Isaiah 58 1

Isaiah 58:1 kjv

Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.

Isaiah 58:1 nkjv

"Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins.

Isaiah 58:1 niv

"Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.

Isaiah 58:1 esv

"Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins.

Isaiah 58:1 nlt

"Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast.
Shout aloud! Don't be timid.
Tell my people Israel of their sins!

Isaiah 58 verses

Isaiah 58 1 Meaning

Isaiah 58:1 is a direct and forceful command from God, delivered through the prophet, instructing the prophet to loudly and unequivocally declare the transgressions and sins of the Israelites. It reveals God's deep concern for His people's moral and spiritual failings, particularly their hypocritical practice of religion without true repentance or righteous living. The message must be public, clear, and unreserved, akin to an urgent blast of a trumpet, exposing their departure from covenant faithfulness to both the collective "my people" (Israel) and specifically the "house of Jacob."

Isaiah 58 1 Context

Isaiah 58:1 introduces a profound indictment against the Israelites who observed external religious practices, particularly fasting, while simultaneously neglecting justice, compassion, and true obedience to God. The chapter begins with God's command to the prophet, demanding a public and forceful declaration of their national and individual sins. This charge sets the stage for the rest of chapter 58, where God contrasts their self-serving, performative piety with the genuine fasting He desires: one marked by breaking yokes of oppression, feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, and caring for one's own kin. Historically, the audience would have been the exilic or post-exilic community, prone to formalism and lacking true spiritual fervor, perhaps believing their outward displays of devotion were sufficient to merit God's favor and accelerate their restoration. This verse exposes the futility of such a religious system.

Isaiah 58 1 Word analysis

• Cry aloud (קְרָא – qəraʾ): This is a strong imperative, meaning to call out, proclaim, or read, but with an emphasis on making the sound clear and audible. It implies urgency and authority, a powerful and public proclamation, not a gentle whisper or private instruction. It's often used for issuing a decree or a war cry.
• spare not (אַל־תַּחְשׂוֹךְ – ʾal-taḥśôḵ): A powerful negative imperative. The verb ḥāśak means "to withhold, restrain, keep back." Coupled with the negative particle, it emphatically means "do not hold back," "do not cease," "do not restrict yourself." The prophet is commanded to be unreserved, uncompromising, and relentless in delivering God's message, regardless of fear or potential backlash.
• lift up thy voice (הָרֵם קוֹלְךָ – hārēm qôlkā): Another imperative reinforcing the audibility. Hārēm means "raise, lift high." It complements "cry aloud," ensuring the message is not only spoken but also amplified to reach all ears.
• like a trumpet (כַּשּׁוֹפָר – kaššōwphār): The Hebrew shofar (ram's horn) produced a distinct, piercing sound, used for various purposes: to announce gatherings, proclaim new moons, signal war, call for repentance (Joel 2:1), or mark God's presence. Its sound demanded attention and signified an important, often urgent, divine message or event. The comparison stresses that the message is loud, unmistakable, and attention-grabbing.
• and shew (וְהַגִּיד – wəhaggîḏ): From nāgad, meaning "to declare, make known, tell, report." This imperative signifies making something clear and understandable, not merely hinting at it. It implies an open, public accusation and disclosure.
• my people (לְעַמִּי – ləʿammî): God refers to Israel with tenderness despite their sin. This intimate possessive pronoun highlights the covenant relationship and God's hurt over their deviation. The judgment is from their loving Father, not a distant judge.
• their transgression (פִּשְׁעָם – pišʿām): The Hebrew peshaʿ implies a deliberate, conscious rebellion, a revolt against authority, a breaking of trust or a covenant. It's more than a mistake; it's an act of disloyalty and willful wrongdoing against God's law and person.
• and the house of Jacob (וּלְבֵית יַעֲקֹב – ûləvēyt yaʿăqōḇ): "House of Jacob" is synonymous with "my people Israel." The repetition, using this specific patriarchal name, emphasizes that this message applies to the entirety of God's chosen nation, a reference to their lineage and the covenant promises made to their forefather.
• their sins (חַטֹּאתָם – ḥaṭṭōʾṯām): The Hebrew ḥaṭṭaʾt primarily means "to miss the mark," or "to go astray." It refers to moral failure, often incurring guilt or defilement. While peshaʿ is rebellion, ḥaṭṭaʾt can encompass both unintentional and intentional acts that fall short of God's righteous standard, separating them from God.

Words-Group analysis

• Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet: This triad of imperatives emphasizes the divine urgency and the required intensity of the prophet's proclamation. It’s a call to be fearless, direct, and unhindered by any human considerations when delivering God's truth. The "trumpet" simile elevates the message to a divinely authoritative, public, and unmistakable declaration, demanding immediate attention and response from the audience.
• and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins: This phrase defines the explicit purpose of the prophet's loud declaration. The parallelism between "my people" and "house of Jacob" underscores the all-encompassing nature of the address to Israel. The use of "transgression" (deliberate rebellion) and "sins" (missing the mark, moral failing) highlights the multi-faceted nature of their spiritual disobedience, leaving no room for excuses or self-justification. It is an act of spiritual diagnosis for their healing.

Isaiah 58 1 Bonus section

This opening verse of Isaiah 58 lays the groundwork for understanding divine communication regarding ethical issues. It posits that spiritual health requires the unvarnished exposure of sin, rather than its concealment. The prophetic ministry, as depicted here, is primarily one of bold pronouncement and divine warning. This command for transparent communication is both a lament from God over His people's fallen state and an act of redemptive intervention, as exposing sin is the first step toward repentance and restoration. It is crucial for the recipients (the house of Jacob) to understand the gravity and specificity of their failures, which this verse seeks to establish by its strong language.

Isaiah 58 1 Commentary

Isaiah 58:1 stands as a powerful divine imperative for truth-telling, demanding uncompromising clarity and boldness in confronting spiritual and moral decay within the covenant community. God instructs the prophet to not only speak, but to "cry aloud" with unwavering resolve ("spare not"), projecting His message with the unmistakable resonance of a shofar. This sound bypasses polite conversation, striking with urgency and calling for immediate attention, signaling crisis or profound significance. The prophet's mission is clear: to meticulously expose the "transgression" – their deliberate acts of rebellion against God – and the "sins" – their failure to live up to God's standards – of "my people," the "house of Jacob." This directive reveals that even within God's chosen nation, there was a desperate need for a harsh spiritual mirror, reflecting back their true state beneath their religious facade. The call isn't for external political commentary, but for a penetrating expose of internal spiritual compromise, rooted in a failure of true worship and righteous living, as will be fully revealed in the subsequent verses of the chapter.