Isaiah 50:3 Study Bible: I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering."

◄ Isaiah 50:3 ►

I clothe the heavens in black and make sackcloth their covering."

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.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Isaiah
A major prophet in the Old Testament, Isaiah is the author of the book that bears his name. He prophesied during the reigns of several kings of Judah and is known for his messages of both judgment and hope.

2. Heavens
In this context, the heavens refer to the sky or the celestial realm. The imagery of clothing the heavens with blackness signifies a dramatic change or divine intervention.

3. Sackcloth
A coarse material traditionally worn during times of mourning or repentance. The use of sackcloth as a covering for the heavens symbolizes a period of judgment or lamentation.

Teaching Points

God's Sovereignty Over Creation
Isaiah 50:3 reminds us of God's ultimate authority over the natural world. Just as He created light, He can also bring darkness. This should lead us to trust in His power and plan, even when circumstances seem bleak.

Symbolism of Darkness and Sackcloth
The imagery of darkness and sackcloth serves as a powerful symbol of judgment and repentance. It calls believers to reflect on their own lives and consider areas where they need to turn back to God.

Call to Repentance
The use of sackcloth in the Bible often accompanies repentance. This verse encourages us to examine our hearts and seek forgiveness, knowing that God is merciful and just.

Hope in God's Redemption
While the imagery is somber, it also points to the hope of redemption. God's actions are purposeful, and His judgments are often a precursor to restoration and renewal.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does the imagery of God clothing the heavens with blackness in Isaiah 50:3 enhance our understanding of His power and authority?

2. In what ways can the symbolism of sackcloth in this verse prompt us to reflect on our own need for repentance and humility before God?

3. How does the theme of darkness in Isaiah 50:3 connect with other biblical instances of darkness, such as the plagues in Egypt or the crucifixion of Jesus?

4. What practical steps can we take to trust in God's sovereignty, especially during times of personal or communal darkness?

5. How can we find hope and assurance in God's redemptive plan, even when faced with the imagery of judgment and lamentation in passages like Isaiah 50:3?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Genesis 1:1-2
The creation of the heavens and the earth, where God brings order and light. Isaiah 50:3 contrasts this by depicting a reversal, where God covers the heavens with darkness.

Exodus 10:21-23
The plague of darkness over Egypt, where God demonstrates His power over creation by bringing a tangible darkness. This event parallels the imagery in Isaiah 50:3 of divine control over light and darkness.

Amos 8:9
A prophecy of darkness at noon, symbolizing judgment. This connects with Isaiah 50:3 in illustrating God's sovereignty in using natural phenomena to convey His messages.

Sermons

Explanation of Exile	W. Clarkson	Isaiah 50:1-3
Israel Self-Ruined		Isaiah 50:1-3
Jehovah and Unfaithful Israel	Prof. G. A. Smith, D.D.	Isaiah 50:1-3
The Sinner's Responsibility	J. Lyth, D.D.	Isaiah 50:1-3
The Mediator: Divine and Human	C. Stanford, D. D.	Isaiah 50:2-6
The Redeemer Described by Himself		Isaiah 50:2-6

People

Isaiah

Places

Zion

Topics

Black, Blackness, Clothe, Clothed, Covering, Darkness, Haircloth, Heavens, Robe, Sackcloth, Sky

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Isaiah 50:3

     4272   sky
     4810   darkness, natural
     6742   sackcloth and ashes

Library

September 14. "For the Lord God Will Help Me, Therefore Shall I not be Confounded; Therefore, have I Set My Face Like a Flint, and I Know I Shall not be Ashamed" (Isa. L. 7).
"For the Lord God will help me, therefore shall I not be confounded; therefore, have I set my face like a flint, and I know I shall not be ashamed" (Isa. l. 7). This is the language of trust and victory, and it was through this faith, as we are told in a passage in Hebrews, that in His last agony, "Jesus, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame." His life was a life of faith, His death was a victory of faith, His resurrection was a triumph of faith, His mediatorial …
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

The Name of God
ISAIAH l. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. To some persons it may seem strange advice to tell them, that in the hour of darkness, doubt, and sorrow, they will find no comfort like that of meditating on the Name of the Ever-blessed Trinity. Yet there is not a prophet or psalmist of the Old Testament who does not speak of 'The Name of the Lord,' …
Charles Kingsley—Discipline and Other Sermons

Dying Fires
'Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that gird yourselves about with firebrands: walk ye in the flame of your fire, and among the brands that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.'--ISAIAH l. 11. The scene brought before us in these words is that of a company of belated travellers in some desert, lighting a little fire that glimmers ineffectual in the darkness of the eerie waste. They huddle round its dying embers for a little warmth and company, and they …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Servant's Words to the Weary
'The Lord God hath given me the tongue of them that are taught, that I should know how to sustain with words him that is weary; he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as they that are taught.'--ISAIAH l. 4. In chapter xlix. 1-6, the beginning of the continuous section of which these verses are part, a transition is made from Israel as collectively the ideal servant of the Lord, to a personal Servant, whose office it is 'to bring Jacob again to Him.' We see the ideal in the …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Servant's Obedience
'I was not rebellious, neither turned away back'--ISAIAH l. 5. I. The secret of Christ's life, filial obedience. The fact is attested by Scripture. By His own words: 'My meat is to do the will of My Father'; 'For thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness'; 'I came down from heaven not to do My own will.' By His servant's words: 'Obedient unto death'; 'Made under the law'; 'He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.' It is involved in the belief of His righteous manhood. It is essential …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Servant's Inflexible Resolve
'For the Lord God will help Me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set My face like a flint.'--ISAIAH l. 7. What a striking contrast between the tone of these words and of the preceding! There all is gentleness, docility, still communion, submission, patient endurance. Here all is energy and determination, resistance and martial vigour. It is like the contrast between a priest and a warrior. And that gentleness is the parent of this boldness. The same Will which is all submission …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Servant's Triumph
'He is near that justifieth Me; who will contend with Me? let us stand together: who is Mine adversary? let him come near to Me. 9. Behold, the Lord God will help Me; who is he that shall condemn Me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.'--ISAIAH l. 8, 9. We have reached the final words of this prophecy, and we hear in them a tone of lofty confidence and triumph. While the former ones sounded plaintive like soft flute music, this rings out clear like the note of a …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Great Shepherd
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. I t is not easy for those, whose habits of life are insensibly formed by the customs of modern times, to conceive any adequate idea of the pastoral life, as obtained in the eastern countries, before that simplicity of manners, which characterized the early ages, was corrupted, by the artificial and false refinements of luxury. Wealth, in those …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

Voluntary Suffering
I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. T hat which often passes amongst men for resolution, and the proof of a noble, courageous spirit, is, in reality, the effect of a weak and little mind. At least, it is chiefly owing to the presence of certain circumstances, which have a greater influence upon the conduct, than any inherent principle. Thus may persons who appear to set death and danger at defiance in the hour …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

Deepening Shadows.
We shall perhaps understand better some of the remaining prayer incidents if we remember that Jesus is now in the last year of His ministry, the acute state of His experiences with the national leaders preceding the final break. The awful shadow of the cross grows deeper and darker across His path. The hatred of the opposition leader gets constantly intenser. The conditions of discipleship are more sharply put. The inability of the crowds, of the disciples, and others to understand Him grows more …
S. D. (Samuel Dickey) Gordon—Quiet Talks on Prayer

The Shame and Spitting
Of whom else, let me ask, could you conceive the prophet to have spoken if you read the whole chapter? Of whom else could he say in the same breath, "I clothe the heavens with blackness and I make sackcloth their covering. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair" (vv. 3, 6). What a descent from the omnipotence which veils the heavens with clouds to the gracious condescension which does not veil its own face, but permits it to be spat upon! No other could thus …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 25: 1879

Ninth Day. Prayerfulness.
"He continued all night in prayer to God."--Luke, vi. 12. We speak of this Christian and that Christian as "a man of prayer." Jesus was emphatically so. The Spirit was "poured upon Him without measure," yet--He prayed! He was incarnate wisdom, "needing not that any should teach Him." He was infinite in His power, and boundless in His resources, yet--He prayed! How deeply sacred the prayerful memories that hover around the solitudes of Olivet and the shores of Tiberias! He seemed often to …
John R. Macduff—The Mind of Jesus

The Mat
Heinrich Suso Is. l. 6 It was on a winter's morning In the days of old, In his cell sat Father Henry, Sorrowful and cold. "O my Lord, I am aweary," In his heart he spake, "For my brethren scorn and hate me For Thy blessed sake. "If I had but one to love me That were joyful cheer-- One small word to make me sunshine Through the darksome year! "But they mock me and despise me Till my heart is stung-- Then my words are wild and bitter, Tameless is my tongue." Then the Lord said, "I am with thee; …
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen, Suso, and Others

Truth Hidden when not Sought After.
"They shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."--2 Tim. iv. 4. From these words of the blessed Apostle, written shortly before he suffered martyrdom, we learn, that there is such a thing as religious truth, and therefore there is such a thing as religious error. We learn that religious truth is one--and therefore that all views of religion but one are wrong. And we learn, moreover, that so it was to be (for his words are a prophecy) that professed Christians, …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

A Composite Picture.
It may be helpful to make the following summary of these allusions. 1. His times of prayer: His regular habit seems plainly to have been to devote the early morning hour to communion with His Father, and to depend upon that for constant guidance and instruction. This is suggested especially by Mark 1:35; and also by Isaiah 50:4-6 coupled with John 7:16 l.c., 8:28, and 12:49. In addition to this regular appointment, He sought other opportunities for secret prayer as special need arose; late at night …
S. D. (Samuel Dickey) Gordon—Quiet Talks on Prayer

The Wilderness State
"Ye now have sorrow: But I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you." John 16:22. 1. After God had wrought a great deliverance for Israel, by bringing them out of the house of bondage, they did not immediately enter into the land which he had promised to their fathers; but "wandered out of the way in the wilderness," and were variously tempted and distressed. In like manner, after God has delivered them that fear him from the bondage of sin and Satan; …
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

Humility is the Root of Charity, and Meekness the Fruit of Both. ...
Humility is the root of charity, and meekness the fruit of both. There is no solid and pure ground of love to others, except the rubbish of self-love be first cast out of the soul; and when that superfluity of naughtiness is cast out, then charity hath a solid and deep foundation: "The end of the command is charity out of a pure heart," 1 Tim. i. 5. It is only such a purified heart, cleansed from that poison and contagion of pride and self-estimation, that can send out such a sweet and wholesome …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Twenty-Second Lesson. My Words in You. '
My words in you.' Or, The Word and Prayer. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you.'--John xv. 7. THE vital connection between the word and prayer is one of the simplest and earliest lessons of the Christian life. As that newly-converted heathen put it: I pray--I speak to my father; I read--my Father speaks to me. Before prayer, it is God's word that prepares me for it by revealing what the Father has bid me ask. In prayer, it is …
Andrew Murray—With Christ in the School of Prayer

Scriptural Poems; Being Several Portions of Scripture Digested into English Verse
viz., I. The Book of Ruth II. The History of Samson III. Christ's Sermon on the Mount IV. The Prophecy of Jonah V. The Life of Joseph VI. The Epistle of James BY JOHN BUNYAN Licensed According to Order. London: Printed for J. Blare, at the Looking Glass, on London Bridge, 1701. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. This very interesting little volume of poems, we believe, has not been reprinted since the year 1701, nor has it ever been inserted in any edition or catalogue of Bunyan's works. This may have …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Synagogues: their Origin, Structure and Outward Arrangements
It was a beautiful saying of Rabbi Jochanan (Jer. Ber. v. 1), that he who prays in his house surrounds and fortifies it, so to speak, with a wall of iron. Nevertheless, it seems immediately contradicted by what follows. For it is explained that this only holds good where a man is alone, but that where there is a community prayer should be offered in the synagogue. We can readily understand how, after the destruction of the Temple, and the cessation of its symbolical worship, the excessive value attached …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Pastor in Parish (I. ).
Master, to the flock I speed, In Thy presence, in Thy name; Show me how to guide, to feed, How aright to cheer and blame; With me knock at every door; Enter with me, I implore. We have talked together about the young Clergyman's secret life, and private life, and his life in (so to speak) non-clerical intercourse with others, and now lastly of his life as it stands related to his immediate leader in the Ministry. In this latter topic we have already touched the great matter which comes now at …
Handley C. G. Moule—To My Younger Brethren

Josiah, a Pattern for the Ignorant.
"Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before Me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord. Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place."--2 Kings …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

Its Meaning
Deliverance from the condemning sentence of the Divine Law is the fundamental blessing in Divine salvation: so long as we continue under the curse, we can neither be holy nor happy. But as to the precise nature of that deliverance, as to exactly what it consists of, as to the ground on which it is obtained, and as to the means whereby it is secured, much confusion now obtains. Most of the errors which have been prevalent on this subject arose from the lack of a clear view of the thing itself, and …
Arthur W. Pink—The Doctrine of Justification

Links

Isaiah 50:3 NIV
Isaiah 50:3 NLT
Isaiah 50:3 ESV
Isaiah 50:3 NASB
Isaiah 50:3 KJV

Isaiah 50:3 Commentaries

Bible Hub