Bible/Isaiah/58

Isaiah 58:3

58:2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.
Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. labours: or, things wherewith ye grieve others: Heb. griefs

KJV

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‘Why have we fasted,’ say they, ‘and you don’t see? Why have we afflicted our soul, and you don’t notice?’ “Behold, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and oppress all your laborers.

Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.

Why have we fasted, say they, and you see not? why have we afflicted our soul, and you take no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and exact all your labors.

58:4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. ye shall: or, ye fast not as this day

What does Isaiah 58:3 mean?

Isaiah 58:3 is a verse in the book of Isaiah, in the Old Testament. In the original Hebrew, key words include צוּם (tsûwm), רָאָה (râʼâh), עָנָה (ʻânâh). It connects to 10 cross-referenced passages elsewhere in Scripture.

Hebrew interlinear

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Wherefore
have
we
fasted,צוּםtsûwm/tsoom/H6684to cover over (the mouth), i.e. to fast
say
they,
and
thou
seestרָאָהrâʼâh/raw-aw'/H7200to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)
not?
wherefore
have
we
afflictedעָנָהʻânâh/aw-naw'/H6031to depress literally or figuratively, transitive or intransitive (in various applications, as follows)
our
soul,נֶפֶשׁnephesh/neh'-fesh/H5315properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)
and
thou
takest
no
knowledge?יָדַעyâdaʻ/yaw-dah'/H3045to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)
Behold,
in
the
dayיוֹםyôwm/yome/H3117a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
of
your
fastצוֹםtsôwm/tsome/H6685a fast
ye
findמָצָאmâtsâʼ/maw-tsaw'/H4672properly, to come forth to, i.e. appear or exist; transitively, to attain, i.e. find or acquire; figuratively, to occur, meet or be present
pleasure,חֵפֶץchêphets/khay'-fets/H2656pleasure; hence (abstractly) desire; concretely, a valuable thing; hence (by extension) a matter (as something in mind)
and
exactנָגַשׂnâgas/naw-gas'/H5065to drive (an animal, a workman, a debtor, an army); by implication, to tax, harass, tyrannize
all
your
labours.עָצֵבʻâtsêb/aw-tsabe'/H6092a (hired) workman
labours:
or,
things
wherewith
ye
grieve
others:
Heb.
griefs

Commentary on Isaiah 58:3

HENRY_FULL · Isaiah 58:1–3
ed before the whole congregation. There is cause to complain, not only of the want of sincerity in men's profession of friendship, and that they do not love so well as they pretend nor will serve their friends so much as they promise, but, which is much worse, of wicked designs in the profession of friendship, and the making of it subservient to the most malicious intentions. This is here spoken of as a common thing ( v. 24 ): He that hates his neighbour, and is contriving to do him a mischief, yet dissembles with his lips, professes to have a respect for him and to be ready to serve him, talks kindly with him, as Cain with Abel, asks, Art thou in health, my brother? as Joab to Amasa, that his malice may not be suspected and guarded against, and so he may have the fairer opportunity to execute the purposes of it, this man lays up deceit within him, that is, he keeps in his mind the mischief he intends to do his neighbour till he catches him at an advantage. This is malice which has no less of the subtlety than it has of the venom of the old serpent in it. Now, as to this matter, we are here cautioned, 1. Not to be so foolish as to suffer ourselves to be imposed upon by the pretensions of friendship. Remember to distrust when a man speaks fair; be not too forward to believe him unless you know him well, for it is possible there may be seven abominations in his heart, a great many projects of mischief against you, which he is labouring so industriously to conceal with his fair speech. Satan is an enemy that hates us, and yet in his temptations speaks fair, as he did to Eve, but it is madness to give credit to him, for there are seven abominations in his heart; seven other spirits does one unclean spirit bring more wicked than himself. 2. Not to be so wicked as to impose upon any with a profession of friendship; for, though the fraud may be carried on plausibly awhile, it will be brought to light, v. 26 . He whose hatred is covered by deceit will one time or other be discovered, and his wickedness shown, to his shame and confusion, before the whole congregation; and nothing will do more to make a man odious to all companies. Love (says one) is the best armour, but the worst cloak, and will serve dissemblers as the disguise which Ahab put on and perished in. 27 Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him. See here, 1. What pains men take to do mischief to others. As they put a force upon themselves by concealing their design with a profession of friendship, so the

Cross-references

Related passages from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

Isaiah 7:5

Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying,

Isaiah 7:21

And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep;

Isaiah 29:5

Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.

Luke 20:20

And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor.

Luke 20:21

And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly: truly: or, of a truth

John 8:40

But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.

John 8:44

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. of his own: or, from his own will or disposition

John 10:32

Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?

John 10:33

The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

John 15:22

If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. cloke: or, excuse

Topics

FastingHypocrisyHypocritesPresumptionUnbelief

Verses like this

Other verses that share key original-language words with Isaiah 58:3.

Ezra 8:21

Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

Genesis 1:18

And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:21

And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:31

And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Genesis 15:13

And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

Genesis 18:21

I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

Genesis 19:19

Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:

Genesis 2:19

And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. Adam: or, the man

Frequently asked questions

What does Isaiah 58:3 say?

Isaiah 58:3 (King James Version) reads: "Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. labours: or, things wherewith ye grieve others: Heb. griefs"

Is Isaiah 58:3 in the Old or New Testament?

Isaiah 58:3 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Isaiah.

Reflect

As you read Isaiah 58:3, what is one truth here you can carry into today?

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