Isaiah 43:24 kjv
Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.
Isaiah 43:24 nkjv
You have bought Me no sweet cane with money, Nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices; But you have burdened Me with your sins, You have wearied Me with your iniquities.
Isaiah 43:24 niv
You have not bought any fragrant calamus for me, or lavished on me the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your offenses.
Isaiah 43:24 esv
You have not bought me sweet cane with money, or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities.
Isaiah 43:24 nlt
You have not brought me fragrant calamus
or pleased me with the fat from sacrifices.
Instead, you have burdened me with your sins
and wearied me with your faults.
Isaiah 43 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 43:24 | "You have not bought me with silver, nor filled me with the fat of your sacrifices;" | Explicit statement of the verse |
| Exodus 29:18 | "And you shall burn all of it on the altar as a burnt offering to the LORD. It is a sweet aroma, a sacrifice made by fire to the LORD." | Highlights the proper use of sacrifices |
| Lev 1:9 | "But he shall wash the entrails and the legs with water, and the priest shall offer all of it and burn it on the altar; this is a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD." | Continues the description of offerings |
| 1 Sam 15:22 | "But Samuel said: “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams." | Emphasizes obedience over ritual |
| Psa 51:17 | "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." | True worship is internal |
| Isa 1:11 | "“What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I am sick of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls or of lambs or of goats." | God's weariness with meaningless rituals |
| Jer 7:21-22 | "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh. For I did not speak to your fathers or command them on the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them, ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may go well with you.’" | God's preference for obedience |
| Acts 7:42 | "Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven. As it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘“Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings during forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?" | The Israelites' worship of idols in the wilderness |
| Rom 12:1 | "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." | Believers as living sacrifices |
| Heb 10:4 | "For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." | Insufficiency of animal sacrifices |
| Heb 13:15 | "Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name." | Sacrifice of praise |
| 1 Pet 1:18-19 | "knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot." | Redemption through Christ's blood |
| Rev 5:9 | "And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you have purchased for God people from every tribe and language and people and nation." | Christ's purchased redemption |
| John 6:53 | "Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.'" | Spiritual sustenance from Christ |
| John 4:24 | "God is a Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”" | True worship in spirit and truth |
| Mal 1:13 | "You say also, ‘Look, what a burden!’ and you scoff at it, says the LORD of hosts. You bring what is stolen and what is lame and what is sick! This you bring as an offering! Should I accept that from your hand? says the LORD." | God’s dissatisfaction with blemished offerings |
| Psa 40:6 | "Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but you have given me open ears. Burnt offerings and sin offerings you have not required." | God's desire for understanding |
| Isa 58:6 | "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?" | True fasting involves justice |
| Matt 23:23 | "“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others." | Emphasis on justice and mercy |
| Eph 5:2 | "and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." | Christ's sacrificial love |
Isaiah 43 verses
Isaiah 43 24 Meaning
This verse from Isaiah presents God's perspective on Israel's spiritual transgressions. It states that Israel has not honored God by purchasing or acquiring spiritual vitality through their own means, implying they have burdened God with their sins. They have worn God out through their iniquities.
Isaiah 43 24 Context
Isaiah chapter 43 is a powerful declaration of God's enduring love and faithfulness to Israel. Despite their repeated backsliding and captivity, God promises to restore them and bring them back to their land. The preceding verses (43:18-23) highlight God's actions of remembrance, forgiveness, and anticipation of Israel's return and worship. This particular verse, however, shifts to a lament or rebuke, highlighting the spiritual failure of the people within this context of divine grace. The verse speaks to a time when Israel, rather than actively seeking and engaging with God through true devotion, had instead burdened Him with their sins and their lifeless ritualism. This occurs in the historical backdrop of Israel’s unfaithfulness and the impending Babylonian exile, where their national identity and covenantal relationship with God were severely tested.
Isaiah 43 24 Word Analysis
- You (Ata): Second person plural pronoun, addressing the nation of Israel.
- have not bought (lo qanitah): First part, the verb qanah (קָנָה) means to acquire, to purchase, to possess, to create. In this context, it implies that Israel did not “acquire” God's favor or God's presence through any act of their own. It suggests that their spiritual acquisition was not based on a costly, deliberate effort on their part to align with God's will.
- me (oti): Direct object, referring to God Himself.
- with silver (bekesep): "Silver" is used metaphorically. It represents wealth, riches, and worldly possessions that could be used in trade or in purchasing things. This emphasizes that God is not a commodity to be bought or earned by material wealth.
- nor (wǝ): Conjunction connecting two negative clauses.
- filled me (timeltani): From the root mala' (מָלֵא), meaning to fill, to be full. This verb conveys a sense of sufficiency or abundance.
- with the fat (beheleb): "Fat" specifically refers to the fat of animals offered in sacrifices. In Levitical law, the best parts of sacrifices were often burned on the altar to signify an offering pleasing to God.
- of your sacrifices (zabheka): Plural of zabach (זֶבַח), a sacrificial offering. This refers to the various animal sacrifices prescribed in the Mosaic Law.
- but (kî): Causation or explanation; it can also indicate a reason or a cause for the preceding statement.
- you have worn me out (hetzi'tanî): From the root ḥāṣa' (חָצָא), which can mean to cut in half, to divide. However, in Piel it has the meaning to be burdensome, to weary, to trouble greatly. The verb indicates a severe exhaustion or a wearing down.
- with your iniquities (be‘avonoteykha): Plural of ‘avon (עָוֹן), meaning iniquity, guilt, punishment for sin. This highlights the consequence and cause of God’s weariness – the cumulative weight of their persistent transgressions.
Words-Group Analysis
- "bought me with silver...filled me with the fat of your sacrifices": This phrase captures the essence of Israel’s failed attempt at spirituality. They engaged in religious activities and sacrifices but without genuine devotion or a true acquisition of God’s presence. It points to a perfunctory approach to worship, where external rituals replaced internal commitment, failing to bring them closer to God or to merit His favor. This contrasts sharply with God's own provision and gracious acts described earlier in the chapter.
- "You have not bought me...you have worn me out with your iniquities": This forms a cause-and-effect statement. The failure to genuinely acquire God’s favor is linked directly to the burden their sins placed upon Him. The actions of iniquity are presented as an exhausting weight that depletes God's patience, even though God is Spirit and cannot be literally tired in a human sense. This metaphor emphasizes the deep disappointment and the costliness of their unfaithfulness from God's perspective.
Isaiah 43 24 Bonus Section
This verse serves as a prelude to God’s declaration of his intent to blot out their transgressions for His own sake (Isa 43:25). The emphasis on Israel’s failure to "buy" God with silver or fill Him with sacrifices points to the New Testament's understanding of redemption. Christ, through His sacrifice, has truly "purchased" believers with His precious blood (1 Pet 1:18-19), not with perishable things like silver or gold. This profound difference underscores that salvation is a gift, acquired by Christ, not an achievement by human effort or ritual. Furthermore, the "sweet aroma" of sacrifices mentioned in Leviticus was a foreshadowing of Christ’s acceptable sacrifice, which has truly appeased God and opened the way for all humanity to enter into a relationship with Him through faith, rather than through flawed human offerings.
Isaiah 43 24 Commentary
Isaiah 43:24 starkly confronts Israel with their spiritual bankruptcy. They sought to engage with God through ritualistic sacrifice, thinking to impress or even appease Him with material wealth ("silver") and offerings ("fat of your sacrifices"). However, these actions were not born from a true, heartfelt acquisition of God's presence, nor were they accompanied by genuine obedience. Instead, these outward displays of religiosity, devoid of true devotion and overshadowed by pervasive "iniquities" (persistent, rebellious sin), had the effect of deeply burdening and "wearing out" God. This isn't a physical exhaustion for God, but a profound spiritual distress caused by their actions, a weariness resulting from their repeated failure to uphold their covenant and their failure to genuinely cherish God. Their efforts to fulfill their religious duties were like a heavy, burdensome load, rather than an expression of joyful worship. This highlights a crucial biblical theme: God values sincerity and obedience of the heart far above mere outward religious performance.