Isaiah 56:3

56:2 Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.

Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.

KJV

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Let no foreigner, who has joined himself to Yahweh, speak, saying, “Yahweh will surely separate me from his people.” Do not let the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.”

Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.

Neither let the son of the stranger, that has joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD has utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.

56:4 For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant;

What does Isaiah 56:3 mean?

Isaiah 56:3 is a verse in the book of Isaiah, in the Old Testament. In the original Hebrew, key words include בֵּן (bên), נֵכָר (nêkâr), לָוָה (lâvâh). It connects to 3 cross-referenced passages elsewhere in Scripture.

Hebrew interlinear

Neither

let

the

sonבֵּןbên/bane/H1121a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)

the

stranger,נֵכָרnêkâr/nay-kawr'/H5236foreign, or (concretely) a foreigner, or (abstractly) heathendom

that

hath

joinedלָוָהlâvâh/law-vaw'/H3867properly, to twine, i.e. (by implication) to unite, to remain; also to borrow (as a form of obligation) or (caus.) to lend

himself

the

LORD,יְהֹוָהYᵉhôvâh/yeh-ho-vaw'/H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of God

speak,אָמַרʼâmar/aw-mar'/H559to say (used with great latitude)

saying,אָמַרʼâmar/aw-mar'/H559to say (used with great latitude)

The

LORDיְהֹוָהYᵉhôvâh/yeh-ho-vaw'/H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of God

hath

utterlyבָּדַלbâdal/baw-dal'/H914to divide (in variation senses literally or figuratively, separate, distinguish, differ, select, etc.)

separatedבָּדַלbâdal/baw-dal'/H914to divide (in variation senses literally or figuratively, separate, distinguish, differ, select, etc.)

from

his

people:עַםʻam/am/H5971a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock

neither

let

the

eunuchסָרִיסçârîyç/saw-reece'/H5631a eunuch; by implication, valet (especially of the female apartments), and thus, a minister of state

say,אָמַרʼâmar/aw-mar'/H559to say (used with great latitude)

Behold,

dryיָבֵשׁyâbêsh/yaw-bashe'/H3002dry

tree.עֵץʻêts/ates/H6086a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks)

Commentary on Isaiah 56:3

HENRY_FULL · Isaiah 56:3

>troubling of a fountain and the corrupting of a spring, for the righteous to fall down before the wicked, that is, 1. For the righteous to fall into sin in the sight of the wicked—for them to do any thing unbecoming their profession, which is told in Gath, and published in the streets of Ashkelon, and in which the daughters of the Philistines rejoice. For those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour to fall from their excellency, this troubles the fountains by grieving some, and corrupts the springs by infecting others and emboldening them to do likewise. 2. For the righteous to be oppressed, and run down, and trampled upon, by the violence or subtlety of evil men, to be displaced and thrust into obscurity, this is the troubling of the fountains of justice and corrupting the very springs of government, ch. xxviii. 12, 28 ; xxix. 2 . 3. For the righteous to be cowardly, to truckle to the wicked, to be afraid of opposing his wickedness and basely to yield to him, this is a reflection upon religion, a discouragement to good men, and strengthens the hands of sinners in their sins, and so is like a troubled fountain and a corrupt spring. 27 It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory. I. Two things we must be graciously dead to:—1. To the pleasures of sense, for

Cross-references

Related passages from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

1 Samuel 20:30

Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness? Thou: or, Thou perverse rebel: Heb. Son of perverse rebellion

1 Samuel 25:17

Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.

Isaiah 22:24

And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons. vessels of flagons: or, instruments of viols

Topics

Eunuch Proselytes Trees

Verses like this

Other verses that share key original-language words with Isaiah 56:3.

Genesis 1:14

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: the day: Heb. between the day and between the night

Genesis 1:6

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. firmament: Heb. expansion

Genesis 2:16

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: thou: Heb. eating thou shalt eat

Genesis 2:18

And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. meet: Heb. as before him

Genesis 3:1

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? Yea: Heb. Yea, because, etc.

Genesis 3:13

And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

Genesis 3:14

And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

Genesis 3:16

Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. to thy: or, subject to thy husband

Frequently asked questions

What does Isaiah 56:3 say?

Isaiah 56:3 (King James Version) reads: "Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree."

Is Isaiah 56:3 in the Old or New Testament?

Isaiah 56:3 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Isaiah.

Reflect

As you read Isaiah 56:3, what is one truth here you can carry into today?

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