לוֹט

From the study of Isaiah 25:7

Range of meaning

The verb means to wrap or envelop. Goliath's sword is 'wrapped in a cloth' (1 Sam 21:9 [Heb 21:10]), and Elijah 'wrapped his face in his cloak' before God (1 Kings 19:13). A by-form of the verb describes David covering his face in grief for Absalom (2 Sam 19:4 [Heb 19:5]). The noun, found only here, is a wrapping or covering.

Against the English

KJV 'the face of the covering cast over'; ESV 'the covering that is cast over'; BSB and NIV 'the shroud that enfolds'; NLT 'the cloud of gloom.' 'Shroud' and 'gloom' are interpretations of the word. They read it as a sign of death and mourning, which the context supports, but the Hebrew word itself only says 'wrapping.'

Used elsewhere in the period

Covering the head or face was a standard sign of grief and humiliation in Israel: David on the Mount of Olives (2 Sam 15:30), farmers in drought (Jer 14:3–4), and Haman after his disgrace (Esth 6:12). Covering the face also appears in Elijah's awe before God.