Isaiah 1:2 kjv
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
Isaiah 1:2 nkjv
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: "I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against Me;
Isaiah 1:2 niv
Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth! For the LORD has spoken: "I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me.
Isaiah 1:2 esv
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the LORD has spoken: "Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me.
Isaiah 1:2 nlt
Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth!
This is what the LORD says:
"The children I raised and cared for
have rebelled against me.
Isaiah 1 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 32:1 | "Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; and let the earth hear the words of my mouth." | Heaven and earth as witnesses to God's word and Israel's actions. |
| Mic 6:1-2 | "Hear what the LORD says... listen, you mountains, to the Lord’s complaint..." | God’s lawsuit with creation as audience/witness. |
| Jer 2:12 | "Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD..." | Heavens appalled at Israel's rebellion. |
| Ps 50:4-6 | "He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people..." | God summons creation to judge His people. |
| Exod 4:22-23 | "You shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son...’" | Israel explicitly identified as God's son. |
| Deut 1:31 | "you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way..." | God’s paternal care and protection in the wilderness. |
| Hos 11:1-4 | "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son." | God's fatherly love for Israel from their beginning. |
| Jer 31:9 | "for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn." | God's fatherhood confirmed for Israel. |
| Ps 103:13-14 | "As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him." | God's compassionate, parental character. |
| Num 23:19 | "God is not a man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind." | The steadfast truthfulness of the Lord’s word. |
| Heb 4:12 | "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword..." | The power and authority of God’s spoken word. |
| Deut 9:7 | "Remember how you provoked the LORD your God in the wilderness. From the day that you left Egypt..." | Israel's history of rebellion. |
| Jer 2:13 | "for they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters..." | Israel's spiritual infidelity and rejection of God. |
| Rom 10:21 | "But as for Israel he says, ‘All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.’" | Israel's long-standing disobedience. |
| Acts 7:51 | "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit." | Accusation of persistent rebellion against God's Spirit. |
| 1 Sam 15:23 | "For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry." | Rebellion equated with serious spiritual offenses. |
| Luke 15:11-32 | The Parable of the Prodigal Son illustrates the rebellious child's defiance against the father. | Rebellion and return in the context of a father-child relationship. |
| Mal 1:6 | "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor?" | God questioning the lack of honor despite His fatherhood. |
| Ps 78:8 | "...and not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast..." | Israel’s consistent pattern of rebellion. |
| Ezek 2:3 | "...I am sending you to the people of Israel, to a rebellious nation, who have rebelled against me." | Ezekiel sent to a consistently rebellious nation. |
| Matt 21:33-41 | Parable of the Wicked Tenants: Tenants reject owner's son and servants. | Spiritual rebellion against the owner's authority and grace. |
| Heb 3:17-19 | "And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?..." | Rebellion causing divine judgment and exclusion. |
Isaiah 1 verses
Isaiah 1 2 Meaning
Isaiah 1:2 opens with a profound summons to the entirety of creation to bear witness to a divine complaint. The verse unveils the core message of God's indictment against His people, Israel (Judah, specifically), for their rebellion. Despite God's loving, paternal care, provision, and exaltation of them as His own "children," they have deliberately and defiantly rebelled against Him. This verse establishes a fundamental covenant lawsuit (rib) where God is both the benevolent Father and the just Judge, presenting His charge against His ungrateful and disobedient offspring.
Isaiah 1 2 Context
Isaiah 1 begins the prophet's comprehensive message to Judah and Jerusalem during a period of deep spiritual decline, social injustice, and political instability (late 8th century BC). The opening verses function as a formal indictment or legal "lawsuit" (rib), setting the stage for God's charges against His covenant people. Verse 2 specifically establishes the identity of the Accuser (Yahweh) and the accused (Israel as "children"), immediately highlighting the grave breach of a sacred familial and covenantal relationship. The historical context includes the impending Assyrian threat and internal decay, yet the people maintained outward religious observance while their hearts were far from God. This initial statement cuts through their ritualistic facade to expose their fundamental betrayal.
Isaiah 1 2 Word analysis
- Hear (שְׁמַע - sh'ma): A strong imperative, calling for attention, deep listening, and often, obedience. It's a fundamental command in the Torah (Deut 6:4, the Shema).
- O heavens (שָׁמַיִם - shamayim): Refers to the sky, the cosmos, representing the higher realm and enduring created order.
- give ear (הַאֲזִינוּ - ha'azinu): Parallel to "hear," intensifying the call to heed carefully. Implies a formal request for an audience or witness.
- O earth (אֶרֶץ - eretz): The land, the terrestrial realm. Together with "heavens," it denotes all creation.
- for the LORD (כִּי יְהוָה - ki Yahweh): Yahweh is the covenant name of God, emphasizing His personal relationship with Israel and His unique authority. "Ki" introduces the reason for the summons.
- hath spoken (דִּבֵּר - dibber): Implies a declarative, authoritative, and decisive pronouncement. This is not a human opinion but a divine, immutable word.
- I have nourished (גִּדַּלְתִּי - giddalti): From the root gadal, meaning "to make great," "to cause to grow," "to bring up." It emphasizes continuous, developmental care, like a parent rearing a child from infancy.
- and brought up (וְרוֹמַמְתִּי - v'romamti): From the root rum, meaning "to lift up," "to exalt," "to raise high." This signifies elevation in status, honor, and prosperity, beyond mere sustenance.
- children (בָּנִים - banim): Sons, children. In a covenant context, this signifies Israel's special adoptive relationship with God as His chosen family, His inheritance.
- and they have rebelled against me (וְהֵם פָּשְׁעוּ בִי - v'hem pash'u bi): Pash'u (from pasha) signifies rebellion, transgression, revolt against a higher authority, often implying a deliberate breach of covenant. The suffix bi ("against me") directly points to God Himself as the offended party, underscoring the gravity of their disloyalty.
Words-group analysis
- "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth": This dual address acts as a majestic and cosmic summons, setting a courtroom scene. God calls upon all creation as solemn witnesses to the forthcoming divine pronouncement, implying that even the inanimate creation is more attentive to God's word than His own people.
- "for the LORD hath spoken": This phrase establishes the absolute authority and immutability of the message. The entire indictment that follows is God's direct, personal declaration, lending it ultimate weight and seriousness. It underscores that what follows is a divine judgment, not a human opinion.
- "I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me": This stark juxtaposition reveals the core of God's grievance. It highlights the profound contrast between God's lavish, protective, and elevating care as a loving Father, and Israel's extreme ingratitude and defiance. The act of "rebellion" here is portrayed as a profound betrayal of the deepest relational ties, transforming a loving parental relationship into one of judicial accusation.
Isaiah 1 2 Bonus section
- The structure of Isaiah 1, beginning with this summons and indictment, closely mirrors the legal format of an ancient Near Eastern covenant lawsuit (Hebrew: rîb). God presents Himself as the Plaintiff and Judge, while creation acts as witnesses.
- The use of family metaphors (father-child) emphasizes the intimate, deeply personal nature of Israel's covenant with God, making their rebellion not just a breaking of rules, but a profound act of spiritual betrayal against their own Parent.
- This verse serves as a microcosm for much of biblical history: God's unfailing grace and provision are continually met with humanity's persistent ingratitude and rebellion, from Adam and Eve in Eden to the continued disobedience throughout Israel's history. Yet, it also implicitly foreshadows God's continued patience and His ultimate plan for redemption and restoration, which is the wider message of Isaiah.
Isaiah 1 2 Commentary
Isaiah 1:2 functions as a poignant opening statement in God's formal indictment of Judah. The appeal to the heavens and the earth serves to highlight the universal witness to Israel's unfaithfulness; even the stable, obedient cosmos can attest to God's righteous claim and Judah's profound spiritual amnesia. The divine utterance "I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me" encapsulates the essence of the divine complaint. It underscores the unparalleled graciousness of God, who nurtured Israel from its inception, guiding and elevating them as His chosen family. The terms "nourished" and "brought up" portray a patient, continuous, and transformative parental care.
In jarring contrast stands the severe accusation of "rebellion." This is not a simple misstep, but a willful, defiant act against the One who granted them their very identity and blessing. It is the sin of ingratitude, pride, and ultimately, covenant breach. This betrayal of a loving Father-child relationship underpins all subsequent judgments in Isaiah. The verse powerfully conveys the shock and sorrow of God over His people's deliberate and astonishing repudiation of His love and authority, setting a tone of urgent warning for both the original audience and for believers throughout time.