Isaiah 58:3-13

3 'Why have we ¹fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?' Behold, on the ²day of your fast you find your desire, And drive hard all your workers.

4 "Behold, you fast for contention and ³strife and to strike with a wicked fist. You do not fast like you do today to ⁴make your voice heard on high.

5 "Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing one's head like a reed And for spreading out ⁵sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an ⁶acceptable day to the LORD?

6 "Is this not the fast which I choose, To ⁷loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to ⁸let the oppressed go free And ⁹break every yoke?

7 "Is it not to ¹⁰divide your bread with the hungry And ¹¹bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the ¹²naked, to cover him; And not to ¹³hide yourself from your own flesh?

8 "Then your ¹⁴light will break out like the dawn, And your ¹⁵recovery will speedily spring forth; And your ¹⁶righteousness will go before you; The glory of the ¹⁷LORD will be your rear guard.

9 "Then you will ¹⁸call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' If you ¹⁹remove the yoke from your midst, The ²⁰pointing of the finger and ²¹speaking wickedness,

10 And if you ²²give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your ²³light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday.

11 "And the ²⁴LORD will continually guide you, And ²⁵satisfy your desire in scorched places, And ²⁶give strength to your bones; And you will be like a ²⁷watered garden, And like a ²⁸spring of water whose waters do not fail.

12 "Those from among you will ²⁹rebuild the ancient ruins; You will ³⁰raise up the age-old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the ³¹breach, The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.

Keeping the Sabbath

13 "If because of the sabbath, you ³²turn your foot From doing your own pleasure on My holy day, And call the sabbath a ³³delight, the holy day of the LORD honorable, And honor it, desisting from your ³⁴own ways, From seeking your own pleasure And ³⁵speaking your own word,

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Isaiah 58:3-13 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 35

1. Malachi 3:14; Luke 18:12
2. Isaiah 22:12, 13; Zechariah 7:5, 6
3. Isaiah 3:14, 15; Isaiah 59:6
4. Isaiah 1:15; Isaiah 59:2; Joel 2:12-14
5. 1 Kings 21:27
6. Isaiah 49:8; Isaiah 61:2
7. Nehemiah 5:10-12; Jeremiah 34:8
8. Isaiah 1:17
9. Isaiah 58:9
10. Job 31:19, 20; Isaiah 58:10; Ezekiel 18:7, 16
11. Isaiah 16:3, 4; Hebrews 13:2
12. Matthew 25:35, 36; Luke 3:11
13. Deuteronomy 22:1-4; Luke 10:31, 32
14. Isaiah 58:10
15. Isaiah 30:26; Isaiah 33:24; Jeremiah 30:17; Jeremiah 33:6
16. Psalms 85:13; Isaiah 62:1
17. Exodus 14:19; Isaiah 52:12
18. Psalms 50:15; Isaiah 55:6; Isaiah 65:24
19. Isaiah 58:6
20. Proverbs 6:13
21. Psalms 12:2; Isaiah 59:13
22. Deuteronomy 15:7; Isaiah 58:7
23. Job 11:17; Psalms 37:6; Isaiah 42:16; Isaiah 58:8
24. Isaiah 49:10; Isaiah 57:18
25. Psalms 107:9; Isaiah 41:17
26. Isaiah 66:14
27. Song of Songs 4:15; Isaiah 27:3; Jeremiah 31:12
28. John 4:14; John 7:38
29. Isaiah 49:8; Isaiah 61:4; Ezekiel 36:10
30. Isaiah 44:28
31. Isaiah 30:13; Amos 9:11
32. Exodus 31:16, 17; Exodus 35:2, 3; Is 56:2, 4, 6; Jeremiah 17:21-27
33. Psalms 27:4; Psalms 42:4; Psalms 84:2, 10
34. Isaiah 55:8
35. Isaiah 59:13

Footnotes 9

[a]. Lit "know"
[b]. Lit "his"
[c]. Lit "for"
[d]. Lit "sending out"
[e]. Lit "furnish"
[f]. Or "soul"
[g]. Or "soul"
[h]. Or "deceive"
[i]. Lit "paths"