Isaiah 1:29

29 “You will be ashamed because of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be disgraced because of the gardens that you have chosen.

Isaiah 1:29 in Other Translations

KJV
29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.
ESV
29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks that you desired; and you shall blush for the gardens that you have chosen.
NLT
29 You will be ashamed of your idol worship in groves of sacred oaks. You will blush because you worshiped in gardens dedicated to idols.
MSG
29 "Your dalliances in those oak grove shrines will leave you looking mighty foolish, All that fooling around in god and goddess gardens that you thought was the latest thing.
CSB
29 Indeed, they will be ashamed of the sacred trees you desired, and you will be embarrassed because of the gardens you have chosen.

Isaiah 1:29 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 1:29

For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have
desired
Though there is a change of persons in the words, the same are intended; and design such, who being convinced of the idolatries of the church of Rome they have been fond of, and delighted in, will be ashamed of them, and relinquish them, and come out of Babylon a little before the destruction of it; for under oaks, and such like green trees, idolatry used to be committed, to which the allusion is; see ( Jeremiah 2:20 ) ( 3:6 ) and so the Targum interprets it of "trees of idols"; that is, under which idolatry was practised: and ye shall be confounded for the gardens ye have chosen;
where also idolatrous practices were used, see ( Isaiah 65:3 ) ( 66:17 ) and so the Targum paraphrases it,

``and ye shall be ashamed of the gardens of idols, from whom ye have sought help.''
The sense is the same as before; unless both clauses should rather be understood of the destruction of sinners, before spoken of, who at that time will be filled with shame and confusion, they in vain praying to their idols for help; which sense the following words incline to.

Isaiah 1:29 In-Context

27 Zion will be delivered with justice, her penitent ones with righteousness.
28 But rebels and sinners will both be broken, and those who forsake the LORD will perish.
29 “You will be ashamed because of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be disgraced because of the gardens that you have chosen.
30 You will be like an oak with fading leaves, like a garden without water.
31 The mighty man will become tinder and his work a spark; both will burn together, with no one to quench the fire.”

Cross References 3

  • 1. Psalms 97:7; Isaiah 42:17; Isaiah 44:9,11; Isaiah 45:16; Jeremiah 10:14
  • 2. Isaiah 57:5; Ezekiel 6:13; Hosea 4:13
  • 3. Isaiah 65:3; Isaiah 66:17
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