Isaiah 1:15

15 And when you stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers,^[a] I [will] not be listening. Your hands are full of blood.

Isaiah 1:15 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 1:15

And when ye spread forth your hands
That is, in prayer, this being a prayer gesture: hence the Targum paraphrases it,

``and when the priests spread out their hands to pray for you.''

I will hide mine eyes from you;
will not look upon them, nor regard their prayer; see ( Lamentations 3:42 ) yea, when ye make many prayers;
as the Scribes and Pharisees did in Christ's time, and thought to be heard for their much speaking, like the Gentiles, ( Matthew 6:7 ) I will not hear;
so as to give an answer, or fulfil their requests: the reason follows, your hands are full of blood;
of the prophets of the Lord, of Christ and his followers, whom they put to death.

Isaiah 1:15 In-Context

13 You must not {continue} to bring offerings of futility, incense--it [is] an abomination to me; new moon and Sabbath, [the] calling of a convocation-- I cannot endure iniquity with [solemn] assembly.

14 Your new moons and your appointed festivals my soul hates; they have become to me like [a] burden, I am not able to bear [them].

15 And when you stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I [will] not be listening. Your hands are full of blood.

16 Wash! Make yourselves clean! Remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes! Cease to do evil!

17 Learn to do good! Seek justice! Rescue [the] oppressed! Defend [the] orphan! Plead for [the] widow!

Footnotes

• [a] Hebrew "prayer"