Isaiah 58

True and False Fasting

1 "Cry aloud; do not hold back; ¹lift up your voice like a trumpet; ²declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins.

2 ³Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God.

3 ⁴'Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?' Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure,^{[a] 5}and oppress all your workers.

4 Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high.

5 ⁶Is such the fast that I choose, ⁷a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the LORD?

6 "Is not this the fast that I choose: ⁸to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps ⁹of the yoke, to let the oppressed^[b] go free, and to break every yoke?

7 Is it not ¹⁰to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, ¹¹and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

8 ¹²Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, ¹³and your healing shall spring up speedily; ¹⁴your righteousness shall go before you; ¹⁵the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.

9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.' If you take away ¹⁶the yoke from your midst, ¹⁷the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,

10 ¹⁸if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, ¹⁹then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.

11 And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be ²⁰like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

12 ²¹And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.

13 ²²"If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure^[c] on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking ²³your own pleasure,^[d] or talking idly;^[e]

14 then you shall take delight in the LORD, ²⁴and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;^{[f] 25}I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, ²⁶for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

Isaiah 58 Commentary

Chapter 58

Hypocrisy reproved. (1,2) A counterfeit and a true fast, with promises to real godliness, and, (3-12) to the keeping the sabbath. (13,14)

Verses 1-2 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.

Verses 3-12 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.

Verses 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, ( Revelation 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.

Cross References

• 1. Leviticus 25:9; [Joel 2:1]
• 2. Micah 3:8
• 3. [Isaiah 1:11; Isaiah 29:13; Zechariah 7:5, 6]
• 4. [Malachi 3:14]
• 5. [Isaiah 60:17]; See Nehemiah 5:1-8
• 6. Zechariah 7:5
• 7. Leviticus 16:29
• 8. See Nehemiah 5:10-12
• 9. ver. 9
• 10. ver. 10; Ezekiel 18:7; [Matthew 25:35]
• 11. Nehemiah 5:5
• 12. [Job 11:17]
• 13. Jeremiah 30:17
• 14. Psalms 85:13
• 15. [Isaiah 52:12]
• 16. ver. 6
• 17. Proverbs 6:13
• 18. ver. 7, 8
• 19. [See ver. 8 above]
• 20. Jeremiah 31:12
• 21. Isaiah 61:4; Isaiah 65:21; [Ezra 6:14; Nehemiah 4:6]
• 22. Isaiah 56:2; See Nehemiah 13:15-21
• 23. ver. 3
• 24. Deuteronomy 32:13
• 25. Jeremiah 50:19
• 26. Isaiah 1:20

Footnotes

• [a]. Or pursue your own business
• [b]. Or bruised
• [c]. Or business
• [d]. Or pursuing your own business
• [e]. Hebrew or speaking a word
• [f]. Or of the land

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 58

From the wicked and antichristian party the prophet is bid to turn to the professors of the true religion, and openly, boldly, and sharply, reprove them for their sins, particularly their hypocrisy and formality in worship, Isa 58:1,2, who yet were angry, and complained that the Lord took no notice of their religious services, particularly their fasting, which is put for the whole; the reason of which was, because they did not fast aright; it was attended with much cruelty, strife, and wickedness, and only lay in external appearances, Isa 58:3-5, when they are directed how to keep a fast, and are shown what a true fast is, and what works and services are acceptable to God, Isa 58:6,7 on doing of which, light, health, prosperity, and hearing of their prayers, are promised, provided the yoke of oppression is taken away, and compassion shown to the poor, Isa 58:8-10, yea, a very fruitful and flourishing estate of the soul is promised, and a rebuilding of waste places, delight in the Lord, and great honour and dignity; so be it that the sabbath of the Lord, or public worship, is attended to in a proper manner, Isa 58:11-14.