Anklets, ornamental bands worn around the ankle, are mentioned in the Bible as part of the attire of women, often associated with adornment and sometimes with idolatrous practices. In the ancient Near Eastern context, anklets were commonly worn by women as decorative items and were often made of precious metals or adorned with jewels.

Biblical References:

The primary biblical reference to anklets is found in the book of Isaiah, where the prophet Isaiah speaks against the pride and ostentation of the women of Jerusalem. In Isaiah 3:16-18 , the Lord says, "Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, walking with heads held high and wanton eyes, prancing and skipping as they go, jingling their anklets, the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will make their foreheads bare."

This passage highlights the use of anklets as part of the luxurious and ostentatious attire of the women of Zion, which is condemned by the prophet as a symbol of their pride and moral decay. The jingling of the anklets is depicted as an expression of vanity and self-indulgence, which ultimately leads to divine judgment.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In the ancient world, anklets were not only decorative but also served as indicators of social status and wealth. They were often crafted from materials such as gold, silver, or bronze and could be adorned with bells or other embellishments that would jingle as the wearer walked. This jingling sound was sometimes associated with attracting attention or even warding off evil spirits.

The use of anklets in biblical times can be seen as part of a broader cultural practice of personal adornment, which included other items such as bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. These adornments were often used to enhance beauty and display wealth, but they could also be associated with pagan practices and idolatry, as seen in the prophetic literature.

Theological Implications:

From a theological perspective, the mention of anklets in the Bible serves as a caution against the dangers of pride and the pursuit of worldly beauty at the expense of spiritual integrity. The prophets frequently warned against the excesses of wealth and the moral corruption that could accompany it. In this context, anklets symbolize the misplaced priorities of those who focus on external appearances rather than cultivating a heart devoted to God.

The biblical critique of anklets and similar adornments is not a condemnation of beauty or adornment per se but rather a warning against allowing such things to become idols or distractions from a life of holiness and devotion to God. The emphasis is on the inner beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, as extolled in 1 Peter 3:3-4 : "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment such as braided hair or gold jewelry or fine clothes, but from the inner disposition of your heart, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in God’s sight."

In summary, while anklets are mentioned in the Bible as part of the cultural attire of the time, they also serve as a symbol of the broader biblical themes of humility, modesty, and the call to prioritize spiritual over material values.1 Timothy 2:9
In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with modesty and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;
Topicalbible.org

Ezekiel 13:20
Why thus said the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against your pillows, with which you there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that you hunt to make them fly.
Topicalbible.org

Ezekiel 13:18
And say, Thus said the Lord GOD; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs on the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will you hunt the souls of my people, and will you save the souls alive that come to you?
Topicalbible.org

Isaiah 3:18-20
In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon,
Topicalbible.org

2 Kings 23:24
Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD.
Topicalbible.org

6807b. tseadah -- perhaps anklets
... 6807a, 6807b. tseadah. 6808 . perhaps anklets. Transliteration: tseadah
Short Definition: chains. Word Origin of uncertain derivation ...
/hebrew/6807b.htm - 5k

5914. ekes -- an anklet, bangle
... 5913, 5914. ekes. 5915 . an anklet, bangle. Transliteration: ekes Phonetic
Spelling: (eh'-kes) Short Definition: anklets. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/5914.htm - 6k

5913. akas -- to shake bangles, rattle, tinkle
... NASB Word Usage tinkle the bangles (1). make a tinkling ornament, put on
anklets. A primitive root; properly, to tie, specifically ...
/hebrew/5913.htm - 6k

Against Excessive Fondness for Jewels and Gold Ornaments.
... Accordingly the comic poet Nicostratus says, "Chains, collars, rings, bracelets,
serpents, anklets, earrings." [1560]. ... Mallow-coloured cluster-shaped anklets; ...
/.../the instructor paedagogus/chapter xiiiagainst excessive fondness for.htm

Among the People, and with the Pharisees
... graceful snake-like coils. The anklets were generally so wrought as in walking
to make a sound like little bells. Sometimes the two ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 13 among the people.htm

Under Ban of the Ritual
... gauze. She wore not one, but many kinds of jewels, and her anklets and armlets
tinkled with fringes of cats and hawks in carnelian. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter ii under ban of.htm

Syria at the Beginning of the Egyptian Conquest
... With the exception of bracelets, anklets, rings on the fingers, and occasionally
necklaces and earrings, the Syrians, both men and women, wore little jewellery ...
/.../chapter iisyria at the beginning.htm

Anklets (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Anklets (1 Occurrence). Isaiah 3:18 In that day
the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, the ...
/a/anklets.htm - 6k

Anklet
... an'-klet, an'-k'-l-chan: "Anklets" is rightly found in Isaiah 3:18 the Revised Version
(British and American), and "ankle-chains" in Numbers 31:50 the Revised ...
/a/anklet.htm - 7k

Bracelet (5 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary. (1.) Anklets (Numbers 31:50; 2 Samuel 1:10),
and with reference to men. (2.) The rendering of a Hebrew ...
/b/bracelet.htm - 13k

Ankle-chain
... an'-klet, an'-k'-l-chan: "Anklets" is rightly found in Isaiah 3:18 the Revised Version
(British and American), and "ankle-chains" in Numbers 31:50 the Revised ...
/a/ankle-chain.htm - 7k

Anklechain
... an'-klet, an'-k'-l-chan: "Anklets" is rightly found in Isaiah 3:18 the Revised Version
(British and American), and "ankle-chains" in Numbers 31:50 the Revised ...
/a/anklechain.htm - 7k

Anna (1 Occurrence)

/a/anna.htm - 9k

Necklaces (2 Occurrences)
... NIV). Isaiah 3:18 In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their
anklets, the headbands, the crescent necklaces, (WEB NIV). ...
/n/necklaces.htm - 7k

Ornaments (50 Occurrences)
... Tinkling ornaments. (Isaiah 3:18), anklets of silver or gold, etc., such as are
still used by women in Syria and the East. Multi-Version Concordance ...
/o/ornaments.htm - 22k

Ornament (23 Occurrences)
... 22:24); arm-rings or bracelets (Genesis 24:22 2 Samuel 1:10); earrings (Genesis
35:4 Exodus 32:2); noserings (Genesis 24:47 Ezekiel 16:12); anklets or ankle ...
/o/ornament.htm - 17k

Fillets (11 Occurrences)
... fillets. (DBY). Isaiah 3:18 In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of
their anklets, and the cauls, and the crescents; (See JPS). ...
/f/fillets.htm - 10k

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus