Isaiah 50:3

Isaiah 50:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.
• New International Version (NIV)I clothe the heavens with darkness and make sackcloth its covering.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)I clothe the heavens with blackness and make sackcloth their covering."
• New King James Version (NKJV)I clothe the heavens with blackness, And I make sackcloth their covering.”

Context of Isaiah 50:3

1This is what the Lord says: Where are your mother’s divorce papers? Did I give her any to get rid of her? To which of my creditors did I sell you? You were sold because of your sins. I got rid of your mother because of your rebellion. 2Why was no one here when I came? Why was no one here to answer when I called? Am I too weak to reclaim you? Don’t I have the power to rescue you? I dry up the sea with my command, and I turn rivers into deserts. Their fish stink because there is no water, and people die of thirst. I clothe the heavens in darkness and cover them with sackcloth. 4The Almighty Lord will teach me what to say, so I will know how to encourage weary people. Morning after morning he will wake me to listen like a student. 5The Almighty Lord will open my ears. I will not rebel, nor will I turn away ⌞from him⌟.

Isaiah 50:3 word by word

אַלְבִּ֥ישׁ שָׁמַ֖יִם קַדְר֑וּת וְשַׂ֖ק אָשִׂ֥ים כְּסוּתָֽם׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• I clotheלָבֵשׁlâbash lâbêsh · to clotheH3847
• the heavensשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
• with blacknessקַדְרוּתqadrûth · darknessH6940
• and I makeשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
• sackclothשַׂקώaq · sackclothH8242
• their coveringכְּסוּתkesûth · coveringH3682

Cross-references for Isaiah 50:3

• Exodus 10:21Then the Lord said to Moses, “Lift your hand toward the sky, and a darkness ⌞so thick⌟ that it can be felt will come over Egypt.”
• Psalms 18:11He made the darkness his hiding place, the dark rain clouds his covering.
• Matthew 27:45At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.
• Revelation 6:12I watched as the lamb opened the sixth seal. A powerful earthquake struck. The sun turned as black as sackcloth made of hair. The full moon turned as red as blood.

Commentaries on Isaiah 50:3

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3I clothe the heavens with blackness - With the dark clouds of a tempest - perhaps with an allusion to the remarkable clouds and tempests that encircled the brow of Sinai when he gave the law. Or possibly alluding to the thick darkness which he brought over the land of Egypt (Exodus 10:21; Grotius). In the previous verse, he had stated what he did on the earth, and referred to the exhibitions of his great power there. He here refers to the exhibition of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3People connected events like darkness and wearing mourning clothes with the day of the Lord (Isaiah 13:10; see study note on Isaiah 2:5–22). The mention of darkness might refer to the plague of darkness in Egypt (Exodus 10:21).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. heavens ... blackness--another of the judgments on Egypt to be repeated hereafter on the last enemy of God's people (Ex 10:21). sackcloth--(Re 6:12).Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 50:3

• Colors
• God
• Jesus Continued
• Meteorology and Celestial Phenomena

In the dictionaries

• Blackness
• Isaiah
• Mark, the Gospel According to
• Saviour
• Sackcloth

Commentaries on Isaiah 50

• 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