Amplified Bible
Isaiah 61:3
3To grant to those who mourn in Zion the following: To give them a turban instead of dust [on their heads, a sign of mourning], The oil of joy instead of mourning, The garment [expressive] of praise instead of a disheartened spirit. So they will be called the trees of righteousness [strong and magnificent, distinguished for integrity, justice, and right standing with God], The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
Isaiah 61:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.
- New International Version (NIV)and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
- English Standard Version (ESV)to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
- New King James Version (NKJV)To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
Context of Isaiah 61:3
1The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed and commissioned me To bring good news to the humble and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up [the wounds of] the brokenhearted, To proclaim release [from confinement and condemnation] to the [physical and spiritual] captives And freedom to prisoners, 2To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance and retribution of our God, To comfort all who mourn, To grant to those who mourn in Zion the following: To give them a turban instead of dust [on their heads, a sign of mourning], The oil of joy instead of mourning, The garment [expressive] of praise instead of a disheartened spirit. So they will be called the trees of righteousness [strong and magnificent, distinguished for integrity, justice, and right standing with God], The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. 4Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins, They will raise up and restore the former desolations; And they will renew the ruined cities, The desolations (deserted settlements) of many generations. 5Strangers will stand and feed your flocks, And foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers.
Read all of Isaiah 61Isaiah 61:3 word by word
לָשׂ֣וּם׀ לַאֲבֵלֵ֣י צִיּ֗וֹן לָתֵת֩ לָהֶ֨ם פְּאֵ֜ר תַּ֣חַת אֵ֗פֶר שֶׁ֤מֶן שָׂשׂוֹן֙ תַּ֣חַת אֵ֔בֶל מַעֲטֵ֣ה תְהִלָּ֔ה תַּ֖חַת ר֣וּחַ כֵּהָ֑ה וְקֹרָ֤א לָהֶם֙ אֵילֵ֣י הַצֶּ֔דֶק מַטַּ֥ע יְהוָ֖ה לְהִתְפָּאֵֽר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- To appointשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
- unto them that mournאָבֵל'âbêl · mourningH57
- in Zionצִיּוֹןtsîyôn · ZionH6726
- to giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- unto them beautyפְּאֵרpe'êr · headdressH6287
- for ashesאֵ֫פֶר'êpher · ashesH665
- the oilשֶׁ֫מֶןshemen · oilH8081
- of joyשָׂשׂוֹןώâώôn ώâώôn · rejoicingH8342
- for mourningאֵ֫בֶל'êbel · mourningH60
- the garmentמַעֲטֶהma‛ăţeh · mantleH4594
- of praiseתְּהִלָּהtehillâh · praiseH8416
- for the spiritרוּחַrûach · spiritH7307
- of heavinessכֵּהֶהkêheh · faintH3544
- that they might be calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call byH7121
- treesאַ֫יִל'ayil · terebinthH352
- of righteousnessצֶ֫דֶקtsedeq · righteousnessH6664
- the plantingמַטָּעmaţţâ‛ · plantationH4302
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- that he might be glorifiedפָּאַרpâ'ar · to beautifyH6286
Cross-references for Isaiah 61:3
- Isaiah 12:1And on that day you will say, “I will give thanks to You, O Lord; For though You were angry with me, Your anger has turned away, And You comfort me.
- Esther 4:1Now when Mordecai learned of everything that had been done, he tore his clothes [in mourning], and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the center of the city and cried out loudly and bitterly.
- Esther 8:15Then Mordecai departed from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, with a large crown of gold and with a robe of fine linen and purple wool; and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced.
- Esther 9:22because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and as the month which was turned for them from grief to joy and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and sending choice portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor.
- Psalms 30:11You have turned my mourning into dancing for me; You have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
- Ezekiel 16:8“Then I passed by you [again] and looked on you; behold, you were maturing and at the time for love, and I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore [an oath] to you and entered into a covenant with you,” says the Lord God, “and you became Mine.”
- Psalms 23:5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You have anointed and refreshed my head with oil; My cup overflows.
- Psalms 45:7You have loved righteousness (virtue, morality, justice) and hated wickedness; Therefore God, your God, has anointed You Above Your companions with the oil of jubilation.
- Psalms 104:15And wine which makes the heart of man glad, So that he may make his face glisten with oil, And bread to sustain and strengthen man’s heart.
- Ecclesiastes 9:8Let your clothes always be white [with purity], and do not let the oil [of gladness] be lacking on your head.
- John 16:20I assure you and most solemnly say to you, that you will weep and grieve [in great mourning], but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.
- Isaiah 61:10I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has covered me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom puts on a turban, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
- Zechariah 3:5And I (Zechariah) said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with [rich] garments. And the Angel of the Lord stood by.
- Luke 15:22But the father said to his servants, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe [for the guest of honor] and put it on him; and give him a ring for his hand, and sandals for his feet.
- Revelation 7:9After these things I looked, and this is what I saw: a vast multitude which no one could count, [gathered] from every nation and from all the tribes and peoples and languages [of the earth], standing before the throne and before the Lamb (Christ), dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands;
- Isaiah 60:21Then all your people will be [uncompromisingly and consistently] righteous; They will possess the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified.
Commentaries on Isaiah 61:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion "To impart gladness to the mourners of Zion" - A word necessary to the sense is certainly lost in this place, of which the ancient Versions have preserved no traces. Houbigant, by conjecture, inserts the word ששון sason, gladness, taken from the line next but one below, where it stands opposed to אבל ebel, sorrow or mourning, as the word lost here was to אבלי abeley, mourners: I follow him. - L. Beauty for ashes "A…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3To appoint unto them - Hebrew, To place;‘ that is, to place happiness before them; to give them joy arid consolation. That mourn in Zion - (See the notes at Isaiah 1:8). The mourners in Zion mean those who dwelt in Jerusalem; then all those who are connected with the church of God - his poor and afflicted people. To give unto them beauty for ashes - In the Hebrew there is here a beautiful paronomasia, which cannot be transferred to our language - אפר תחת…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Putting ashes on one's head showed mourning (note the change from the judgment in Isaiah 3:16–25). Mourning would turn into joy. In Hebrew, the words for crown of beauty and ashes form a wordplay. oil of joy: A face covered with oil showed blessing and well-being (see Psalms 45:8; 133:2). The remnant would begin as small shoots. They would seem weak and unimportant at first. But over time, they would grow strong and large, like great oak trees (see Isaiah…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. To appoint ... to give--The double verb, with the one and the same accusative, imparts glowing vehemence to the style. beauty for ashes--There is a play on the sound and meaning of the Hebrew words, peer, epher, literally, "ornamental headdress" or tiara (Eze 24:17), worn in times of joy, instead of a headdress of "ashes," cast on the head in mourning (2Sa 13:19). oil of joy--Perfumed ointment was poured on the guests at joyous feasts (Psa 23:5; 45:7…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 61:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 61
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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