Isaiah 48:2

2 you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city and claim to rely on the God of Israel— the LORD Almighty is his name:

Isaiah 48:2 in Other Translations

2 For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name.

2 For they call themselves after the holy city, and stay themselves on the God of Israel; the LORD of hosts is his name.

2 even though you call yourself the holy city and talk about depending on the God of Israel, whose name is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

2 You claim to be citizens of the Holy City; you act as though you lean on the God of Israel, named God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

2 For they are named after the Holy City, and lean on the God of Israel; His name is Yahweh of Hosts.

Isaiah 48:2 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 48:2

For they call themselves of the holy city
The city Jerusalem, so called because the temple, the place of divine worship, was in it, the residence of the Holy One of Israel: they valued themselves, not only upon their being of the family of Jacob, and of the tribe of Judah, but that they were inhabitants of Jerusalem, the holy city; as many now call themselves fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, when they are strangers both to God and his people in the experimental knowledge of things: and stay themselves upon the God of Israel;
professed to trust in the Lord, and lean upon him, and rely upon his power and providence, his mercy and goodness, and expect all needful things from him, renouncing all confidence in the creature; and yet at the same time acted an hypocritical part, their faith was feigned: see ( Micah 3:11 ) . The Lord of hosts is his name;
whom they professed to be their God and Father, their Lord and Husband, their Saviour and Redeemer; who has all power in heaven and in earth, and does according to his will in both worlds, having the hosts of angels and armies of men at his command, and therefore so called.

Isaiah 48:2 In-Context

1 “Listen to this, you descendants of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and come from the line of Judah, you who take oaths in the name of the LORDand invoke the God of Israel— but not in truth or righteousness—

2 you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city and claim to rely on the God of Israel— the LORD Almighty is his name:

3 I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.

4 For I knew how stubborn you were; your neck muscles were iron, your forehead was bronze.

5 Therefore I told you these things long ago; before they happened I announced them to you so that you could not say, ‘My images brought them about; my wooden image and metal god ordained them.’

Cross References

• 1. S Nehemiah 11:1; S Isaiah 1:26; S Matthew 4:5; Isaiah 52:1
• 2. S Isaiah 10:20; Micah 3:11; Romans 2:17
• 3. S Isaiah 47:4