These women, the "daughters of Zion" are, in large part, responsible for the punishment Yahweh has leveled against the people of Jerusalem. The fault of these unfortunate women is most evident in Isaiah 4:4, when Yahweh purges the city of the "filth of the daughters of Zion."
The upper class women of Jerusalem are condemned for a crime other than their haughtiness, and it is a crime that defies the simplest explanations. The women are condemned for their vanity. While vanity appears a self-explanatory crime, it goes far beyond a simple interest in appearances, even an interest that goes beyond what is acceptable. A woman's value in the marketplace of marriage was based on several factors, including the wealth and status that she might bring her husband, but also on her sexual desirability. However, more important than her beauty, was her fidelity and behavior. According to Proverbs 31:10-31, a good wife will be hard working, diligent, wise and kind. She will be modest and fear the Lord. It is clear that the daughters of Zion do not fit this depiction of a good wife. Therefore, their vanity not only defied the traditional definition of a good wife, but also indicated that they were concerning themselves with matters other than the running of their household. Their sexuality is openly displayed to all, just as a prostitute displays her sexuality. Sexuality was, in and of itself, a good thing, but only when constrained by the bonds of propriety, such as marriage. Beauty was a desirable quality in a wife; however, it was not meant to be shared with others. These women sought, by increasing their desirability, to increase their power, finding power in and through their sexuality. The prophets, including Isaiah, played upon stereotypical fears of women's sexuality and power in passages like this one. The women are judged not for their vanity, but rather because their attitude destroys order within their society.
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