Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Isaiah 61:3 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 3. 3To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The servant poem or servant-addressing voice states or reports “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of…” at Isaiah 61:3 as a specific part of “The Spirit-Anointed Herald Announces Release and Comfort.”
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted
This verse is one part of that explanation in Isaiah 61:1–3. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- Isaiah 61:1–3
Read Isaiah 61:3 with 61:1–3. By itself, “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of…” can be detached from the speaker, addressee, historical horizon, poetic movement, or outcome that gives it force. The complete unit establishes: Good news to the poor, healing, liberty, release, divine favor and vengeance, comfort, and transformed mourning define the speaker's commission.
Why This Verse Appears Here
This received unit develops “The Spirit-Anointed Herald Announces Release and Comfort” through its own speaker, addressee, scene, poem, oracle, sign, or historical episode. Its non-interchangeable movement is: Good news to the poor, healing, liberty, release, divine favor and vengeance, comfort, and transformed mourning define the speaker's commission. This verse's placement is specific: The servant poem or servant-addressing voice states or reports “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of…” at Isaiah 61:3 as a specific part of “The Spirit-Anointed Herald Announces Release and Comfort.”
What Remains True
Vocation joins justice, truthful witness, vulnerability, perseverance, and service without making abuse redemptive by itself. In Isaiah 61:3, that bounded truth is carried through this verse's role: The servant poem or servant-addressing voice states or reports “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of…” at Isaiah 61:3 as a specific part of “The Spirit-Anointed Herald Announces Release and Comfort.”
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Isaiah 61:1–3 — The Spirit-Anointed Herald Announces Release and ComfortSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? probable
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, verse order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete thought-unit coverage.
Exact location: Isaiah 61:1–3, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Isaiah
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording and morphology at the exact unit, without treating morphology as apparatus, lexicon, composition history, or interpretation.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Isa.xml, OSIS 61:1–3 with Hebrew/KJV versification difference checked
Open the fixed Hebrew Isaiah file ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible Notes: Isaiah
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2016; current official PDF
Supports: Verse-level controls for Hebrew, syntax, poetry, older KJV language, chronology, names, textual issues, and material translation alternatives.
Exact location: Official NET Isaiah PDF, translator, study, and textual notes attached to Isaiah 61:1–3 in the complete 205-page book PDF
Open the official NET Isaiah PDF ↗