Isaiah 56:4-12

4 For thus says the LORD: "To the eunuchs ¹who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant,

5 ²I will give in my house and within my walls a ³monument and a name better than sons and daughters; ⁴I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.

6 "And ⁵the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, everyone ⁶who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant--

7 ⁷these I will bring to ⁸my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; ⁹their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for ¹⁰my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples."

8 The Lord GOD, ¹¹who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, ¹²"I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered."

Israel's Irresponsible Leaders

9 ¹³All you beasts of the field, come to devour-- all you beasts in the forest.

10 ¹⁴His watchmen are blind; they are all without knowledge; they are all silent ¹⁵dogs; they cannot bark, dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.

11 ¹⁶The dogs have a mighty appetite; they never have enough. But ¹⁷they are shepherds who have no understanding; they have all turned to their own way, ¹⁸each to his own gain, one and all.

12 ¹⁹"Come," they say, "let me get wine; let us fill ourselves with strong drink; ²⁰and tomorrow will be like this day, great beyond measure."

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Isaiah 56:4-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 56

This chapter contains a prophecy of the conversion of the Gentiles, and their accession to the church, and of the corrupt state of the church afterwards, especially of its rulers, which brought in men comparable to wild beasts to devour. It begins with an exhortation to the duties of judgment and justice, enforced by the nearness of Christ's salvation, and the clear relation of his righteousness in the Gospel, and by the blessedness of the man that does those duties, and lays hold on those blessings, and observes the whole of religion, instituted and moral, Isa 56:1,2, when encouragement is given to eunuchs, and strangers or Gentiles, sensible and religious persons, to hope for acceptance with God, and that they shall be welcome to his house, with an answer to their objections, and promises of special favours, Isa 56:3-7 to which is subjoined a promise or prophecy of future additions, both of Jews and Gentiles, to the church of God in the latter day, Isa 56:8 and then follows a call upon some savage people, comparable to wild beasts, to come and devour, which will be previous to the above prophecy, Isa 56:9, the reason of which is the sad corruption of the rulers of the church, their ignorance, negligence, avarice, and drunkenness, Isa 56:10-12.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 20

1. [See ver. 2 above]
2. [1 Timothy 3:15; Revelation 3:12]
3. [2 Samuel 18:18; John 1:12]
4. [2 Timothy 2:19]
5. [See ver. 3 above]
6. [See ver. 2 above]
7. Isaiah 65:1; [Isaiah 19:24, 25]
8. Isaiah 2:2
9. [Romans 15:16]
10. Cited Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46
11. Isaiah 11:12
12. John 10:16; Ephesians 1:10; See Ephesians 2:11-16
13. Jeremiah 12:9; Ezekiel 34:8
14. Isaiah 62:6; Jeremiah 6:17
15. [Philippians 3:2]
16. Ezekiel 34:2, 3
17. [Jeremiah 23:1]
18. Jeremiah 6:13
19. [Isaiah 28:7]
20. [Isaiah 22:13; Proverbs 23:35; Luke 12:19; 1 Corinthians 15:32]

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.