When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalmist isn't just wearing sackcloth to mourn; he's making it his deliberate "clothing," a public declaration of his inner grief and repentance. This outward display of humility and sorrow, intended as a sign of devotion, ironically made him a subject of ridicule and mockery for those around him.
When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalmist is detailing the depth of his suffering, not just from external troubles but from the mocking and scorn of those around him. Having expressed his profound grief by wearing sackcloth, a sign of deep mourning and repentance, he found that this very act of humility and sorrow only made him a target for ridicule and became a common saying among his enemies. This verse sits within a section where the psalmist laments how his devotion to God has paradoxically led to his vilification and mockery by those who despise God.
Why would someone wear sackcloth, a coarse material, as clothing? It wasn't just a fashion statement – it was a profound declaration.
A Public Declaration of Inner State
Sackcloth was a rough, uncomfortable fabric, often made from goat hair, worn as a sign of deep sorrow, repentance, or humility. When the psalmist says, "I made sackcloth my clothing," he's describing a deliberate, public act.
This wasn't a private moment; it was a visible testimony that drew attention, setting the wearer apart.
What happens when your deepest expressions of devotion are met with ridicule? This verse reveals a painful transformation.
The Cost of Devotion
The second part of the verse, "I became a byword to them," shows the sharp contrast between the psalmist's intention and his enemies' reaction. His act of deep spiritual expression was twisted into something contemptible.
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This highlights the reality that living a life set apart for God often invites misunderstanding and scorn from the world.
Understand the original words
saq · Hebrew Noun
A coarse, dark fabric, usually made of goat's hair, worn as a sign of extreme mourning, repentance, or distress. It signifies humility before God and the casting aside of worldly pride.
mashal · Hebrew Noun
A proverb, object of scorn, or a target of mocking ridicule. Being a byword signifies a loss of social standing and becoming an example of misfortune or divine judgment in the eyes of others.
The psalm's imagery of wearing sackcloth and becoming a byword powerfully describes the suffering of devout individuals who are mocked for their piety, with these experiences finding their ultimate fulfillment in the life and passion of Jesus Christ.
c. 700-500 BC
Exile and Post-Exilic Period
Some scholars suggest the psalm was written during or after the Babylonian exile, a time of national mourning and hardship for the Israelites.
c. 167-142 BC
Maccabean Period
Other scholars date the psalm to the Maccabean era, a time of intense religious persecution and conflict against the Seleucid Empire.
Early 1st century AD
Ministry of John the Baptist
John the Baptist, with his rough garments of camel's hair and a leather girdle, served as a forerunner, possibly reflecting the attire and somber message associated with mourning.
c. AD 28-30— this verse
Jesus' Ministry and Sufferings
Jesus, living a life of poverty and facing intense opposition, embodied the suffering described. His followers and even His family initially doubted Him, and His enemies mocked Him.
c. AD 30-33
Crucifixion of Jesus
During His crucifixion, Jesus was given vinegar to drink, a bitter and derisive act that echoes the psalm's imagery of suffering and mockery.
This passage describes a similar experience of being a 'curse' and a 'byword' among those scattered by God's judgment, highlighting the intense shame and ridicule that can befall those who are set apart.
Lamentations 3:14The prophet here describes himself as a subject of song for his tormentors, directly paralleling the experience in Psalm 69 of becoming a 'byword' and a 'song' for those who mock.
Job 30:9-10Job recounts a similar suffering where he has become a 'proverb' to his people and 'fools,' emphasizing the humiliation of being ridiculed and scorned by former peers, even in his afflicted state.
Matthew 27:39-44This passage describes the mockery Jesus endured at the cross, where He was reviled and called names by passersby and the chief priests, scribes, and elders, mirroring the experience of being a public object of scorn.
pulpitPsalms 69:11: "I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them."
Verse 11. - I made sackcloth also my garment (see Psalm 30:12; Psalm 35:13); and I became a proverb to them; or, a byword, as the same word, mashal, is rendered in Psalm 44:14.
calvinPsalms 69:10-13: "When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach."
- And I wept, my soul fasted; and that was laid to me as a reproach. 11. I also made sackcloth my clothing: and I became a proverb to them. 12. They who sit in the gate defame me: and I am the song of those who drink intoxicating liquor. 13. But as for me, my prayer is to thee, O Jehovah! in a time of thy favor, [or good-will,] O God: answer me in the multitude of thy mercy, in the truth of thy salvat…
The psalmist isn't just wearing sackcloth to mourn; he's making it his deliberate "clothing," a public declaration of his inner grief and repentance. This outward display of humility and sorrow, intended as a sign of devotion, ironically made him a subject of ridicule and mockery for those around him.
The psalmist is detailing the depth of his suffering, not just from external troubles but from the mocking and scorn of those around him. Having expressed his profound grief by wearing sackcloth, a sign of deep mourning and repentance, he found that this very act of humility and sorrow only made him a target for ridicule and became a common saying among his enemies. This verse sits within a section where the psalmist laments how his devotion to God has paradoxically led to his vilification and mockery by those who despise God.
The psalmist is detailing the depth of his suffering, not just from external troubles but from the mocking and scorn of those around him. Having expressed his profound grief by wearing sackcloth, a sign of deep mourning and repentance, he found that this very act of humility and sorrow only made him a target for ridicule and became a common saying among his enemies. This verse sits within a section where the psalmist laments how his devotion to God has paradoxically led to his vilification and mockery by those who despise God.
"When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them." — The psalmist isn't just wearing sackcloth to mourn; he's making it his deliberate "clothing," a public declaration of his inner grief and repentance. This outward display of humility and sorrow, inte…
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Last reviewed October 2026