Isaiah 58:10

10 And if you ¹give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your ²light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday.

Isaiah 58:10 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 58:10

And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry
Not only deal out thy bread, but thy soul also, to him; that is, give him food cheerfully, with a good will, expressing a hearty love and affection for him; do it heartily, as to the Lord; let thy soul go along with it; and this is true of affectionate ministers of the Gospel, who not only impart that, but their own souls also, ( 1 Thessalonians 2:8 ) : and satisfy the afflicted soul;
distressed for want of food; not only give it food, but to the full; not only just enough to support life, but to satisfaction; or so as to be filled with good things, or however a sufficiency of them: then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the
noonday;
in the midst of darkness of affliction, or desertion, the light of prosperity and joy shall spring up, and a dark night of sorrow and distress become a clear day of peace and comfort; see ( Psalms 112:4 ) ( Isaiah 42:16 ) , at evening time it shall be light, ( Zechariah 14:7 ) .

Isaiah 58:10 In-Context

8 "Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

9 "Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' If you remove the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,

10 And if you give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday.

11 "And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

12 "Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up the age-old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.

Cross References

• 1. Deuteronomy 15:7; Isaiah 58:7
• 2. Job 11:17; Psalms 37:6; Isaiah 42:16; Isaiah 58:8

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "furnish"
• [b]. Or "soul"