Isaiah 2:6 kjv

Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.

Isaiah 2:6 nkjv

For You have forsaken Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with eastern ways; They are soothsayers like the Philistines, And they are pleased with the children of foreigners.

Isaiah 2:6 niv

You, LORD, have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob. They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines and embrace pagan customs.

Isaiah 2:6 esv

For you have rejected your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of things from the east and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners.

Isaiah 2:6 nlt

For the LORD has rejected his people,
the descendants of Jacob,
because they have filled their land with practices from the East
and with sorcerers, as the Philistines do.
They have made alliances with pagans.

Isaiah 2 verses

Isaiah 2 6 Meaning

Isaiah 2:6 states the profound reason for God's impending judgment upon His covenant people, the house of Jacob. It reveals that the Lord has "abandoned" or "cast off" His people not out of arbitrary will, but because they have become thoroughly saturated with pagan customs and occult practices from Eastern nations, have embraced divination like their historical enemies the Philistines, and have forged unholy alliances or adopted the ways of foreigners. This verse is a divine indictment, explaining God's withdrawal of protection due to Israel's severe spiritual apostasy and syncretism, making them indistinguishable from the pagan nations around them.

Isaiah 2 6 Context

Isaiah 2 is a pivotal chapter, initiating the prophetic critique of Judah. It begins with a magnificent vision (verses 2-4) of the future Messianic age, where Jerusalem, as God's spiritual center, will draw all nations to learn His ways, and universal peace will reign. However, this glorious promise is sharply contrasted with the grim reality of Judah in Isaiah's own time. Verse 5 invites the "house of Jacob" to walk in the light of the Lord, setting the stage for the stinging indictment of verse 6. This verse immediately explains why the judgment outlined in the rest of chapter 2 (the humbling of human pride, the destruction of idols and foreign wealth, and the terrors of the Day of the Lord) is necessary. The people's rampant idolatry, spiritual impurity, and adoption of foreign, forbidden practices have completely undermined their covenant relationship with Yahweh. Historically, Judah in the 8th century BC, despite periods of reform, often engaged in syncretistic worship, mingling the worship of Yahweh with Canaanite fertility cults, Mesopotamian astrology, and other divination practices, especially during the reigns of kings like Ahaz who openly embraced pagan altars and rites. This behavior invited God's punitive abandonment.

Isaiah 2 6 Word analysis

• For you have abandoned (כי נטשת - kî nâṭaštā):

  • כי (kî): A conjunction meaning "for," "because," or "surely." Here, it establishes a causal link between the people's actions and God's response.
  • נטשת (nâṭaštā): From the root נטש (nâtash), meaning "to forsake," "to abandon," "to cast off," "to leave." It describes God's withdrawal of protection and favor, a consequence of the people's breach of covenant. This is not arbitrary; it's a divine judgment or turning away from those who have turned away from Him. It implies relinquishing care and protection, exposing them to the consequences of their choices.

• your people, the house of Jacob (עמך בית יעקב - ‘amməḵā bêt Ya‘ăqōḇ):

  • עמך (‘amməḵā): "Your people." Emphasizes the intimate covenant relationship that once existed. God considers them His own.
  • בית יעקב (bêt Ya‘ăqōḇ): "House of Jacob." A common designation for the entire nation of Israel, descended from Jacob, underscoring their historical identity as God's chosen. The full weight of their covenant heritage stands in stark contrast to their present disloyalty.

• because they are full of the ways of the East (מלאו מקדם - māl’û miqqedem):

  • מלאו (māl’û): From the root מלא (male), meaning "to be full," "to be filled." Indicates saturation or pervading influence, suggesting these foreign ways are not superficial but have deeply corrupted the nation's spiritual fabric.
  • מקדם (miqqedem): "From the East" or "of the East." קֶ֫דֶם (qedem) refers to the geographical East, typically Mesopotamia (Babylon, Assyria) and regions like Aram. These areas were centers of sophisticated divination, astrology, magic, and idol worship, including various forms of paganism. Israel, contrary to God's command to be distinct, enthusiastically adopted these forbidden practices.

• and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines (ומעננים כפלשתים - ûmê‘ônenîm ka-Pəlištim):

  • מעננים (mê‘ônenîm): "Fortune-tellers," "soothsayers," "diviners," or "those who practice sorcery/omen reading." Derived from a root related to "clouds" (implying cloud-gazers) or "eyes" (evil eye, charmers), this term refers to practitioners of forbidden magical arts. Mosaic Law explicitly condemned such practices (e.g., Dt 18:10-12).
  • כפלשתים (ka-Pəlištim): "Like the Philistines." The Philistines were perennial enemies and cultural rivals of Israel, known for consulting diviners (e.g., 1 Sam 6:2). This comparison highlights Judah's disgraceful regression to the level of pagan nations they were meant to subdue and whose practices they were commanded to avoid. It’s a bitter indictment that they imitate their ancient enemies' idolatry.

• and they strike hands with the children of foreigners. (ובּילדי נכרים יספיקו - ūḇiyal’ḏê nokhrîm yas’pîqû):

  • ובּילדי נכרים (ūḇiyal’ḏê nokhrîm): "And with the children of foreigners." נָכְרִי (nokhrî) denotes an "alien," "stranger," or "foreigner," often implying someone outside the covenant, whose customs and gods were to be avoided. This could refer to illicit intermarriage, making unholy political treaties, or simply adopting the corrupt cultural and religious ways of these non-covenant peoples.
  • יספיקו (yas’pîqū): From ספק (sāpaq), which can mean "to strike, to clap (hands)" (e.g., in agreement, sorrow, or scorn). In this context, "strike hands with" suggests forming alliances, agreements, or becoming intimate associates. This signifies a profound breach of fidelity to God, as such associations led to further spiritual compromise and syncretism. It indicates a willing embracing of alien values.

Words-group Analysis:

• "For you have abandoned your people, the house of Jacob,": This phrase directly confronts the people with God's ultimate punitive action. It conveys a deep sense of divine disappointment and a covenant broken by the human party, leading to a deserved consequence of withdrawal. It establishes the theological underpinning for the severe judgment detailed subsequently.
• "because they are full of the ways of the East and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines": This phrase details the specific religious sins. The saturation (full) highlights the pervasive nature of their apostasy. The two references, "ways of the East" and "fortune-tellers like the Philistines," specify their forbidden occultic practices and idolatry, indicating widespread national spiritual pollution derived from various pagan sources.
• "and they strike hands with the children of foreigners": This phrase signifies the people's willing involvement in illicit associations and the adoption of foreign customs, which inherently entailed forsaking their exclusive loyalty to Yahweh. "Striking hands" suggests making a pact, agreement, or solidifying a bond, symbolizing spiritual infidelity and syncretism at the deepest levels.

Isaiah 2 6 Bonus section

The lament of Isaiah 2:6 over Israel's spiritual decline serves as a powerful polemic against the pervasive ancient Near Eastern religious systems that promised hidden knowledge or control over one's destiny through human manipulation rather than divine revelation and obedience. Isaiah explicitly calls out "the ways of the East," targeting the highly structured astrological and divinatory practices emanating from Babylon and Assyria. By also mentioning "fortune-tellers like the Philistines," the prophet underscores the commonplace and vulgar forms of sorcery, curses, and omens practiced even among their nearby enemies, revealing how low Israel had stooped. The underlying sin is a profound distrust in God's sufficiency and wisdom, turning instead to alternative sources of power and guidance forbidden by the Torah. This highlights a fundamental principle: turning to paganism or worldly alliances always implies a turning away from the sovereign God, forcing His holy hand to withdraw and judge those who refuse to remain exclusively loyal to Him.

Isaiah 2 6 Commentary

Isaiah 2:6 functions as a critical explanatory verse, immediately following the divine invitation to walk in the Lord's light, revealing why God is abandoning His covenant people. It's not a capricious act, but a justified divine response to Israel's comprehensive spiritual degeneracy. The "house of Jacob" had deeply entrenched itself in prohibited pagan practices – particularly Mesopotamian divination and magic ("ways of the East"), echoing the abhorrent customs of their pagan adversaries, the Philistines. Beyond isolated incidents, the nation was "full" of these practices, implying systemic idolatry and spiritual impurity. Their eagerness to "strike hands with the children of foreigners" further signifies their disregard for their holy separation, forming alliances and adopting cultural norms that inherently led to a denial of God's uniqueness and their special calling. This profound assimilation of the surrounding pagan world rendered them indistinguishable from the very nations they were chosen to influence, leading to God's withdrawal of His protective presence and setting the stage for impending judgment and discipline, as detailed throughout the remainder of the chapter and the book. It serves as a timeless warning against syncretism and compromise for all who claim to follow the Lord.