Isaiah 1:15 kjv

And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

Isaiah 1:15 nkjv

When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.

Isaiah 1:15 niv

When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood!

Isaiah 1:15 esv

When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.

Isaiah 1:15 nlt

When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look.
Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen,
for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims.

Isaiah 1 verses

Isaiah 1 15 Meaning

Isaiah 1:15 proclaims God's profound rejection of the religious rituals, specifically prayers, of His people Judah. Despite their outward displays of piety, signified by spreading their hands in supplication and multiplying their prayers, the Lord declares He will turn away and refuse to listen. The stern reason for this divine refusal is explicitly stated: their "hands are full of blood," a metaphor for pervasive guilt, injustice, violence, and profound moral corruption that pervaded their lives and society, rendering their worship detestable to a holy God.

Isaiah 1 15 Context

Isaiah 1 serves as the prologue to the entire book, functioning as a divine indictment against Judah and Jerusalem. It establishes the pervasive rebellion of the nation, metaphorically depicted as a physically diseased and spiritually desolate land. Leading up to verse 15, God expresses weariness with their numerous sacrifices, burnt offerings, new moons, Sabbaths, and festivals, declaring them to be iniquity and a burden because their religious acts were performed while their hearts and actions were far from Him. Verse 15 specifically targets prayer, showing that even the most intimate and personal forms of worship were defiled by their moral corruption and social injustice, thereby rendering them unacceptable to the Holy God of Israel. Historically, Judah was characterized by outward religious observance intertwined with deep-seated social oppression, judicial corruption, and often, idolatry. Isaiah consistently confronts the disconnect between their ritualistic religion and their unrighteous lives.

Isaiah 1 15 Word analysis

• When you spread out your hands: Hebrew: kĕphariskem kappeychem (כְּפָרִשְׂכֶם כַּפֵּיכֶם). Kappeychem (from kaph) means "your palms" or "your hands," referring to the cupped hands or outstretched palms. Paras is "to spread out." This action is a universal gesture of prayer, supplication, and worship, signaling vulnerability, humility, and earnest appeal to God. Here, it highlights an outward act of piety.
• I will hide My eyes from you: Hebrew: aʿalîm ʿênay mikkem (אַעְלִים עֵינַי מִכֶּם). Aʿalîm is from the verb ʿalam, meaning "to hide," "to conceal," or "to ignore." God’s "hiding His eyes" is an anthropomorphic expression signifying deliberate refusal to acknowledge, observe, or engage with their act of worship. It implies rejection, indicating His complete displeasure and an unwillingness to behold their hypocritical display.
• Even though you multiply prayers: Hebrew: gam kî tarbû tĕfillâh (גַּם כִּי תַרְבּוּ תְפִלָּה). Tarbû comes from rabah, "to become great, increase, multiply." Tefillâh means "prayer." This phrase emphasizes the quantitative aspect of their religious activity – many prayers, frequent prayers, perhaps lengthy prayers. It underscores that mere volume or consistency in religious performance holds no value when true repentance and righteous living are absent. God values sincerity and truth over religious fervor alone.
• I will not listen: Hebrew: ʾêynennî shomeʿa (אֵינֶנִּי שֹׁמֵעַ). Shomeʿa is from shamaʿ, "to hear," "to listen," and often implying "to obey." This phrase reinforces "I will hide My eyes." It means God will not just refuse to look, but will also refuse to answer or even attend to their petitions. It signifies total rejection of their supplications due to their character and actions, rendering their prayers utterly futile.
• Your hands are full of blood: Hebrew: yĕdêchem dâmîm mal'u (יְדֵיכֶם דָּמִים מָלֵאוּ). Yĕdêchem is "your hands." Dâmîm is the plural of dam (blood), often used to refer to bloodshed, guilt from murder, or violent actions, not necessarily literal blood on their hands but the stain of violence, injustice, and severe moral corruption. Mal'u* means "are full" or "are filled." This is the foundational reason for God's rejection. It’s a powerful metaphor indicating profound moral defilement, the consequence of oppressive social practices, violence against the innocent, or flagrant violations of God's justice. The very instruments of their outward piety (hands spread in prayer) were metaphorically stained by their unrighteous deeds.

• Words-group analysis:
• "When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you;... Even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen.": This section highlights a severe disconnect: the outward appearance of intense devotion is met with complete divine withdrawal. God rejects the act itself because of the state of the doers. The implication is that superficial religiosity cannot compel God's attention or favor.
• "Even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood.": This pairing powerfully juxtaposes the quantity of their religious acts with the severe quality of their moral corruption. It reveals the root cause of God's refusal: their prayers, no matter how numerous, cannot bypass or atone for a life filled with injustice and unrighteousness. It is a direct polemic against the idea that ritual can substitute for obedience and righteousness.

Isaiah 1 15 Bonus section

The anthropomorphic language ("hide My eyes," "not listen") portrays God's strong personal aversion to their defiled worship, underscoring His moral character and holiness. This prophetic critique is foundational, recurring throughout the Old Testament and echoed in the New, where Christ Himself challenges external piety (e.g., Pharisees) disconnected from a righteous heart. It emphasizes that salvation is not found in rites but in righteousness by faith, which produces good deeds (Isa 1:16-18 points to cleansing and new life as the solution). The verse implicitly underscores the biblical principle that a proper relationship with God is intricately tied to a proper relationship with one's neighbor and adherence to divine law concerning justice and mercy.

Isaiah 1 15 Commentary

Isaiah 1:15 is a forceful statement exposing the futility of hypocrisy in worship. It directly challenges the common human misconception that outward religious performance—even deeply fervent prayer—can satisfy God when one's life is marked by rebellion and injustice. God does not merely observe rituals; He assesses the heart and hands that perform them. The vivid imagery of "hands full of blood" condemns not only specific acts of violence but encompasses a broader corruption of justice and mercy within society, perhaps hinting at oppression of the poor, judicial perversion, or exploitation. This verse serves as a crucial reminder that true worship must be holistic, springing from genuine repentance and lives committed to righteousness and loving God's ways, reflecting purity in action as well as intention. Ritual without character is an abomination to the holy God.