God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 3:24
24Instead of the smell of perfume, there will be the smell of decay. They will wear ropes instead of belts. They will have bald heads instead of beautiful hair. They will wear sackcloth instead of expensive clothes. Their beauty will be scarred.
Isaiah 3:24 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.
- New International Version (NIV)Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well-dressed hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, branding.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Instead of perfume there will be rottenness; and instead of a belt, a rope; and instead of well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a rich robe, a skirt of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And so it shall be: Instead of a sweet smell there will be a stench; Instead of a sash, a rope; Instead of well-set hair, baldness; Instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth; And branding instead of beauty.
Context of Isaiah 3:24
22fine robes, coats, shawls, purses, 23mirrors, underwear, headdresses, and veils. Instead of the smell of perfume, there will be the smell of decay. They will wear ropes instead of belts. They will have bald heads instead of beautiful hair. They will wear sackcloth instead of expensive clothes. Their beauty will be scarred. 25⌞Women,⌟ your warriors will die in combat. Your mighty men will die in battle. 26The gates of Zion will cry and grieve, and Zion will sit on the ground, exhausted.
Read all of Isaiah 3Isaiah 3:24 word by word
וְהָיָה֩ תַ֨חַת בֹּ֜שֶׂם מַ֣ק יִֽהְיֶ֗ה וְתַ֨חַת חֲגוֹרָ֤ה נִקְפָּה֙ וְתַ֨חַת מַעֲשֶׂ֤ה מִקְשֶׁה֙ קָרְחָ֔ה וְתַ֥חַת פְּתִיגִ֖יל מַחֲגֹ֣רֶת שָׂ֑ק כִּי־תַ֖חַת יֹֽפִי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- instead of sweet smellבֶּ֫שֶׂםbeώem bôώem · spiceH1314
- there shall be stinkמַקmaq · decayH4716
- and instead of a girdleחֲגוֹרָהchăgôr chăgôr chăgôrâh chăgôrâh · beltH2290
- a rentנִקְפָּהniqpâh · ropeH5364
- and instead of well setמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deed: workH4639
- hairמִקְשֶׁהmiqsheh · hairstyleH4748
- baldnessקׇרְחָהqorchâh qorchâ' · bald spotH7144
- and instead of a stomacherפְּתִיגִילpethîygîyl · robeH6614
- a girdingמַחֲגֹ֫רֶתmachăgôreth · girdingH4228
- of sackclothשַׂקώaq · sackclothH8242
- burningכִּיkîy · brandingH3587
- instead of beautyיֳפִיyŏphîy · beautyH3308
Cross-references for Isaiah 3:24
- Isaiah 57:9You’ve journeyed to the king with perfumed oils and put on plenty of perfume. You’ve sent your ambassadors far away and sent them down to Sheol.
- Proverbs 7:17I’ve sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
- Isaiah 22:12On that day the Almighty Lord of Armies will call for crying and for mourning, for shaving your heads and for wearing sackcloth.
- Ezekiel 7:18They will put on sackcloth, and horror will cover them. All their faces will be covered with shame, and every head will be shaved.
- Micah 1:16Shave your head in mourning for the children you love. Make yourselves as bald as vultures because your children will be taken from you into exile.
- Isaiah 15:3In their streets they wear sackcloth. On their roofs and in their city squares everyone wails and cries.
- Isaiah 32:9Get up, and listen to me, you pampered women. Hear what I say, you overconfident daughters.
- Job 16:15“I have sewn sackcloth over my skin, and I have thrown my strength in the dust.
- Jeremiah 4:8So put on sackcloth, mourn, and cry because the Lord’s burning anger hasn’t turned away from us.
- Jeremiah 6:26Wear sackcloth, and roll around in ashes, my people. Mourn as if you have lost your only child, and cry bitterly. The destroyer will suddenly attack us.
- Jeremiah 48:37“Every head is shaved, and every beard is cut off. There are gashes on every hand and sackcloth on every waist.
- Jeremiah 49:3Cry loudly, Heshbon, because Ai is destroyed. Cry, people of Rabbah, put on your sackcloth, and mourn. Run back and forth between the walls. Milcom will be taken away into captivity with its priests and officials.
- Lamentations 2:10The respected leaders of Zion’s people sit silently on the ground. They throw dirt on their heads and put on sackcloth. The young women of Jerusalem bow their heads to the ground.
- Ezekiel 27:31They shaved their heads because of you and put on sackcloth. They cried over you with bitterness and with bitter mourning.
- Joel 1:8Cry loudly like a young woman who is dressed in sackcloth, mourning for the man she was going to marry.
- Amos 8:10I will turn your festivals into funerals and all your songs into funeral songs. I will put sackcloth around everyone’s waist and shave everyone’s head. I will make that day seem like a funeral for an only child, and its end will be bitter.
Commentaries on Isaiah 3:24
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 24Instead of sweet smell "perfume" - A principal part of the delicacy of the Asiatic ladies consists in the use of baths, and of the richest oils and perfumes; an attention to which is in some degree necessary in those hot countries. Frequent mention is made of the rich ointments of the spouse in the Song of Solomon, Song of Solomon 4:10, Song of Solomon 4:11; : - "How beautiful are thy breasts, my sister, my spouse! How much more excellent than wine; And…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 24And it shall come to pass - The prophet proceeds to denounce the “judgment” or “punishment” that would come upon them for their pride and vanity. In the calamities that would befall the nation, all their ornaments of pride and vainglory would be stripped off; and instead of them, they would exhibit the marks, and wear the badges of calamity and grief. Instead of sweet smell - Hebrew בשׂם bôs'em aromatics, perfumes, spicy fragrance; such as they used on…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-26Verses 16-26 The prophet reproves and warns the daughters of Zion of the sufferings coming upon them. Let them know that God notices the folly and vanity of proud women, even of their dress. The punishments threatened answered the sin. Loathsome diseases often are the just punishment of pride. It is not material to ask what sort of ornaments they wore; many of these things, if they had not been in fashion, would have been ridiculed then as now. Their…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-25take away their finery: In a reversal of fortune, the affluent (wealthy) and proud people of Jerusalem would suffer disgrace (public shame). Wealthy women often wore expensive and beautiful clothing or jewelry (Isaiah 3:18). This finery probably included amulets (small objects people believed could protect them from evil). The people wore these items to keep harm away. But these objects could not prevent the disaster of judgment. These beautiful items…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2424. stink--arising from ulcers (Zec 14:12). girdle--to gird up the loose Eastern garments, when the person walked. rent--the Septuagint, better, a "rope," an emblem of poverty; the poor have nothing else to gird up their clothes with. well-set hair--(1Pe 3:3, 4). baldness--(Is 3:17). stomacher--a broad plaited girdle. sackcloth--(2Sa 3:31). burning--a sunburnt countenance, owing to their hoods and veils being stripped off, while they had to work as…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 3:24
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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