Isaiah 43:22 kjv
But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.
Isaiah 43:22 nkjv
"But you have not called upon Me, O Jacob; And you have been weary of Me, O Israel.
Isaiah 43:22 niv
"Yet you have not called on me, Jacob, you have not wearied yourselves for me, Israel.
Isaiah 43:22 esv
"Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob; but you have been weary of me, O Israel!
Isaiah 43:22 nlt
"But, dear family of Jacob, you refuse to ask for my help.
You have grown tired of me, O Israel!
Isaiah 43 22 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 14:4 | Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge... who do not call upon the LORD? | They refuse to seek God. |
| Jer 10:25 | Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not know You, and on the families that do not call on Your name. | Not calling on God incurs wrath. |
| Jer 33:3 | Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know. | God invites calling upon Him. |
| Hos 7:7 | ...none among them calls on Me. | A parallel complaint of God. |
| Amos 5:4 | For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: Seek Me and live. | Divine command to seek God. |
| Zeph 1:6 | ...those who have turned back from following the LORD, and have not sought the LORD nor inquired of Him. | Those who ignore God. |
| Matt 11:28 | Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. | Contrast to weariness in God's presence. |
| Phil 2:14 | Do all things without grumbling or disputing. | Modern parallel to burdensome attitude. |
| Ex 17:7 | He called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?" | Early weariness/doubt. |
| Num 21:5 | So the people spoke against God and against Moses: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless bread." | Expressing weariness/contempt for God's provision. |
| Mal 1:13 | You also say, "Oh, what a weariness!" And you sneer at it, says the LORD of hosts... | Complaining about service to God. |
| Matt 23:4 | For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders... | Man-made burdens in religion. |
| Heb 4:15-16 | For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. | Invitation to approach God with needs. |
| Ps 81:11-13 | "But My people would not heed My voice... Oh, that My people would listen to Me..." | God's sorrow over their disobedience. |
| Is 1:4 | Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD... | General indictment of Israel's sin. |
| Jer 2:32 | Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number. | Forgetting God. |
| Is 6:10 | Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes... | Hardening of hearts against God. |
| Matt 15:8 | 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.' | Lip service without heart. |
| 1 Cor 10:9 | ...nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted Him, and were destroyed by serpents. | Testing Christ, implying spiritual weariness. |
| Heb 12:3 | For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and disheartened in your souls. | Warning against weariness in faith. |
| Gal 6:9 | And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. | Call to persist, implying potential weariness. |
| Jude 1:15-16 | These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts... | Complaining against God and His ways. |
Isaiah 43 verses
Isaiah 43 22 Meaning
Isaiah 43:22 is a profound lament from God to His chosen people, Jacob/Israel. It expresses His deep disappointment that despite His consistent redemptive work and ongoing presence, they have neither earnestly sought Him nor genuinely called upon Him for assistance or communion. Instead, they have found His presence and the responsibilities of their covenant relationship to be burdensome and exhausting, growing weary of their God. This verse reveals a fundamental spiritual apathy and ingratitude at the heart of the nation's relationship with the divine.
Isaiah 43 22 Context
Isaiah chapter 43 falls within the latter part of the book, often called the "Book of Comfort," delivered to the exiles in Babylon. Immediately preceding verse 22, God has just declared Himself the Holy One of Israel, their King, and Creator, recalling His mighty acts of redemption in the past (like parting the Red Sea) and promising new, even greater, acts of salvation (vv. 16-21). He is about to create a highway in the wilderness and streams in the desert for their return. This powerful declaration of His identity, His love, and His intention to restore them frames the indictment in verse 22. It highlights the stark contrast between God's boundless grace and Israel's spiritual apathy. The verse also precedes a reminder of their actual spiritual shortcomings—failure to bring sacrifices wholeheartedly (v. 23-24)—which then leads to God’s declaration of forgiveness (v. 25). The historical context is a people undergoing judgment for their sins, yet being promised redemption, while still struggling with an ungrateful and apathetic heart toward the very God who delivers them.
Isaiah 43 22 Word analysis
- Yet (וְלֹא, wə-lōʾ): A strong adversative particle, "but not" or "and not." It signals a contrast, creating an emotional tension: despite everything God has done, the opposite has happened. It highlights God's expectation versus Israel's reality.
- you have not called upon Me (קָרָ֣אתָ אוֹתִ֔י, qārāʾtā ʾōwṯī):
- qārāʾ (קָרָא): To call out, proclaim, cry for help, invoke. This verb implies seeking communication, dependence, prayer, or formal worship. It's about direct, personal engagement with God, acknowledging His sovereignty and need for Him. Its absence denotes a profound neglect of spiritual duty and relationship.
- ʾōwṯī: "Me," a direct object emphasizing the personal relationship with God Himself.
- O Jacob (יַעֲקֹ֖ב, Yaʿaqōḇ): This name primarily represents the patriarch Jacob's original identity, before his encounter with God at Peniel (Gen 32:28). It signifies the "heel-grabber," "supplanter"—the human, earthly, and often flawed aspect of Israel, indicative of their foundational nature.
- but (כִּי, kī): This conjunctive particle here functions as a strong causal or adversative, meaning "because" or "indeed," reinforcing the reason for the lament.
- you have grown weary of Me (יָגַ֥עְתָּ בִּֽי, yāḡaʿtā bī):
- yāḡaʿ (יָגַע): To toil, grow tired, weary, be exhausted. It suggests that their relationship with God, or His commandments and expectations, felt like an onerous burden, leading to exhaustion rather than joy or renewal. This weariness is not from overzealous service but from finding God's very being and demands to be taxing.
- bī: "in Me" or "of Me," indicating the weariness is directed at or in relation to God Himself, not merely a physical weariness.
- O Israel (יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃, Yiśrāʾēl): This name signifies the spiritual transformation of Jacob, "one who struggles with God," or "God contends." It points to their higher calling, their covenant identity as God's chosen nation. The use of both names—Jacob and Israel—highlights their fundamental humanity (Jacob) and their exalted, yet often unmet, divine calling (Israel). It underscores the irony and tragedy that both aspects of their identity failed in their relationship with God.
Isaiah 43 22 Bonus section
The parallel use of "Jacob" and "Israel" is deeply significant. "Jacob" evokes the manipulative, self-reliant individual, the raw, unsanctified nature that relies on its own strength and ingenuity. "Israel" reflects the transformed identity, the "prince with God" (Gen 32:28), pointing to a people called to a covenant relationship and divine struggle for truth. By addressing them as both, God emphasizes that their failure is comprehensive, encompassing both their human weakness and their divinely appointed potential. The implication is that even in their transformed state (Israel), the old nature (Jacob) still influenced their spiritual life, preventing true engagement and leading to apathy. This verse, though a lament, also subtly establishes a basis for God's forgiveness in subsequent verses: only a deeply gracious God could pardon a people so wearied of Him yet receive His steadfast love. This theological paradox sets the stage for God's declaration, "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins" (Is 43:25).
Isaiah 43 22 Commentary
Isaiah 43:22 cuts to the core of Israel’s spiritual malady during a period of intense divine intervention and promises of future redemption. God’s complaint is not about their physical weariness from service, but a spiritual and emotional weariness of God Himself. It points to an absence of heartfelt devotion and a presence of resentful compliance or outright indifference. They neglected the foundational act of faith—calling upon God—which implies reliance, trust, and intimate relationship. Instead, they perceived God's way, or simply the presence of God in their lives, as a burden rather than a blessing. This isn't weariness for God but weariness from God. This indictment comes precisely when God is declaring astounding acts of salvation and His unchanging commitment, highlighting their profound ingratitude and spiritual dullness. It speaks to a formalistic approach to religion where God's requirements become onerous rituals rather than expressions of love.
- Example 1: A person consistently finds their prayer time a chore, hastily mumbled rather than a conversation, because they are weary of the discipline.
- Example 2: Believers who fulfill religious duties out of habit or obligation, sighing at church attendance or Bible reading, rather than seeking genuine connection with Christ.