They put on sackcloth, and horror covers them. Shame is on all faces, and baldness on all their heads.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse doesn't just describe outward signs of mourning like sackcloth and baldness; it emphasizes that "horror shall cover them." This implies a deep, consuming terror that envelops them completely, like a garment, showing that their distress is not just superficial but an all-encompassing internal reality.
They put on sackcloth, and horror covers them. Shame is on all faces, and baldness on all their heads.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezekiel has just declared that the end of Jerusalem is imminent, warning that no one will escape the coming destruction. This passage describes the people's desperate reaction to this devastating prophecy, showing them outwardly expressing their terror and shame through traditional mourning rituals like wearing sackcloth and shaving their heads. It paints a picture of utter despair as they face the horrifying consequences of their persistent sin and rebellion against God.
When disaster strikes, how do people show their grief? Ezekiel paints a vivid picture of outward expressions matching inward turmoil.
The Universal Language of Grief
Ezekiel describes the people of Judah adorning themselves with sackcloth. This wasn't just a fashion choice; it was a widespread, ancient symbol of deep mourning, distress, and repentance. People would wrap themselves in this coarse material to physically express the pain and anguish they felt inside. It was a way to publicly declare their sorrow and acknowledge the gravity of their situation.
A Garment of Horror
The verse says, 'horror covers them.' This horror wasn't just an emotion; it became like a garment, surrounding them completely. It implies a state of being overwhelmed, where fear and dread are inescapable. This internal terror is then outwardly displayed through their chosen attire and other physical signs of grief.
Beyond sackcloth, what other visceral signs reveal the depth of their despair and the consequences of their choices?
Faces Reflecting Inner Agony
'Shame is on all faces' shows that this wasn't a private grief but a public spectacle. Their actions, their disobedience, and the resulting disaster have brought a deep sense of humiliation. There’s no hiding the disgrace; it’s written plainly on every countenance. This shame is tied to their sins – the realization of how they've fallen short and the exposure of their wrongdoings.
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The Mark of Mourning
The mention of 'baldness on all their heads' points to another traditional sign of mourning and profound distress. In their agony, people would tear at their hair or shave their heads. While the Law sometimes restricted such practices for Israelites to distinguish them from surrounding nations, in times of extreme crisis, these deeply ingrained cultural expressions of sorrow would surface. It’s a final, stark visual of a people stripped bare by their circumstances and their spiritual unfaithfulness.
Understand the original words
saq · Hebrew Noun
A coarse, dark cloth, usually made of goats' hair, worn as a sign of mourning, deep repentance, or humiliation before God. Putting on sackcloth symbolizes the stripping away of dignity and the confession of brokenness.
kelimmah · Hebrew Noun
A state of feeling or being in disgrace, confusion, or humiliation. In a biblical context, it often refers to the condition of being stripped of honor due to sin or judgment, reflecting an inward state made visible.
Ezekiel's vivid description of sackcloth, horror, shame, and baldness paints a picture of utter despair. These weren't just abstract feelings; they were deeply ingrained cultural expressions of mourning and distress, used by people facing the brutal reality of Jerusalem's destruction and exile.
c. 597 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deports King Jehoiachin, members of the royal family, and many skilled workers and citizens from Jerusalem to Babylon. This event marked a significant loss of leadership and talent for Judah.
c. 589 BC
Nebuchadnezzar Besieges Jerusalem
Following a rebellion by Zedekiah, the king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar returns with his army to lay siege to Jerusalem. This siege would last for over two years, bringing immense suffering and famine.
c. 587-586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Second Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar's forces breach the walls of Jerusalem, sack the city, burn the Temple, and deport the remaining population to Babylon. This marked the end of the kingdom of Judah.
c. 582 BC
Third Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar conducts another deportation of Judean exiles, further diminishing the population left in the land.
This passage mirrors Ezekiel's description, noting that 'baldness is on every head, and every beard is shaven; all hands shall be cut off, and sackcloth on their loins.'
Leviticus 26:36This verse describes a similar terror for disobedience: 'And those of you who are left shall be overcome by fear in the land of their enemies. And the sound of a fleeing enemy shall pursue them, though no one is pursuing, and they shall flee, though no one is pursuing.'
Isaiah 15:2This prophecy against Moab also uses similar imagery of deep mourning: 'To the house of the people of Mo'ab and to their cities, they have gone up: to Dibon and to Me'deba, to Mad'eba, on their heads shall be baldness, and every beard shaven; in all their gatherings there is mourning with putting on of sackcloth.'
Micah 1:16Micah describes a similar scene of judgment and mourning: 'Make yourselves bald and cut off your hair, for the children of your delight; make yourselves as the eagle, for they shall go from you into exile.'
pooleEzekiel 7:18: "They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads."
It is a very general usage in the Eastern parts in deepest sorrows and distresses to put sackcloth on, and to gird it close to their bodies. Horror; either dreadful apprehensions of growing evils, or continued shakings from impressions of what formerly they felt, according to Leviticus 26:16,36 . Cover them; be on every side, no side…
jfbEzekiel 7:18: "They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads."
- cover them—as a garment.baldness—a sign of mourning (Isa 3:24; Jer 48:37; Mic 1:16).
The verse doesn't just describe outward signs of mourning like sackcloth and baldness; it emphasizes that "horror shall cover them." This implies a deep, consuming terror that envelops them completely, like a garment, showing that their distress is not just superficial but an all-encompassing internal reality.
Ezekiel has just declared that the end of Jerusalem is imminent, warning that no one will escape the coming destruction. This passage describes the people's desperate reaction to this devastating prophecy, showing them outwardly expressing their terror and shame through traditional mourning rituals like wearing sackcloth and shaving their heads. It paints a picture of utter despair as they face the horrifying consequences of their persistent sin and rebellion against God.
Ezekiel has just declared that the end of Jerusalem is imminent, warning that no one will escape the coming destruction. This passage describes the people's desperate reaction to this devastating prophecy, showing them outwardly expressing their terror and shame through traditional mourning rituals like wearing sackcloth and shaving their heads. It paints a picture of utter despair as they face the horrifying consequences of their persistent sin and rebellion against God.
"They put on sackcloth, and horror covers them. Shame is on all faces, and baldness on all their heads." — The verse doesn't just describe outward signs of mourning like sackcloth and baldness; it emphasizes that "horror shall cover them." This implies a deep, consuming terror that envelops them completel…
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Last reviewed October 2026