Isaiah 50:3 — Word Study
WLCאַלְבִּ֥ישׁ שָׁמַ֖יִם קַדְר֑וּת וְשַׂ֖ק אָשִׂ֥ים כְּסוּתָֽם׃ ס
BSAI clothelâbash▸ [cause to be dressed] the heavensshâmayim [the visible universe, the abode of God] in blackqadrûwth△ [darkness, gloom] and makesûwm▸ ◂sackclothsaq [a coarse cloth, mourning attire] their coveringkᵉçûwth [a garment, a robe of humility]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אַלְבִּ֥ישׁ | I clothe | Verb, Hiphil, imperfect first person common singular |
| שָׁמַ֖יִם | [the] heavens | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| קַדְר֑וּת | darkness | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| וְשַׂ֖ק | and sackcloth | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| אָשִׂ֥ים | I make | Verb, Qal, imperfect first person common singular |
| כְּסוּתָֽם׃ ס | covering their | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | I clothe the heavens in black and make sackcloth their covering.” |
| KJV | I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering. |
| ASV | I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering. |
| YLT | I clothe the heavens [with] blackness, And sackcloth I make their covering. |
| WEB | I clothe the heavens with blackness. I make sackcloth their covering.” |
| BBE | By me the heavens are clothed with black, and I make haircloth their robe. |
The translations agree on the essential meaning of God's action in this verse.
The sentence features a main verb followed by a prepositional phrase and a conjunction with a second object, indicating the action and its result.






7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbלָבֵשׁ
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 6 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Isaiah 50:3
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Sovereignty of Godgenerated
Isaiah 50:3 reveals God's authority over creation, illustrating His power to clothe the heavens in darkness. This verse is part of a larger passage where God speaks about His ability to deliver and sustain, contrasting His might with human frailty. The surrounding verses emphasize God's omnipotence and the themes of judgment and redemption.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exodus 10:21 | Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that darkness may spread over the land of Egypt—a palpable darkness.” |
| 2 | Psalm 18:11–12 | He made darkness His hiding place, and storm clouds a canopy around Him. |
| 3 | Matthew 27:45 | From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. |
| 4 | Revelation 6:12 | And when I saw the Lamb open the sixth seal, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אַלְבִּ֥ישׁ, 'al.Bishgenerated
The Hebrew word לָבֵשׁ (*labash*) means to clothe or dress. It indicates the act of wrapping or putting on a garment, which can be understood both literally and figuratively. In this verse, it signifies God's action of enveloping the heavens in darkness, suggesting a profound transformation of the visible universe.
The Hiphil stem indicates causation, meaning God is not merely dressing but causing the heavens to be dressed in darkness. This highlights His active role in creation and His authority over the cosmos.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In the Berean Standard Bible, the phrase is rendered as clothe, which is consistent across the KJV and ASV.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb is אַלְבִּ֥ישׁ, I clothe, which governs the entire sentence. It is followed by a noun phrase שָׁמַ֖יִם the heavens and a second object phrase קַדְר֑וּת darkness, indicating what the heavens are clothed in.
The structure is straightforward, with the finite verb first, followed by its direct objects, which emphasizes the action of God dressing the heavens in a specific manner.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates שָׁמַ֖יִם as οὐρανὸν (*ouranon*), which refers to the heavens or sky. This choice maintains the meaning of the original Hebrew, indicating a consistent understanding of the heavens as God's abode.
The Greek word σκότος (*skotos*) for darkness aligns closely with the Hebrew קַדְרוּת, emphasizing the somber quality of the covering.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Isaiah 50:3 shows God declaring His power to clothe the heavens in darkness and make sackcloth their covering. This imagery signifies mourning and emphasizes God's control over the universe.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies God's authority to change the appearance of the universe, reflecting a state of mourning or judgment.
Sackcloth symbolizes humility and mourning, indicating a serious tone in God's proclamation.
It illustrates God's sovereignty over creation, showing that He can alter the heavens as He wills.
The imagery conveys deep themes of judgment, mourning, and transformation, highlighting God's active role in the world.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I see God's authority in the world around me?
- How can I understand the significance of darkness in my own life?
- What does wearing sackcloth symbolize, and how can I apply that to my own expressions of humility?
- How does this verse challenge my understanding of God's power and presence?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early interpretations of this verse highlight its themes of God's sovereignty and the imagery of mourning. Quotations from Jerome and Theodoret of Cyrus illustrate these points.
Everything that is above us we call “heaven,” just as the winged things that are in the air are called “celestial” and the enemy powers are called “celestial” since they shuttle between heaven and earth.… Therefore,Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 50 →
“I will clothe the sky with shadows, and I will change its cover to be like mourning cloth.” He has done this and will do it.Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 50 →
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Isaiah 50:3 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleI clothe the heavens with blackness,.... With gross and thick darkness; perhaps referring to the three days' darkness the Egyptians were in, Exodus 10:12, or with thick and black clouds, as in
Read John Gill on Isaiah 50 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryI clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering. I clothe the heavens with blackness - another of the judgments on Egypt to be repeated hereafter on the last enemy of God's people (Exodus 10:21).
Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 50 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleI clothe the heavens with blackness; or, I will or can clothe &c. What I once did in Egypt, when I drew black curtains before all the heavenly lights, and caused an unparalleled and amazing darkness for three days together, to the great terror of mine enemies, so I can and will do still when it is necessary to save my people. And therefore you have no reason to distrust me. I make sackcloth their covering; I cover them with thick and dark clouds, black as sackcloth, as is said, , or as that stuff of which the tents of Kedar were made, . From this and some other expressions it appears that they wore a black sackcloth, which also was most suitable to the state of mourners, by whom it was used.
Read Matthew Poole on Isaiah 50 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsIsaiah 50:3 I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.Ver. 3. I clothe the heavens with blackness.] I did so in that three days’ darkness in Egypt, and shall do so again at the time of my passion. I can therefore, doubtless, deliver you, not only from Babylon, but from sin, death, and hell, by giving you an entrance into heaven by the waters of baptism, and by bringing you out of darkness into my marvellous light. And make sackcloth their covering.] Ita ut coelum pullata veste obtensum fuisse dixeris. So Revelation 6:12.
Read John Trapp on Isaiah 50 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges3. Comp. Exodus 10:21 with blackness] with murky storm-clouds. The word, which occurs only here, denotes (like sackcloth in the next clause) the garb of mourning. Cf. Revelation 6:12. The strophe ends somewhat abruptly, and the thought is perhaps incomplete.
Read Cambridge on Isaiah 50 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleI 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.
Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 50 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible3. I clothe the heavens with blackness — As at Sinai, but I cause the terror stricken still to live, and lay before them my commands. Should not such a husband, such a father, helper, friend, be worthy of confidence?
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Isaiah 50 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
I clothe the heavens in black and make sackcloth their covering.”
I clothe the heavens with blackness. I make sackcloth their covering.”
I clothe the heavens in black and make sackcloth their covering.”
I can clothe the sky in darkness; I can cover it with sackcloth.”
Tyndale line
I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.
I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.
I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.
I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.
I clothe the heauens with darkenesse, and make a sacke their couering.
Strictly literal
I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.
I clothe the heavens [with] blackness, And sackcloth I make their covering.
I clothe the heavens [with] blackness, || And I make their covering sackcloth.”
I can clothe the heavens with blackness, and I can make sackcloth their garment.
I clothe the sky with darkness; I cover it with sackcloth.”
From the Latin
I will clothe the heavens with darkness, and will make sackcloth their covering.
Simplified
I can make the heavens go dark, covering them with sackcloth like they're in mourning.
By me the heavens are clothed with black, and I make haircloth their robe.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and the Dead Sea Scrolls all convey the same essential meaning. The Septuagint matches four out of six words from the Hebrew, while the Dead Sea Scrolls preserve the wording closely, affirming the consistency of the text across these witnesses.
אַלְבִּ֥ישׁ שָׁמַ֖יִם קַדְר֑וּת וְשַׂ֖ק אָשִׂ֥ים כְּסוּתָֽם׃ ס
4 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
אלבישה שמים קדרות ושק אשים כסות׳ם
6 words on the leather.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Isaiah 50:3
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word לָבֵשׁ (*labash*) means to put on or wear clothing, and it can refer to both literal and figurative clothing. It is built from a primitive root meaning to wrap around. The entries cover various forms, including Qal, Pual, and Hiphil, indicating different nuances of dressing or being clothed. The word is also noted for its use in a figurative sense, such as being clothed with a spirit.
לָבֵשׁ, לָבַשׁ vb. put on (a garment), wear, clothe, be clothed
Qal
lit. put on (one’s own) garment; = wear (more or less habitually)
very oft. fig., put on, be clothed with
lit. put on
once
clothed with
and the spirit of י׳ clothed itself with Gideon
Pu. arrayed
Hiph. clothe, array with
base
H3847 לָבֵשׁ, לָבַשׁ put on (a garment), wear, clothe, be clothed
3847 labash law-bash'
or labesh {law-bashe'}; a primitive root; properly, wrap
around, i.e. (by implication) to put on a garment or clothe
(oneself, or another), literally or figuratively:--(in)
apparel, arm, array (self), clothe (self), come upon, put (on,
upon), wear.
לָבֵשׁ (la.vash) — to clothe.
1) to dress, wear, clothe, put on clothing, be clothed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to put on clothes, be clothed, wear
1a2) to put on, be clothed with (fig.)
1b) (Pual) to be fully clothed
1c) (Hiphil) to clothe, array with, dress
Aramaic equivalent: le.vash (לְבֵשׁ "to clothe" H3848)
V-Hiphil-Imperf-1cs — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect first person common singularHVhi1cs
The Hebrew word שָׁמַיִם (*shamayim*) is a dual noun meaning 'heavens' or 'sky.' It refers to the visible heavens where celestial bodies are found, as well as the abode of God. The dual form may suggest both the arch of the sky and the higher ether. It is noted in contexts such as Elijah's ascent in a whirlwind.
[שָׁמַי] n.m. only pl. שָׁמַיִם 421 heavens, sky
visible heavens, sky, where stars, etc., are
phrases
as abode of God
Elijah taken up הַשּׁ׳ in whirlwind
הַשּׁ׳ personified in various relations
base
H8064 שָׁמַי only pl. שָׁמַיִם heavens, sky . . visible heavens, sky, where stars, etc., are
. phrases
. . as abode of God
. Elijah taken up הַשּׁ׳ in whirlwind
. הַשּׁ׳ personified in various relations
8064 shamayim shaw-mah'-yim
dual of an unused singular shameh {shaw-meh'}; from an unused
root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps
alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well
as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies
revolve):--air, X astrologer, heaven(-s).
שָׁמַיִם (sha.ma.yim) — heaven.
1) heaven, heavens, sky
1a) visible heavens, sky
1a1) as abode of the stars
1a2) as the visible universe, the sky, atmosphere, etc
1b) Heaven (as the abode of God)
Aramaic equivalent: sha.ma.yin (שָׁמַ֫יִן "heaven" H8065)
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
hev'-'nz (shamayim; ouranoi): On the physical heavens see ASTRONOMY; WORLD. Above these, in popular conception, were the celestial heavens, the abode of God and of the hosts of angels (Ps 11:4; 103:19-21; Isa 66:1; Re 4:2; 5:11; compare Da 7:10), though it was recognized that Yahweh's presence was not confined to any region (1Ki 8:27). Later Judaism reckoned seven heavens. The apostle Paul speaks of himself as caught up into "the third heaven," which he evidently identifies with Paradise (2Co 12:2).
See HEAVENLY.
קַדְרוּת (qadruwth) refers to darkness or gloom. It is derived from the root word for duskiness, indicating a sense of blackness. The term appears in Isaiah 50:3, highlighting its use in the context of darkness.
קַדְרוּת n.f. darkness, gloom;—Is 50:3
ref
H6940 קַדְרוּת darkness, gloom
6940 qadruwth kad-rooth'
from 6937; duskiness:--blackness.
see HEBREW for 06937
קַדְרוּת (qad.rut) — darkness.
darkness, gloom
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
Darkness
The plague (the ninth) of darkness in Egypt (Ex. 10:21) is described as darkness “which may be felt.” It covered “all the land of Egypt,” so that “they saw not one another.” It did not extend to the land of Goshen (ver. 23).
When Jesus hung upon the cross (Matt. 27:45; Luke 23:44), from the “sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.”
is spoken of as encompassing the actual presence of God, as that out of which he speaks, --the envelope, as it were, of divine glory. (Exodus 20:21; 1 Kings 8:12) The plague of darkness in Egypt was miraculous. The darkness "over all the land," (Matthew 27:45) attending the crucifixion has been attributed to an eclipse, but was undoubtedly miraculous, as no eclipse of the sun could have taken place at that time, the moon being at the full at the time of the passover. Darkness is also, as in the expression "land of darkness," used for the state of the dead, (Job 10:21,22) and frequently, figuratively, for ignorance and unbelief, as the privation of spiritual light. (
The absence of natural light, Ge 1:2, and hence figuratively a state of misery and adversity, Job 18:6 Ps 107:10 Isa 8:22 9:1; also the absence of the sun and stars, and hence the fall of chief men and national convulsions, Isa 13:10 Ac 2:20. "Works of darkness," are the impure mysteries practiced in heathen worship, Eph 5:11. "Outer darkness" illustrates the gloom of those on whom the gates of heaven are closed, Mt 8:12. The darkness in Egypt,
שַׂק (saq) refers to a type of coarse cloth or sacking, often associated with mourning. It can denote both a sack used for carrying grain and sackcloth worn in times of grief or humiliation. The term is derived from a root meaning to allow liquid to pass through, indicating its mesh-like quality.
שַׂק n.m. sack, sackcloth
base
H8242 שַׂק sack, sackcloth
8242 saq sak
from 8264; properly, a mesh (as allowing a liquid to run
through), i.e. coarse loose cloth or sacking (used in mourning
and for bagging); hence, a bag (for grain,
etc.):--sack(-cloth, -clothes).
see HEBREW for 08264
שַׂק (saq) — sackcloth.
1) mesh, sackcloth, sack, sacking
1a) sack (for grain)
1b) sackcloth
1b1) worn in mourning or humiliation
1b2) same material spread out to lie on
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Ncmsa
sak'-kloth.
See BURIAL.
Sackcloth
Cloth made of black goats’ hair, coarse, rough, and thick, used for sacks, and also worn by mourners (Gen. 37:34; 42:25; 2 Sam. 3:31; Esther 4:1, 2; Ps. 30:11, etc.), and as a sign of repentance (Matt. 11:21). It was put upon animals by the people of Nineveh (Jonah 3:8).
cloth used in making sacks or bags, a coarse fabric, of a dark color, made of goat’s hair, (Isaiah 50:3; Revelation 6:12) end resembling the eilicium of the Romans. It, was used also for making the rough garments used by mourners, which were in extreme cases worn next the skin. (1 Kings 21:27; 2 Kings 6:30; Job 16:15; Isaiah 32:11)
The Hebrew word שׂוּם (sum) is a verb meaning to put, place, or set, with a wide range of applications including appointing, establishing, and making. It can also refer to laying something upon or directing it. There is a related noun שׂוּמָה (sumah), which may denote a token of unluckiness. The entries do not present any significant disagreement.
שׂוּם, שִׂים 582 vb. put, place, set
Qal
put, set, in a place
put something upon
put, lay, set
put, c. בֵּין
set, direct
set, ordain, in a place
set, establish a law, statute
set, found a nation
set, appoint (as ruler, official)
set, constitute, make
set, determine, fix, bounds
set, station, at a post
put in position, sacred bread, sword, staves, bars
set up altars
= plant, wheat
set, fix (countenance)
make a thing, or pers. (acc.), for, transform into
make, constitute
work, bring to pass
appoint, give
set, fix (countenance)
Hiph. I will make him for a sign
Hoph. there was set before him
base
שׂוּמָה perhaps n. f. token of unluckiness, scowl;—2 S 13:32
ref
H7760a שׂוּם, שִׂים put, place, set .. . put, set, in a place
. put something upon
. put, lay, set
. put, c. בֵּין
. set, direct
. . set, ordain, in a place
. set, establish a law, statute
. set, found a nation
. set, appoint (as ruler, official)
. set, constitute, make
. set, determine, fix, bounds
. . set, station, at a post
. put in position, sacred bread, sword, staves, bars
. set up altars
. = plant, wheat
. set, fix (countenance)
. . make a thing, or pers. (acc.), for, transform into
. make, constitute
. work, bring to pass
. appoint, give
. set, fix (countenance)
. I will make him for a sign
. there was set before him
H7760b שׂוּמָה perhaps n. f. token of unluckiness, scowl
7760 suwm soom
or siym {seem}; a primitive root; to put (used in a great
variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially,
and elliptically):--X any wise, appoint, bring, call (a
name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider,
convey, determine, + disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap
up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out),
mark, + name, X on, ordain, order, + paint, place, preserve,
purpose, put (on), + regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set
(on, up), shew, + stedfastly, take, X tell, + tread down,
((over-))turn, X wholly, work.
שׂוּם (sum) — to set: make.
: make/establish
1) to put, place, set, appoint, make
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on
1a2) to set, direct, direct toward
1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig)
1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix
1a4) to set, station, put, set in place, plant, fix
1a5) to make, make for, transform into, constitute, fashion, work, bring to pass, appoint, give
1b) (Hiphil) to set or make for a sign
1c) (Hophal) to be set
שׂוּמָה (su.mah) — fate.
token of unluckiness, scowl
שׂוּם (sum) — to set: put.
: put/give
1) to put, place, set, appoint, make
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on
1a2) to set, direct, direct toward
1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig)
1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix
V-Qal-Imperf-1cs — Verb · Qal · imperfect first person common singularHVqi1cs
כְּסוּת (kcuwth) refers to a covering or clothing, with implications for concealment. It is derived from the root meaning to cover. The entries consistently emphasize its use in the context of garments or veiling.
כְּסוּת n.f. covering
covering, clothing
covering, for concealment
base
H3682 כְּסוּת covering . covering, clothing
. covering, for concealment
3682 kcuwth kes-ooth'
from 3680; a cover (garment); figuratively, a
veiling:--covering, raiment, vesture.
see HEBREW for 03680
כְּסוּת (ke.sut) — covering.
1) covering, clothing
1a) covering, clothing
1b) covering (for concealment)
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp3mp
