Isaías 58:4

4 ¿De qué les sirve ayunar,
si siguen con sus peleas y riñas?
Con esta clase de ayuno,
nunca lograrán nada conmigo.

Isaías 58:4 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 58:4

Behold, ye fast for strife and debate
Brawling with their servants for not doing work enough; or quarrelling with their debtors for not paying their debts; or the main of their religion lay in contentions and strifes about words, vain hot disputations about rites and ceremonies in worship, as is well known to have been the case of the reformed churches: and to smite with the fist of wickedness;
their servants or their debtors; or rather it may design the persecution of such whose consciences would not suffer them to receive the doctrines professed; or submit to ordinances as administered; or comply with rites and ceremonies enjoined by the said churches; for which they have smitten their brethren that dissented from them with the fist, or have persecuted them in a violent manner by imprisonment, confiscation of goods; all which is no other than a fist of wickedness, and highly displeasing to God, and renders all their services unacceptable in his sight; see ( Matthew 24:49 ) : ye shall not fast as ye do this day;
or, "as this day"; after this manner; this is not right: to make your voice to be heard on high;
referring either to their noisy threatening of their servants for not doing their work; or their clamorous demands upon their debtors; or to their loud prayers, joined with their fasting, which they expected to be heard in the highest heaven, but would be mistaken; for such services, attended with the above evils, are not wellpleasing to God.

Isaías 58:4 In-Context

2 Sin embargo, ¡se hacen los piadosos!
Vienen al templo todos los días
y parecen estar encantados de aprender todo sobre mí.
Actúan como una nación justa
que nunca abandonaría las leyes de su Dios.
Me piden que actúe a su favor,
fingiendo que quieren estar cerca de mí.

3 “¡Hemos ayunado delante de ti! —dicen ellos—.
¿Por qué no te impresionamos?
Hemos sido muy severos con nosotros mismos,
y ni siquiera te das cuenta”.
»¡Les diré por qué! —les contesto—.
Es porque ayunan para complacerse a sí mismos.
Aun mientras ayunan,
oprimen a sus trabajadores.

4 ¿De qué les sirve ayunar,
si siguen con sus peleas y riñas?
Con esta clase de ayuno,
nunca lograrán nada conmigo.

5 Ustedes se humillan
al hacer penitencia por pura fórmula:
inclinan la cabeza
como cañas en el viento,
se visten de tela áspera
y se cubren de cenizas.
¿A eso le llaman ayunar?
¿Realmente creen que eso agrada al Señor
?

6 »¡No! Esta es la clase de ayuno que quiero:
pongan en libertad a los que están encarcelados injustamente;
alivien la carga de los que trabajan para ustedes.
Dejen en libertad a los oprimidos
y suelten las cadenas que atan a la gente.