Isaiah 66:3-24

Hypocrisy Rebuked

3 "But he who kills an ox is like one who slays a man; He who sacrifices a lamb is like the one who breaks a dog's neck; He who offers a grain offering is like one who offers ¹swine's blood; He who ²burns incense is like the one who blesses an idol. As they have chosen their ³own ways, And their soul delights in their ⁴abominations,

4 So I will ⁵choose their punishments And will ⁶bring on them what they dread. Because I called, but ⁷no one answered; I spoke, but they did not listen. And they did ⁸evil in My sight And chose that in which I did not delight."

5 Hear the word of the LORD, you who ⁹tremble at His word: "Your brothers who ¹⁰hate you, who ¹¹exclude you for My name's sake, Have said, 'Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy.' But ¹²they will be put to shame.

6 "A voice of uproar from the city, a voice from the temple, The voice of the LORD who is ¹³rendering recompense to His enemies.

7 "Before she travailed, ¹⁴she brought forth; Before her pain came, ¹⁵she gave birth to a boy.

8 "¹⁶Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once *? As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons.

9 "Shall I bring to the point of birth and ¹⁷not give delivery?" says the LORD. "Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?" says your God.

Joy in Jerusalem's Future

10 "Be ¹⁸joyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who ¹⁹love her; Be exceedingly ²⁰glad with her, all you who mourn over her,

11 That you may nurse and ²¹be satisfied with her comforting breasts, That you may suck and be delighted with her ²²bountiful bosom."

12 For thus says the LORD, "Behold, I extend ²³peace to her like a river, And the ²⁴glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; And you will be nursed, you will be ²⁵carried on the hip and fondled on the knees.

13 "As one whom his mother comforts, so I will ²⁶comfort you; And you will be comforted in Jerusalem."

14 Then you will ²⁷see this, and your ²⁸heart will be glad, And your ²⁹bones will flourish like the new grass; And the ³⁰hand of the LORD will be made known to His servants, But He will be ³¹indignant toward His enemies.

15 For behold, the LORD will come in ³²fire And His ³³chariots like the whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire.

16 For the LORD will execute judgment by ³⁴fire And by His ³⁵sword on all flesh, And those slain by the LORD will be many.

17 "Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go to the ³⁶gardens, Following one in the center, Who eat ³⁷swine's flesh, detestable things and mice, Will ³⁸come to an end altogether," declares the LORD.

18 "For I know their works and their ³⁹thoughts; the time is coming to ⁴⁰gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory.

19 "I will set a ⁴¹sign among them and will send survivors from them to the nations: ⁴²Tarshish, Put, ⁴³Lud, Meshech, ⁴⁴ Tubal and Javan, to the distant ⁴⁵ coastlands that have neither heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they will ⁴⁶ declare My glory among the nations.

20 "Then they shall ⁴⁷bring all your brethren from all the nations as a grain offering to the LORD, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules and on camels, to My ⁴⁸holy mountain Jerusalem," says the LORD, "just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a ⁴⁹clean vessel to the house of the LORD.

21 "I will also take some of them for ⁵⁰priests and for Levites," says the LORD.

22 "For just as the ⁵¹new heavens and the new earth Which I make will endure before Me," declares the LORD, "So your ⁵²offspring and your ⁵³name will endure.

23 "And it shall be from ⁵⁴new moon to new moon And from sabbath to sabbath, All mankind will come to ⁵⁵bow down before Me," says the LORD.

24 "Then they will go forth and look On the ⁵⁶corpses of the men Who have ⁵⁷transgressed against Me. For their ⁵⁸worm will not die ⁵⁹And their fire will not be quenched; And they will be an ⁶⁰abhorrence to all mankind."

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Isaiah 66:3-24 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 66

This chapter treats of the same things as the former, the rejection of the unbelieving Jews, and the regard had to them that did believe; the conversion of that people in the latter day; the calling of the Gentiles, and the happy state of the church in the last times. The causes of the rejection of the Jews were their unworthy notions of God, as if he was confined to the temple of Jerusalem, and to be pleased with external sacrifices, now both at an end under the Gospel dispensation; a better sacrifice being offered, and a more spiritual worship set up everywhere; which notions are considered, Isa 66:1-3, and because they were set upon their ways and works, and rejected the Gospel of Christ, they are threatened with ruin, Isa 66:3,4 and the disciples of Christ, whom they excommunicated and persecuted, have a promise of divine appearance for them, while vengeance shall be taken on their enemies, their city and temple, Isa 66:5,6, nevertheless, in the latter day, there will be a large and sudden conversion of this nation of the Jews, which is signified by the birth of them, which will be matter of great joy to all the true lovers of the interest of Christ, Isa 66:7-11 and what will add to the prosperity, joy, and comfort of the church of Christ at this time, will be the bringing in of the fulness of the Gentiles, Isa 66:12-14 at which time the vials of God's wrath will be poured out upon antichrist and his followers, Isa 66:15-17 and the chapter is concluded with a fresh account of large conversions of men of all nations, and of the union of Jews and Gentiles in one church state, which shall long remain, and be undisturbed by enemies, who will be all slain, and their carcasses looked upon with contempt, Isa 66:18-24.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 60

1. Isaiah 65:4
2. Leviticus 2:2; Isaiah 1:13
3. Isaiah 57:17; Isaiah 65:2
4. Isaiah 44:19
5. Proverbs 1:31, 32; Isaiah 65:7
6. Proverbs 10:24
7. Proverbs 1:24; Isaiah 65:12; Jeremiah 7:13
8. 2 Kings 21:2, 6; Isaiah 59:7; Isaiah 65:12; Jeremiah 7:30
9. Isaiah 66:2
10. Psalms 38:20; Isaiah 60:15
11. Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 10:22; John 9:34; John 15:18-20
12. Luke 13:17
13. Isaiah 59:18; Isaiah 65:6; Joel 3:7
14. Isaiah 37:3; Isaiah 54:1
15. Revelation 12:5
16. Isaiah 64:4
17. Isaiah 37:3
18. Deuteronomy 32:43; Isaiah 65:18; Romans 15:10
19. Psalms 26:8; Psalms 122:6
20. Psalms 137:6
21. Isaiah 49:23; Isaiah 60:16; Joel 3:18
22. Isaiah 60:1, 2; Isaiah 62:2
23. Psalms 72:3, 7; Isaiah 48:18
24. Isaiah 60:5; Isaiah 61:6
25. Isaiah 60:4
26. Isaiah 12:1; Isaiah 40:1, 2; Isaiah 49:13; Isaiah 51:3; 2 Corinthians 1:3, 4
27. Isaiah 33:20
28. Zechariah 10:7
29. Proverbs 3:8; Isaiah 58:11
30. Ezra 7:9; Ezra 8:31
31. Isaiah 10:5; Isaiah 13:5; Isaiah 34:2
32. Isaiah 10:17; Isaiah 30:27, 33; Isaiah 31:9
33. Psalms 68:17; Isaiah 5:28; Habakkuk 3:8
34. Isaiah 30:30; Ezekiel 38:22
35. Isaiah 65:12; Ezekiel 38:21
36. Isaiah 1:29; Isaiah 65:3
37. Leviticus 11:7; Isaiah 65:4
38. Isaiah 1:28, 31
39. Isaiah 59:7; Isaiah 65:2
40. Isaiah 45:22-25; Jeremiah 3:17
41. Isaiah 11:10, 12; Isaiah 49:22; Isaiah 62:10
42. Isaiah 2:16; Isaiah 60:9
43. Ezekiel 27:10
44. Genesis 10:2
45. Isaiah 11:11; Isaiah 24:15; Isaiah 60:9
46. 1 Chronicles 16:24; Isaiah 42:12
47. Isaiah 43:6; Isaiah 49:22; Isaiah 60:4
48. Isaiah 2:2, 3; Isaiah 11:9; Isaiah 56:7; Isaiah 65:11, 25
49. Isaiah 52:11
50. Exodus 19:6; Isaiah 61:6; 1 Peter 2:5, 9
51. Isaiah 65:17; Hebrews 12:26, 27; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1
52. Isaiah 61:8, 9; Isaiah 65:22, 23; John 10:27-29; 1 Peter 1:4, 5
53. Isaiah 56:5
54. Isaiah 1:13, 14; Ezekiel 46:1, 6
55. Isaiah 19:21, 23; Isaiah 27:13; Isaiah 49:7
56. Isaiah 5:25; Isaiah 34:3
57. Isaiah 1:28; Isaiah 24:20
58. Isaiah 14:11; Mark 9:48
59. Isaiah 1:31; Matthew 3:12
60. Daniel 12:2

Footnotes 14

[a]. Lit "offers a memorial of incense"
[b]. Lit "ill treatments"
[c]. Lit "travailed with"
[d]. Lit "nurse"
[e]. Lit "side"
[f]. Lit "After"
[g]. So with Gr; Heb omits "know"
[h]. Lit "it is coming"
[i]. So with Gr; Heb "Pul"
[j]. So with Gr; Heb "those who draw the bow"
[k]. I.e. Greece
[l]. Lit "flesh"
[m]. Or "rebelled"
[n]. Lit "flesh"