' echoing Isaiah's call to wakefulness from complacency.
Matthew 25:1-13The parable of the ten virgins illustrates the danger of being unprepared and complacent, with five virgins being shut out of the wedding feast because they lacked foresight, much like the 'careless daughters' addressed by Isaiah.
Isaiah 3:16-23This earlier passage from Isaiah also addresses the proud and luxurious women of Jerusalem, detailing their vanity and prophesying their downfall, demonstrating a consistent concern for this demographic's spiritual state.
barnesIsaiah 32:9: "Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech."
Rise up ... - Rosenmuller supposes that this commences a new vision or prophecy; and that the former part Isaiah 32:9-14 refers to the desolation of Judea by the invasion of Sennacherib, and the latter Isaiah 32:15-20 to the prosperity which would succeed that invasion. It cannot be doubted that this is the general reference of the passage, but there does not seem to be a necessity…
bensonIsaiah 32:9: "Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech."
Isaiah 32:9-12 . Rise up, &c. — The prophet, to show the sinners and hypocrites in Zion, ( Isaiah 33:14 ,) that they must not expect to receive blessings from God, such as he had just now predicted, while they remained in a state of impenitence, denounces against them the calamities which should come upon them; 1st, By the Assyrian, and then by the Babylonish destruction. Ye women t…
The prophet calls out "women at ease" and "careless daughters," highlighting that their complacency isn't just about personal comfort, but a deeper spiritual deafness to God's warnings. This direct address suggests their supposed security is actually a dangerous illusion, making them prime targets for the coming judgment because they are so unprepared.
Isaiah is addressing the complacent women of Jerusalem and Judah, who are living in ease and luxury while ignoring the impending dangers. He's calling them to wake up to the reality of the coming destruction that will strip away their comforts and bring lamentation to their land, contrasting their false security with the coming judgment. This passage sets the stage for a prophecy of ruin that will ultimately give way to future restoration.
Isaiah is addressing the complacent women of Jerusalem and Judah, who are living in ease and luxury while ignoring the impending dangers. He's calling them to wake up to the reality of the coming destruction that will strip away their comforts and bring lamentation to their land, contrasting their false security with the coming judgment. This passage sets the stage for a prophecy of ruin that will ultimately give way to future restoration.
"Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice; you complacent daughters, give ear to my speech." — The prophet calls out "women at ease" and "careless daughters," highlighting that their complacency isn't just about personal comfort, but a deeper spiritual deafness to God's warnings. This direct a…
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Last reviewed October 2026