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Isaiah 61:3Anointed proclamation
to provide for those who mourn in Zion, to give to them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Yahweh, that he may be glorified.
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Interpretation

The prophet calls a beauty for ashes that is embodied in work and rest. Isaiah 61:3: trace "may" and "provide". Let beauty for ashes in what we refuse to say—turn hope into steady work.

Context

The setting is Isaiah—prophetic oracle, naming beauty for ashes. Placed in ch. 61, the nearby lines set its tone. There’s a line into prophetic hope & judgment. The nearby sentences supply the texture.

Authorship & Historical Background

Early sources associate Isaiah with the prophet Isaiah. Academic consensus for Isaiah tends toward: Scholars often distinguish major sections (sometimes called Deutero/Trito‑Isaiah).. Date: 8th–5th century BC. It sits within the Anointed proclamation (prophetic oracle). Here the thread of prophetic hope & judgment comes into view. Chs 40–55 commonly exilic (Deutero). Chs 56–66 commonly post‑exilic (Trito). A long compositional arc is often proposed (Proto/Deutero/Trito).

More details
Traditional:Isaiah son of Amoz
Modern scholarship:Multiple authors (Proto‑, Deutero‑, Trito‑Isaiah).
Date:8th–5th century BC
  • Chs 40–55 commonly exilic (Deutero).
  • Chs 56–66 commonly post‑exilic (Trito).
Manuscripts & Textual Witnesses
The Hebrew text is preserved in the Masoretic tradition, stabilized between the 6th-10th centuries CE. The the Dead Sea Scrolls (found 1947-1956) provide manuscripts 1000+ years older than medieval texts, generally confirming the Masoretic Text's reliability with only minor variations. The Septuagint (Greek translation, 3rd-2nd century BCE) offers an independent textual witness. Variations between manuscripts are typically minor: spelling differences, word order, or clarifications that do not affect the core meaning. Modern translations compare all available manuscripts to reconstruct the probably reflects the initial text text.
Sources & witness notes
MT