Isaiah58
New Living Translation
1“Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Shout aloud! Don’t be timid. Tell my people Israel of their sins!
2Yet they act so pious! They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to learn all about me. They act like a righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God. They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me.
3‘We have fasted before you!’ they say. ‘Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’ “I will tell you why!” I respond. “It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves. Even while you fast, you keep oppressing your workers.
4What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me.
5You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the Lord?
6“No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people.
7Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
8“Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.
9Then when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply. “Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors!
10Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
11The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.
12Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes.
13“Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day. Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day, and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly.
14Then the Lord will be your delight. I will give you great honor and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob. I, the Lord, have spoken!”
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Isaiah 58.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Hypocrisy reproved. (1,2) . A counterfeit and a true fast, with promises to real godliness, and, (3-12).
vv1-2
The Holy Spirit had hypocrites of every age in view. Self-love and timid Christians may say, Spare thyself; dislike to the cross and other motives will say, "Spare the rich and powerful;" but God says, "Spare not:" and we must obey God, not men. We all need earnestly to pray for God's assistance in examining ourselves. Men may go far toward heaven, yet come short; and they may go to hell with a good reputation.
vv3-12
A fast is a day to afflict the soul; if it does not express true sorrow for sin, and does not promote the putting away of sin, it is not a fast. These professors had shown sorrow on stated or occasioned fasts. But they indulged pride, covetousness, and malignant passions. To be liberal and merciful is more acceptable to God than mere fasting, which, without them, is vain and hypocritical. Many who seem humble in God's house, are hard at home, and harass their families. But no man's faith justifies, which does not work by love. Yet persons, families, neighbourhoods, churches, or nations, show repentance and sorrow for sin, by keeping a fast sincerely, and, from right motives, repenting, and doing good works. The heavy yoke of sin and oppression must be removed. As sin and sorrow dry the bones and weaken the strongest human constitution; so the duties of kindness and charity strengthen and refresh both body and mind. Those who do justly and love mercy, shall have the comfort, even in this world. Good works will bring the blessing of God, provided they are done from love to God and man, and wrought in the soul by the Holy Spirit. 13,14 The sabbath is a sign between God and his professing people; his appointing it is a sign of his favour to them; and their observing it is a sign of their obedience to him. We must turn from travelling on that day; from doing our pleasure on that holy day, without the control and restraint of conscience; or from indulging in the pleasures of sense. On sabbath days we must not follow our callings, or our pleasures. In all we say and do, we must put a difference between this day and other days. Even in Old Testament times the sabbath was called the Lord's day, and is fitly called so still; and for a further reason, it is the Lord Christ's day, Rev. 1:10. If we thus remember the sabbath day to keep it holy, we shall have the comfort and profit of it, and have reason to say, It is good to draw near to God.
Key Words
קָרָא: to call out to (i.e. properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)
גָּרוֹן: the throat (as roughened by swallowing)
אַל: not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing
חָשַׂךְ: to restrain or (reflex.) refrain; by implication, to refuse, spare, preserve; to observe
רוּם: to be high actively, to rise or raise (in various applications, literally or figuratively)
קוֹל: a voice or sound
שׁוֹפָר: a cornet (as giving a clear sound) or curved horn
נָגַד: properly, to front, i.e. stand boldly out opposite; by implication (causatively), to manifest; figuratively, to announce (always by word of mouth to one present); specifically, to expose, predict, explain, praise
עַם: a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
פֶּשַׁע: a revolt (national, moral or religious)
Cross References
Isaiah 58Uses the identical technical Torah phrase 'afflict your soul' to define the Day of Atonement fast.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Historical example of Israel refusing to let Hebrew slaves go free and break every yoke.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Nehemiah forces the nobles to restore properties and exact no interest, loofing bands of wickedness.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Christ's judgment criteria of feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, and covering the naked.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Direct verbal parallel regarding God's glory going before and serving as a rearward ('rereward').
Supported by JFB
Parallels the hypocritical pleasure of hearing God's words without putting them into practice.
Supported by JFB
Zechariah similarly questions whether the people's self-imposed fasts were truly for God or themselves.
Supported by JFB
The historical prototype of God's glory acting as Israel's rear defense ('rereward') from Egypt.
Supported by JFB
A poetic parallel of life's light rising and breaking forth brighter than the noonday.
Supported by JFB
Jezebel's infamous fast, used as a cloak for murder, illustrating 'fasting for strife'.
Supported by JFB
Parallel promise of immediate divine answer: 'before they call, I will answer'.
Supported by JFB
Prophetic parallel of rebuilding the ancient ruins and raising up former devastations.
New Testament transition from the Sabbath of delight to the 'Lord's day'.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Jeremiah's extended warning against carrying burdens and doing business on the Sabbath day.
Echoes the promise of riding on the high places of the earth as covenant heritage.
Supported by JFB