Isaiah 61:3

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 Almighty Lord is on me, because he has chosen me to serve him. He has sent me to tell good news to poor people. He has sent me to comfort people who are very upset. He has sent me to tell prisoners that they are now free. They can go out of their prisons! 2He has sent me to say, ‘This is the year when the Lord will be kind to his people.’ It is the time when our God will punish our enemies. He has sent me to comfort people who are weeping because they are sad. In that way, the people in Zion who are sad will become strong again. They will not put ashes on their heads any more. Instead, they will wear beautiful hats. Instead of weeping, they will have olive oil to show their joy. They will not feel upset, but they will sing happy songs to praise God. People will call them ‘Strong trees that show God's righteousness’. They will be like trees that the Lord himself has planted to show how great he is. 4God's people will build again their towns that became heaps of stones a long time ago. Once again, they will live in the cities that have been empty for so long. 5The Lord says to his people, ‘Foreign people will take care of your sheep for you. They will work on your farms, and they will take care of your vines.

Isaiah 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 12:1At that time, you will say, ‘I praise you, Lord. You were angry with me. But now, you are no longer angry. Now you have been kind to me.
• Esther 4:1Mordecai discovered what Haman had done. He tore his clothes and he dressed in sackcloth and ashes, because he was very upset. He went into the city. He cried and he wept loudly as he went.
• Esther 8:15Then Mordecai left the king's palace. He was wearing royal clothes that were purple and white. He had a large gold crown on his head. He wore a beautiful coat made from purple linen. The people in Susa city shouted with joy because of the new law.
• Esther 9:22They should do that to remember the time when they became safe from their enemies. That was the month when they became happy and they were no longer sad. They should eat a feast and they should send gifts of food to each other to show their joy. They should also give gifts to poor people.
• Psalms 30:11Now you have caused me to stop crying, so that I dance instead! I do not need to wear sackcloth, because I am no longer sad. Instead, you have made me very happy.
• Ezekiel 16:8Later, I saw you again as I went that way. I saw that you had become a woman who was old enough to marry. So I covered your bare body with my coat. I promised to marry you. I made a covenant with you so that you became my wife. That is what the Almighty Lord says.
• Psalms 23:5You prepare a big meal for me while my enemies watch. You put olive oil on my head. You bless me so much that my cup is completely full.
• Psalms 45:7You love people to do what is right, and you hate anything that is evil. So God, your God, has chosen you to be greater than all your people. He has put special olive oil on you, to make you happy.
• Psalms 104:15They grow grapes for wine, which makes them happy. They grow olive trees for oil, which makes their faces shine. They grow grain for bread, which makes them strong.
• Ecclesiastes 9:8Always dress yourself well in good clothes. Use as much sweet oil as you need on your head.
• John 16:20I tell you this: You will be sad and you will cry. But the people who belong to this world will be happy. Yes, you will be sad. But soon after that, you will become happy instead.
• Isaiah 61:10I am very happy, because of what the Lord, my God, has done. I have so much joy! He has given salvation to me, like clothes that I can wear all the time. I have his righteousness as my coat! He makes me handsome, like a bridegroom who wears a priest's hat. He makes me beautiful, like a bride who wears her jewels.
• Zechariah 3:5Then Zechariah said, ‘Put a clean hat on his head.’ So they put a clean hat on his head and they dressed him in clean clothes. The angel of the Lord stood near to them.
• Luke 15:22But the father shouted to his servants. “Hurry!” he said. “Fetch the most beautiful coat that we have. Put it on him and also put a ring on his finger. Put shoes on his feet.
• Revelation 7:9After this, I looked again. I saw a very big crowd of people. There were so many people that nobody could count them. They came from every nation, from every tribe and from every language. They were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing long white clothes and they held branches of palm trees in their hands.
• Isaiah 60:21All your people will be righteous. The land will belong to them for ever. I myself will plant them in the ground like a young plant. As they grow, they will show how great I am.

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

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Anointing
• Church
• Glorifying God
• God
• Gospel
• Holiness
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Joy
• Praise
• Salvation
• Seekers
• Symbols and Similitudes
• Trinity

In the dictionaries

• Beauty
• Headdress
• Joyful
• Oil
• Preach
• Proclaim
• Raise
• Teil tree
• Abstinence
• Anoint; Anointed

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