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Updated Bible Version
Isaiah 3:24
Bible Study Resources
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Now it will be that instead of sweet perfume there will be the smell of rot;Instead of a belt, a rope;Instead of well‑set hair, a plucked‑out scalp;Instead of fine clothes, a donning of sackcloth;And branding instead of beauty.
Now it will come about that instead of sweet perfume there will be putrefaction; Instead of a belt, a rope; Instead of well-set hair, a plucked-out scalp; Instead of fine clothes, a donning of sackcloth; And branding instead of beauty.
And in steade of good smell there shalbe stincke, and in steade of their girdle a rent, and for well set heere there shalbe baldnesse, in steade of a stomacher a sacke cloth, & [sunne] burnyng for beautie.
And it shall come to pass, instead of perfume there shall be rottenness; and instead of a girdle, a rope; and instead of well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a robe of display, a girding of sackcloth; brand instead of beauty.
And so it shall be: Instead of a sweet smell there will be a stench; Instead of a sash, a rope; Instead of well-set hair, baldness; Instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth; And branding instead of beauty.
And it shall be, instead of a smell of perfume, there shall be an odor of decay. And instead of a sash, a rope. And instead of well set hair, baldness. And instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth; burning instead of beauty.
Those women now have sweet-smelling perfume, but it will get moldy and stink. Now they wear belts, but then they will have only ropes to wear. Now they have their hair fixed in fancy ways, but then their heads will be shaved—they will have no hair. Now they have party dresses, but then they will have only mourning clothes. They have beauty marks on their faces now, but then they will have another mark. It will be a mark burned into their skin to show that they are slaves.
It shall happen that instead of sweet spices, there shall be rottenness; Instead of a belt, a rope; Instead of well set hair, baldness; Instead of a robe, a girding of sackcloth; And branding instead of beauty.
And it shall come to passe, that in steade of sweete smell, there shall bee stinke; and in stead of a girdle, a rent; and in stead of well set haire, baldnesse; and in stead of a stomacher, a girding of sackecloth; and burning, in stead of beautie.
And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.
And in steade of good smell there shalbe stynck amonge them. And for their gyrdles there shalbe lowse bondes. And for wellset hayre there shalbe baldnesse. In steade of a stomacher, a sack cloth, and for their bewty wythrednesse and sonneburnynge.
Instead of wearing seductive scents, these women are going to smell like rotting cabbages; Instead of modeling flowing gowns, they'll be sporting rags; Instead of their stylish hairdos, scruffy heads; Instead of beauty marks, scabs and scars.
Now it will come to pass that instead of the sweet fragrance of spices there will be [the stench of] rottenness; Instead of a belt, a rope; Instead of well-set hair, baldness; Instead of fine clothes, a robe of sackcloth; And branding [of captives by the scorching heat] instead of beauty.
And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet spices there shall be rottenness; and instead of a girdle, a rope; and instead of well set hair, baldness; and instead of a robe, a girding of sackcloth; branding instead of beauty.
And in the place of sweet spices will be an evil smell, and for a fair band a thick cord; for a well-dressed head there will be the cutting-off of the hair, and for a beautiful robe there will be the clothing of sorrow; the mark of the prisoner in place of the ornaments of the free.
And it shall come to pass, [that] instead of sweet smell there shall be an offensive odor; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; [and] burning instead of beauty.
A putrid stench will replace the smell of spices, a rope will replace a belt, baldness will replace braided locks of hair, a sackcloth garment will replace a fine robe, and a prisoner's brand will replace beauty.
In place of perfume, there will be a stink; in place of belts, there will be ropes; in place of fancy hairdos, they will have bald heads. Instead of expensive clothes, they will wear sackcloth; instead of beauty, they will have ugly scars.
Then, there will be instead of perfume, a stench; instead of a belt, a rope; instead of well-set hair, a shaved scalp; instead of a rich robe, a sackcloth skirt; and a slave-brand instead of beauty.
And in steade of sweete sauour, there shall be stinke, and in steade of a girdle, a rent, and in steade of dressing of the heare, baldnesse, and in steade of a stomacher, a girding of sackecloth, and burning in steade of beautie.
And it shall come to pass, that instead of a sweet smell there shall be a stink; and instead of an ornamental girdle, a workers apron; and instead of curled hair, baldness; and instead of purple robes, a girding of sackcloth; for their beauty shall be destroyed.
It shall happen that instead of sweet spices, there shall be rottenness; Instead of a belt, a rope; Instead of well set hair, baldness; Instead of a robe, a girding of sackcloth; And branding instead of beauty.
And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet spices there shall be rottenness; and instead of a girdle rags; and instead of curled hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; branding instead of beauty.
Instead of smelling of sweet perfume, she will stink. She will wear a rope for a sash, and her elegant hair will fall out. She will wear rough burlap instead of rich robes. Shame will replace her beauty.
Instead of sweet perfume there will be a bad smell. Instead of a belt there will be a rope. Instead of well set hair there will be no hair. Instead of fine clothes they will wear cloth made from hair. And there will be burnt marks instead of beauty.
And there shall be instead of a sweet smell, dust; and instead of a girdle, thou shalt gird thyself with a rope; and instead of a golden ornament for the head, thou shalt have baldness on account of thy works; and instead of a tunic with a scarlet ground, thou shalt gird thyself with sackcloth.
And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet spices there shall be rottenness; and instead of a girdle a rope; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth: branding instead of beauty.
Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a belt, a rope; instead of styled hair, baldness; instead of fine clothes, sackcloth; instead of beauty, branding.
Instead of perfume there will be a stench; and instead of a sash, a rope; and instead of well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a rich robe, a binding of sackcloth; instead of beauty, shame.
And it shall come to pass - That instead of fragrance, a putrid odour, shall be, And instead of a girdle, an encircling rope, And instead of braided hair, baldness, And instead of a festal robe, a girding of sackcloth, Branding instead of beauty:
And instead of a sweet smell there shall be stench, and instead of a girdle, a cord, and instead of curled hair, baldness, and instead of a stomacher, haircloth.
And this shall happen: There will be a stench instead of perfume, and a rope instead of a sash, and baldness instead of a well-set hairdo, and a clothing wrap of sackcloth instead of a rich robe, branding instead of beauty.
Instead of perfume there will be rottenness; and instead of a belt, a rope; and instead of well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a rich robe, a skirt of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty.
Now it will come about that instead of balsam oil there will be a stench; Instead of a belt, a rope; Instead of well-set hair, a plucked-out scalp; Instead of fine clothes, a robe of sackcloth; And branding instead of beauty.
Instead of wearing sweet-smelling perfume, they will stink. Instead of fine cloth belts, they will wear the ropes of captives. Instead of having their hair fixed in fancy ways, they will be bald. Instead of fine clothes, they will wear clothes of sadness. Instead of being beautiful, they will wear the brand of a captive.
Instead of using perfumes, they will stink; instead of fine belts, they will wear coarse ropes; instead of having beautiful hair, they will be bald; instead of fine clothes, they will be dressed in rags; their beauty will be turned to shame!
Instead of perfume there will be a stench; instead of a belt, a rope; instead of beautifully styled hair, baldness; instead of fine clothes, sackcloth; instead of beauty, branding.
And stynk shal be for swete odour, and a corde for the girdil; ballidnesse schal be for crispe heer, and an heire for a brest girdil.
Instead of perfume there will be rottenness; and instead of a girdle, a rope; and instead of well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth; instead of beauty, shame.
And it hath been, instead of spice is muck, And instead of a girdle, a rope, And instead of curled work, baldness, And instead of a stomacher a girdle of sackcloth.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
instead: Isaiah 57:9, Proverbs 7:17
baldness: Isaiah 22:12, Ezekiel 7:18, Micah 1:16
a girding: Isaiah 15:3, Isaiah 32:9-11, Job 16:15, Jeremiah 4:8, Jeremiah 6:26, Jeremiah 48:37, Jeremiah 49:3, Lamentations 2:10, Ezekiel 27:31, Joel 1:8, Amos 8:10, Revelation 11:3
burning: Isaiah 4:4, Leviticus 26:16, Deuteronomy 28:22, Deuteronomy 32:24, Revelation 16:9, Revelation 18:9
Reciprocal: Leviticus 13:24 - a hot burning Deuteronomy 28:35 - botch 2 Samuel 14:26 - when he polled Isaiah 15:2 - all Isaiah 32:11 - and gird Jeremiah 13:10 - shall Revelation 9:8 - hair Revelation 16:2 - a noisome
Cross-References
And the woman said to the serpent, Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat:
And they heard the voice of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden.
And Yahweh God called to the man, and said to him, Where are you?
To the woman he said, I will greatly multiply your pain and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth sons; and your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you.
And to Adam he said, Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat of it: cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
thorns also and thistles it shall bring forth to you; and you shall eat the herb of the field;
And Yahweh God said, Look, the man has become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, so that he doesn't put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever-
Speak to the sons of Israel, that they take for me an offering: of every man whose heart makes him willing you shall take my offering.
And the donkey saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the donkey, to turn her into the way.
And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that there stood a man across from him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went to him, and said to him, Are you for us, or for our adversaries?
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And it shall come to pass, [that] instead of sweet smell there shall be a stink,.... Instead of "spice", or in the place where they put spices, carried musk, or had their smelling bottles, of precious and aromatic ointment, balsam, and myrrh, and such like things g, namely, in their bosoms, there should be a "stink" or putrefaction, arising from ulcers and diseases of the body,
Zechariah 14:12 the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, render it "dust"; or this may refer to the anointing of their hair with ointment of myrrh and other things, which gave an agreeable scent; but instead of this there would be a scab, giving an ill scent, Isaiah 3:17
and instead of a girdle a rent; such as is made in times of mourning and distress, or by the enemy. The Septuagint and Arabic versions render it, a "rope"; instead of fine curious girdles, wrought with gold and silver, they should have nothing but a rope about their loins. The Targum is,
"in the place where they bind the girdles, shall be marks of smiting;''
stripes, cuts, see Isaiah 10:34 as either by blows from the enemy, by whom they should be taken, or by the hand of God, being smitten with sores and ulcers, so that they should not be able to bear girdles upon them; or "holes", in their clothes or skin:
and instead of well set hair baldness; instead of plaited hair, and curled locks, kept in order, there would be scabs, ulcers, leprosy, or such diseases as would cause the hair to fall off, and leave a baldness. The Septuagint and Arabic versions render it, "instead of the golden ornament of the head, thou shall have baldness for thy works"; and the Syriac version, "instead of gems, incisions":
and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; the word for a "stomacher" is only used in this place; according to Kimchi, it signifies a very broad girdle; but Aben Ezra says it was a thin garment embroidered, which was put over all the rest of the clothes; perhaps something like a "mantelet". The Septuagint version renders it, "instead of the garment worked with purple"; and so the Syriac version, "instead of their hyacinths, or purples"; and the Arabic version, "instead of thy silken garment thou shall be girt with sackcloth"; which was usually done in times of distress and mourning:
[and] burning instead of beauty; either through the scorching beams of the sun, being stripped of their hoods and veils; or rather this is to be understood of carbuncles, and such like hot burning ulcers in their faces, which once were beautiful, and they prided themselves in; though the Hebrew word כי seems rather to be a preposition than a noun; so Jarchi, whose note is,
"for this is fit to be unto them instead of beauty, with which they have prided themselves,''
or have lifted up themselves; and so in his gloss upon the Talmud h, where this clause, with the context, is cited and paraphrased,
"for all these things shall come unto thee instead of thy beauty;''
and this clause may be read in connection with the following, "because of beauty", or "instead of beauty, thy men shall fall", c. and so the Targum,
"this vengeance shall be taken on them, because they have committed fornication in their beauty thy beautiful men shall be killed by the sword.''
The Syriac version is, "because their beauty shall be corrupted", and those versions which seem to have left out this clause, yet retain something of it in the beginning of the next verse Isaiah 3:25. The Vulgate Latin version is, "thy most beautiful men also shall fall by the sword". The Septuagint and Arabic versions begin it thus, "and thy beautiful son, whom thou lovest, shall fall by the sword".
g Misn. Sabbat, c. 6. sect. 3. h T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 62. 2.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
And it shall come to pass - The prophet proceeds to denounce the “judgment” or “punishment” that would come upon them for their pride and vanity. In the calamities that would befall the nation, all their ornaments of pride and vainglory would be stripped off; and instead of them, they would exhibit the marks, and wear the badges of calamity and grief.
Instead of sweet smell - Hebrew בשׂם bôs'em, aromatics, perfumes, spicy fragrance; such as they used on their garments and persons. ‘No one ever enters a company without being well perfumed; and in addition to various scents and oils, they are adorned with numerous garlands, made of the most odoriferous flowers.’ - “Roberts.” ‘The persons of the Assyrian ladies are elegantly clothed and scented with the richest oils and perfumes. When a queen was to be chosen to the king of Persia, instead of Vashti, the virgins collected at Susana, the capital, underwent a purification of twelve months’ duration, to wit: “six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odors.” The general use of such precious oil and fragrant perfumes among the ancient Roamns, particularly among the ladies of rank and fashion, may be inferred from these words of Virgil:
Arabrosiaeque comae divinum vertice odorem Spiravere:
AEn. i. 403.
“From her head the ambrosial locks breathed divine fragrance.”
Paxton.
A stink - This word properly means the fetor or offensive smell which attends the decomposition of a deceased body. It means that the bodies which they so carefully adorned, and which they so assiduously endeavored to preserve in beauty by unguents and perfumes, would die and turn to corruption.
And instead of a girdle - Girdles were an indispensable part of an Oriental dress. Their garments were loose and flowing, and it became necessary to gird them up when they ran, or danced, or labored.
A rent - There has been a great variety of opinion about the meaning of this word. The most probable signification is that which is derived from a verb meaning “to go around, encompass;” and hence, that it denotes “a cord.” Instead of the beautiful girdle with which they girded themselves, there shall be “a cord” - an emblem of poverty, as the poor had nothing else with which to gird up their clothes; a humiliating description of the calamities which were to come upon proud and vain females of the court.
And instead of well-set hair - Hair that was curiously braided and adorned. ‘No ladies pay more attention to the dressing of the hair than these (the dancing girls of India), for as they never wear caps, they take great delight in this their natural ornament.’ - “Roberts.” Miss Pardoe, in ‘The City of the Sultan,’ says, that after taking a bath, the slaves who attended her spent an hour and a half in dressing and adorning her hair; compare 1 Peter 3:3.
Instead of a stomacher - It is not certainly known what is meant by this, but it probably means some sort of “girdle,” or a platted or stiffened ornament worn on the breast. ‘I once saw a dress beautifully plaited and stiffened for the front, but I do not think it common.’ - “Roberts.”
A girding of sackcloth - This is a coarse cloth that was commonly worn in times of affliction, as emblematic of grief; 2Sa 3:31; 1 Kings 20:31; 1 Kings 21:27; Job 16:15; Isaiah 32:11.
And burning - The word used here does not occur elsewhere. It seems to denote “a brand, a mark burnt in, a stigma;” perhaps a sun-burned countenance, indicating exposure in the long and wearisome journey of a captivity over burning sands and beneath a scorching sun.
Instead of beauty - Instead of a fair and delicate complexion, cherished and nourished with care. Some of the articles of dress shown in the book exhibit several varieties of the costume of an Oriental female. To what “particular” time the prophet refers in this chapter is not known, perhaps, however, to the captivity at Babylon. To whatever he refers, it is one of the most striking reproofs of vanity and pride, especially the pride of female ornament, any where to be found. And although he had “particular” reference to the Jewish females, yet there is no impropriety in regarding it as applicable to all such ornaments wherever they may be found. They indicate the same state of the heart, and they must meet substantially the same rebuke from God. The body, however delicately pampered and adorned, must become the prey of corruption. ‘The worm shall feed sweetly on it, and the earth-worm shall be its covering;’ compare Isaiah 14:2; Job 24:20. The single thought that the body must die - that it must lie and moulder in the grave - should check the love of frivolous adorning, and turn the mind to a far more important matter - the salvation of the soul, which cannot die; to ‘the ornament of a weak and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price;’ 1 Peter 3:4.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Isaiah 3:24. Instead of sweet smell - "perfume."] A principal part of the delicacy of the Asiatic ladies consists in the use of baths, and of the richest oils and perfumes; an attention to which is in some degree necessary in those hot countries. Frequent mention is made of the rich ointments of the spouse in the Song of Solomon, Song of Solomon 4:10-11: -
"How beautiful are thy breasts, my sister, my spouse!
How much more excellent than wine;
And the odour of thine ointments than all perfumes!
Thy lips drop as the honey-comb, my spouse!
Honey and milk are under thy tongue:
And the odour of thy garments is as the odour of Lebanon."
The preparation for Esther's being introduced to King Ahasuerus was a course of bathing and perfuming for a whole year; "six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours;" Esther 2:12. See the notes on this place. Esther 2:12. A diseased and loathsome habit of body, instead of a beautiful skin, softened and made agreeable with all that art could devise, and all that nature, so prodigal in those countries of the richest perfumes, could supply, must have been a punishment the most severe and the most mortifying to the delicacy of these haughty daughters of Sion.
Burning instead of beauty - "A sunburnt skin."] Gaspar Sanctius thinks the words כי תחת ki thachath an interpolation, because the Vulgate has omitted them. The clause כי תחת יפי ki thachath yophi seems to me rather to be imperfect at the end. Not to mention that כי ki, taken as a noun for adustio, burning, is without example, and very improbable. The passage ends abruptly, and seems to want a fuller conclusion.
In agreement with which opinion, of the defect of the Hebrew text in this place, the Septuagint, according to MSS. Pachom. and 1 D. ii., and Marchal., which are of the best authority, express it with the same evident marks of imperfection at the end of the sentence; thus: ταυτα σοι αντι καλλωπισμου - The two latter add δου. This chasm in the text, from the loss probably of three or four words, seems therefore to be of long standing.
Taking כי ki in its usual sense, as a particle, and supplying לך lech from the σοι of the Septuagint, it might possibly have been originally somewhat in this form: -
מראה רעת לך תהיה יפי תחת כי marah raath lech thihyeh yophi thachath ki "Yea, instead of beauty thou shalt have an ill-favoured countenance."
כי תחת יפי ki thachath yophi (q. יחת yachath,) "for beauty shall be destroyed." Syr. חתת chathath or נחת nachath. - Dr. DURELL.
"May it not be כהי cohey, 'wrinkles instead of beauty?' as from יפה yaphah is formed יפי yephi, yophi; from מרה marah, מרי meri, c. so from כהה cahah, to be wrinkled, כהי cohey." - Dr. JUBB. The כי ki is wanting in one MS., and has been omitted by several of the ancients.
