Isaiah 1:29

29 You will be ashamed of the oaks that you wanted to worship and embarrassed by the garden that you have chosen for your gods.

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 pardoned by [the LORD's] justice, and those who return will be pardoned by [the LORD's] righteousness.
28 Rebels and sinners will be crushed at the same time, and those who abandon the LORD will come to an end.
29 You will be ashamed of the oaks that you wanted to worship and embarrassed by the garden that you have chosen for your gods.
30 You will be like an oak whose leaves wither and like a garden without water.
31 Strong people will become tinder for a fire, and their work will be the spark. Both of them will burn together, and there will be no one to put out the fire.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.