Isaiah 58:4-14

4 "Behold, you fast for contention and ¹strife and to strike with a wicked fist. You do not fast like you do today to ²make 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 ³sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an ⁴acceptable day to the LORD?

6 "Is this not the fast which I choose, To ⁵loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to ⁶let the oppressed go free And ⁷break every yoke?

7 "Is it not to ⁸divide your bread with the hungry And ⁹bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the ¹⁰naked, to cover him; And not to ¹¹hide yourself from your own flesh?

8 "Then your ¹²light will break out like the dawn, And your ¹³recovery will speedily spring forth; And your ¹⁴righteousness will go before you; The glory of the ¹⁵LORD will be your rear guard.

9 "Then you will ¹⁶call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' If you ¹⁷remove the yoke from your midst, The ¹⁸pointing of the finger and ¹⁹speaking wickedness,

10 And if you ²⁰give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your ²¹light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday.

11 "And the ²²LORD will continually guide you, And ²³satisfy your desire in scorched places, And ²⁴give strength to your bones; And you will be like a ²⁵watered garden, And like a ²⁶spring of water whose waters do not fail.

12 "Those from among you will ²⁷rebuild the ancient ruins; You will ²⁸raise up the age-old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the ²⁹breach, The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.

Keeping the Sabbath

13 "If because of the sabbath, you ³⁰turn your foot From doing your own pleasure on My holy day, And call the sabbath a ³¹delight, the holy day of the LORD honorable, And honor it, desisting from your ³²own ways, From seeking your own pleasure And ³³speaking your own word,

14 Then you will take ³⁴delight in the LORD, And I will make you ride ³⁵on the heights of the earth; And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, For the ³⁶mouth of the LORD has spoken."

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Isaiah 58:4-14 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 36

1. Isaiah 3:14, 15; Isaiah 59:6
2. Isaiah 1:15; Isaiah 59:2; Joel 2:12-14
3. 1 Kings 21:27
4. Isaiah 49:8; Isaiah 61:2
5. Nehemiah 5:10-12; Jeremiah 34:8
6. Isaiah 1:17
7. Isaiah 58:9
8. Job 31:19, 20; Isaiah 58:10; Ezekiel 18:7, 16
9. Isaiah 16:3, 4; Hebrews 13:2
10. Matthew 25:35, 36; Luke 3:11
11. Deuteronomy 22:1-4; Luke 10:31, 32
12. Isaiah 58:10
13. Isaiah 30:26; Isaiah 33:24; Jeremiah 30:17; Jeremiah 33:6
14. Psalms 85:13; Isaiah 62:1
15. Exodus 14:19; Isaiah 52:12
16. Psalms 50:15; Isaiah 55:6; Isaiah 65:24
17. Isaiah 58:6
18. Proverbs 6:13
19. Psalms 12:2; Isaiah 59:13
20. Deuteronomy 15:7; Isaiah 58:7
21. Job 11:17; Psalms 37:6; Isaiah 42:16; Isaiah 58:8
22. Isaiah 49:10; Isaiah 57:18
23. Psalms 107:9; Isaiah 41:17
24. Isaiah 66:14
25. Song of Songs 4:15; Isaiah 27:3; Jeremiah 31:12
26. John 4:14; John 7:38
27. Isaiah 49:8; Isaiah 61:4; Ezekiel 36:10
28. Isaiah 44:28
29. Isaiah 30:13; Amos 9:11
30. Exodus 31:16, 17; Exodus 35:2, 3; Is 56:2, 4, 6; Jeremiah 17:21-27
31. Psalms 27:4; Psalms 42:4; Psalms 84:2, 10
32. Isaiah 55:8
33. Isaiah 59:13
34. Job 22:26; Isaiah 61:10
35. Deuteronomy 32:13; Deuteronomy 33:29; Isaiah 33:16; Habakkuk 3:19
36. Isaiah 1:20; Isaiah 40:5

Footnotes 8

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