Isaiah 61:3
in Isaiah 61to console the mourners in Zion—to give them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them a garland 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 Jehovah, that he may be glorified.
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.
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This verse in Isaiah 61
Commentary
3 notes on this verseon Isaiah 61:3-5
(Verse 3-5) And they shall be called in her strong justices, the plantation of the Lord, to glorify. And they shall build the ancient places that were waste, and shall raise up the desolate cities, that were destroyed for generations and generations. And strangers shall stand and shall feed your flocks: and the sons of strangers shall be your husbandmen and your vinedressers. LXX: And they shall be called the generations of justice: the planting of the Lord to glory.
This site's exposition
beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning
Beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness lists three exchanges in matched pairs, ashes for the sign of mourning traded for beauty, oil for anointing traded for grief, a heavy garment traded for one fit for praise. The purpose given at the verse's end reaches past the individual mourner, that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified, the comforted becoming visible evidence planted for someone else to see. Henry reads the three exchanges as covering appearance, feeling and clothing together, the whole outward expression of grief reversed, and Gill notes trees of righteousness as picking up the planting language used earlier in the book for Israel itself.
The record, by era
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
To 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 Isa 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 פאר pe'ēr tachath 'êpher.
The words behind it
24 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לָשׂ֣וּם׀ | lasum | to put | H7760 → | 584 times |
| לַאֲבֵלֵ֣י | laavelei | to [the] mourners of | H57 → | 8 times |
| צִיּ֗וֹן | tziyon | Zion | H6726 → | 154 times |
| לָתֵת֩ | latet | to give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לָהֶ֨ם | lahem | to <the> them | ||
| פְּאֵ֜ר | peer | a turban | H6287 → | 7 times |
| תַּ֣חַת | tachat | in place of | H8478 → | 505 times |
| אֵ֗פֶר | ʾefer | ash[es] | H665 → | 22 times |
| שֶׁ֤מֶן | shemen | oil of | H8081 → | 193 times |
| שָׂשׂוֹן֙ | sason | joy | H8342 → | 22 times |
| תַּ֣חַת | tachat | in place of | H8478 → | 505 times |
| אֵ֔בֶל | ʾevel | mourning | H60 → | |
| מַעֲטֵ֣ה | maateh | a mantle of | H4594 → | |
| תְהִלָּ֔ה | tehilah | praise | H8416 → | 56 times |
| תַּ֖חַת | tachat | in place of | H8478 → | 505 times |
| ר֣וּחַ | ruach | a spirit | H7307 → | 378 times |
| כֵּהָ֑ה | kehah | faint | H3544 → | |
| וְקֹרָ֤א | vekora' | and it will be called | H7121 → | 733 times |
| לָהֶם֙ | lahem | to <the> them | ||
| אֵילֵ֣י | ʾeilei | [the] oaks of | H352 → | 187 times |
| הַצֶּ֔דֶק | hatzedek | <the> righteousness | H6664 → | 119 times |
| מַטַּ֥ע | mata' | [the] planting of | H4302 → | |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לְהִתְפָּאֵֽר׃ | lehitpaer | to glorify himself | H6286 → | 14 times |
לָשׂ֣וּם׀to put
lasumH7760 →584 times
לַאֲבֵלֵ֣יto [the] mourners of
laaveleiH57 →8 times
צִיּ֗וֹןZion
tziyonH6726 →154 times
לָתֵת֩to give
latetH5414 →2011 times
לָהֶ֨םto <the> them
lahem
פְּאֵ֜רa turban
peerH6287 →7 times
תַּ֣חַתin place of
tachatH8478 →505 times
אֵ֗פֶרash[es]
ʾeferH665 →22 times
שֶׁ֤מֶןoil of
shemenH8081 →193 times
שָׂשׂוֹן֙joy
sasonH8342 →22 times
תַּ֣חַתin place of
tachatH8478 →505 times
אֵ֔בֶלmourning
ʾevelH60 →
מַעֲטֵ֣הa mantle of
maatehH4594 →
תְהִלָּ֔הpraise
tehilahH8416 →56 times
תַּ֖חַתin place of
tachatH8478 →505 times
ר֣וּחַa spirit
ruachH7307 →378 times
כֵּהָ֑הfaint
kehahH3544 →
וְקֹרָ֤אand it will be called
vekora'H7121 →733 times
לָהֶם֙to <the> them
lahem
אֵילֵ֣י[the] oaks of
ʾeileiH352 →187 times
הַצֶּ֔דֶק<the> righteousness
hatzedekH6664 →119 times
מַטַּ֥ע[the] planting of
mata'H4302 →
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לְהִתְפָּאֵֽר׃to glorify himself
lehitpaerH6286 →14 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 45:7You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you above your companions with the oil of joy.
it leads to
- Hebrews 1:9
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You above Your companions with the oil of joy.”
- Psalms 21:6
For You grant him blessings forever; You cheer him with joy in Your presence.
- Isaiah 61:1–3
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty…
- Psalms 33:5
The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His loving devotion.
- Hebrews 1:9
Through
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 and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom…
it leads to
- Revelation 19:7–8
Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him the glory. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.
- Revelation 19:7–8
Through
Psalms 30:11You turned my mourning into dancing; You peeled off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
it leads to
- Jeremiah 31:4
Again I will build you, and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out in joyful dancing.
- Ecclesiastes 3:4
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
- Jeremiah 31:4
Through
John 16:20Truly, truly, I tell you, you will weep and wail while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.
it leads to
- James 1:2
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,
- James 1:2
Where this verse is studied
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Also on Isaiah 61: 2 studies that walk through this chapter ▾
About Isaiah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.