Isaiah 50:3
New International Version
I clothe the heavens with darkness and make sackcloth its covering.”

New Living Translation
I dress the skies in darkness, covering them with clothes of mourning.”

English Standard Version
I clothe the heavens with blackness and make sackcloth their covering.”

Berean Standard Bible
I clothe the heavens in black and make sackcloth their covering.”

King James Bible
I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.

New King James Version
I clothe the heavens with blackness, And I make sackcloth their covering.”

New American Standard Bible
“I clothe the heavens with blackness, And make sackcloth their covering.”

NASB 1995
“I clothe the heavens with blackness And make sackcloth their covering.”

NASB 1977
“I clothe the heavens with blackness, And I make sackcloth their covering.”

Legacy Standard Bible
I clothe the heavens with blackness And make sackcloth their covering.”

Amplified Bible
“I clothe the heavens with the blackness [of storm clouds] And make sackcloth [of mourning] their clothing.”

Christian Standard Bible
I dress the heavens in black and make sackcloth their covering.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I dress the heavens in black and make sackcloth their clothing.

American Standard Version
I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.

Contemporary English Version
I make the sky turn dark like the sackcloth you wear at funerals."

English Revised Version
I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I clothe the heavens in darkness and cover them with sackcloth.

Good News Translation
I can make the sky turn dark, as if it were in mourning for the dead."

International Standard Version
I clothe the skies with darkness and make sackcloth their covering."

Majority Standard Bible
I clothe the heavens in black and make sackcloth their covering.”

NET Bible
I can clothe the sky in darkness; I can cover it with sackcloth."

New Heart English Bible
I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering."

Webster's Bible Translation
I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.

World English Bible
I clothe the heavens with blackness. I make sackcloth their covering.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
I clothe the heavens [with] blackness, "" And I make their covering sackcloth.”

Young's Literal Translation
I clothe the heavens with blackness, And sackcloth I make their covering.

Smith's Literal Translation
I will put darkness upon the heavens, and I will put sackcloth their covering.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
I will clothe the heavens with darkness, and will make sackcloth their covering.

Catholic Public Domain Version
I will clothe the heavens in darkness, and I will make sackcloth their covering.

New American Bible
I clothe the heavens in black, and make sackcloth their covering.

New Revised Standard Version
I clothe the heavens with blackness, and make sackcloth their covering.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
I clothe the heavens with darkness and make sackcloth their covering.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And I clothe the Heavens in darkness and I make their covering sackcloth
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
I clothe the heavens with blackness, And I make sackcloth their covering.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
I will clothe the sky with darkness, and will make its covering as sackcloth.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Israel's Sin
2Why was no one there when I arrived? Why did no one answer when I called? Is My hand too short to redeem you? Or do I lack the strength to deliver you? Behold, My rebuke dries up the sea; I turn the rivers into a desert; the fish rot for lack of water and die of thirst. 3I clothe the heavens in black and make sackcloth their covering.”

Cross References
Matthew 27:45
From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.

Mark 15:33
From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.

Luke 23:44-45
It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over all the land until the ninth hour. / The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.

Amos 8:9
And in that day, declares the Lord GOD, I will make the sun go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the daytime.

Joel 2:10
Before them the earth quakes; the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars lose their brightness.

Revelation 6:12
And I watched as the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red,

Revelation 8:12
Then the fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun and moon and stars were struck. A third of the stars were darkened, a third of the day was without light, and a third of the night as well.

Exodus 10:21-23
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.” / So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and total darkness covered all the land of Egypt for three days. / No one could see anyone else, and for three days no one left his place. Yet all the Israelites had light in their dwellings.

Jeremiah 4:28
Therefore the earth will mourn and the heavens above will grow dark. I have spoken, I have planned, and I will not relent or turn back.”

Ezekiel 32:7-8
When I extinguish you, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. / All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you, and I will bring darkness upon your land,’ declares the Lord GOD.

Acts 2:20
The sun will be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and glorious Day of the Lord.

Matthew 24:29
Immediately after the tribulation of those days: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’

Isaiah 13:10
For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light. The rising sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.

Isaiah 34:4
All the stars of heaven will be dissolved. The skies will be rolled up like a scroll, and all their stars will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like foliage from the fig tree.

Job 9:7
He commands the sun not to shine; He seals off the stars.


Treasury of Scripture

I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.

Exodus 10:21
And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.

Psalm 18:11,12
He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies…

Matthew 27:45
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

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Black Blackness Clothe Clothed Covering Darkness Haircloth Heavens Robe Sackcloth Sky
Isaiah 50
1. Christ shows Israel's Sin is not to be imputed to him,
2. by his ability to save
5. By his obedience in that work
7. And by his confidence in that assistance
10. An exhortation to trust in God, and not in ourselves














I clothe
The phrase "I clothe" signifies an action of covering or adorning. In Hebrew, the root word is "לבש" (labash), which means to put on garments or to dress. This action is often associated with authority and intentionality. In the context of Isaiah, it reflects God's sovereign power to transform and control the natural order. The imagery of clothing suggests a deliberate act of God, emphasizing His dominion over creation.

the heavens
The term "the heavens" refers to the sky or the celestial realm. In Hebrew, "שמים" (shamayim) is used, which can denote both the physical sky and the spiritual realm. Biblically, the heavens are often seen as a testament to God's majesty and glory (Psalm 19:1). Here, the heavens are subject to God's will, highlighting His supremacy over all creation, both seen and unseen.

with blackness
"With blackness" conveys a sense of darkness and obscurity. The Hebrew word "קדרות" (qadarut) is used, which can mean gloom or mourning. This imagery is powerful, as blackness often symbolizes judgment, mystery, or the absence of light. In the biblical narrative, darkness can represent God's judgment or the withdrawal of His presence, as seen in the plagues of Egypt (Exodus 10:21-23). It serves as a reminder of the seriousness of turning away from God.

and make sackcloth
The phrase "and make sackcloth" refers to the creation of a garment associated with mourning and repentance. Sackcloth, made from coarse material, was traditionally worn in times of grief or penitence. The Hebrew word "שק" (saq) is used, which is often linked to humility and contrition. This imagery suggests a call to repentance and reflection, urging the people to recognize their need for God's mercy and forgiveness.

their covering
"Their covering" indicates a complete envelopment or concealment. The Hebrew word "כסות" (kesut) implies a protective or concealing layer. In this context, it suggests that the heavens are entirely shrouded, symbolizing a profound transformation or divine intervention. This covering serves as a metaphor for God's ability to alter the natural order, reminding believers of His omnipotence and the importance of seeking His light amidst darkness.

Verse 3. - I clothe the heavens with blackness (comp. Jeremiah 4:28; Ezekiel 32:7, 8; Joel 2:10; Joel 3:15; Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24; Luke 21:25; Revelation 6:12). The Egyptian plague of darkness (Exodus 10:21-23) is not adequate to the expressions here used. God means to assert his power of leaving all nature in absolute darkness, if he so choose - a power necessarily belonging to him who said, "Let there be light; and there was light" (Genesis 1:3). I make sackcloth their covering (see Revelation 6:12, "The sun became black as sackcloth of hair").

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I clothe
אַלְבִּ֥ישׁ (’al·bîš)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3847: Wrap around, to put on a, garment, clothe

the heavens
שָׁמַ֖יִם (šā·ma·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky

in black
קַדְר֑וּת (qaḏ·rūṯ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6940: Darkness, gloom

and make
אָשִׂ֥ים (’ā·śîm)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

sackcloth
וְשַׂ֖ק (wə·śaq)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8242: A mesh, coarse loose cloth, sacking, a bag

their covering.
כְּסוּתָֽם׃ (kə·sū·ṯām)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3682: A cover, a veiling


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 50:3 I clothe the heavens with blackness (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 50:2
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