The Meaning of Isaiah 3:24 Explained

Isaiah 3:24

KJV: 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.

YLT: 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.

Darby: 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.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Isaiah 3:24 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Disgrace would result from trusting self rather than God. These five exchanges and more took place when God humbled Israel in exile. They all represent the results of divine judgment for self-exaltation.

Context Summary

Isaiah 3:13-26 - Vanity And Selfish Luxury Condemned
This paragraph opens with the majestic figure of Jehovah Himself, who arises to judge the misrulers and plead the cause of the poor. The prophet enumerates the trinkets of the women of Israel, who had given themselves up to luxury and corruption. Woman is the priestess and prophetess of the home and religion, and when she forsakes the level of spiritual influence for that of physical adornment, the salt has lost its savor and the whole commonwealth suffers. The manhood of a land is lost, morally and spiritually when woman falls from her high estate; and there could be no hope for Jerusalem until the divine fire had consumed the filth of her daughters, and the oppressive selfishness of her sons. Then once more each home in Jerusalem would have the same blessed signs of the divine presence as had once been granted to the Tabernacle-the shadowing cloud by day and the gleam of the Shekinah-fire by night. Let us claim these for our homes also! [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 3

1  The great calamities which come by sin
10  The different rewards of the righteous and wicked
12  The oppression and covetousness of the rulers
16  The judgments which shall be for the pride of the women
25  The general desolation

What do the individual words in Isaiah 3:24 mean?

And so it shall be Instead of a sweet smell a stench there will be and Instead of a sash a rope of well-set hair baldness of a rich robe a girding of sackcloth and branding of beauty
וְהָיָה֩ תַ֨חַת בֹּ֜שֶׂם מַ֣ק יִֽהְיֶ֗ה וְתַ֨חַת חֲגוֹרָ֤ה נִקְפָּה֙ מַעֲשֶׂ֤ה מִקְשֶׁה֙ קָרְחָ֔ה פְּתִיגִ֖יל מַחֲגֹ֣רֶת שָׂ֑ק כִּי־ יֹֽפִי

וְהָיָה֩  And  so  it  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
תַ֨חַת  Instead 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
בֹּ֜שֶׂם  of  a  sweet  smell 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֹּשֶׂם  
Sense: spice, balsam, balsam tree, perfume.
מַ֣ק  a  stench 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַק  
Sense: decay, rottenness.
יִֽהְיֶ֗ה  there  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
וְתַ֨חַת  and  Instead 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
חֲגוֹרָ֤ה  of  a  sash 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֲגֹור 
Sense: girdle, belt.
נִקְפָּה֙  a  rope 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נִקְפָּה  
Sense: tether, rope, encircling rope.
מַעֲשֶׂ֤ה  of  well-set 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַעֲשֶׂה  
Sense: deed, work.
מִקְשֶׁה֙  hair 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִקְשֶׁה  
Sense: turned work, well-dressed hair, well-set hair, turner’s work.
קָרְחָ֔ה  baldness 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: קָרַח  
Sense: baldness, bald.
פְּתִיגִ֖יל  of  a  rich  robe 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: פְּתִיגִיל  
Sense: rich or expensive robe.
מַחֲגֹ֣רֶת  a  girding 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מַחֲגֹרֶת  
Sense: wrapping, girding, sash, cincture.
שָׂ֑ק  of  sackcloth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׂק  
Sense: mesh, sackcloth, sack, sacking.
כִּי־  and  branding 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כִּי  
Sense: burning, branding.
יֹֽפִי  of  beauty 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֳפִי  
Sense: beauty.