Isaiah 58:2 kjv
Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.
Isaiah 58:2 nkjv
Yet they seek Me daily, And delight to know My ways, As a nation that did righteousness, And did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; They take delight in approaching God.
Isaiah 58:2 niv
For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them.
Isaiah 58:2 esv
Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God.
Isaiah 58:2 nlt
Yet they act so pious!
They come to the Temple every day
and seem delighted to learn all about me.
They act like a righteous nation
that would never abandon the laws of its God.
They ask me to take action on their behalf,
pretending they want to be near me.
Isaiah 58 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 58:2 | Yet they seek me daily and delight in approaching God. | Isa 58:2 |
| Psa 78:36-37 | but they deceived him with their mouth and lied to him with their tongue. Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not true to his covenant. | Psa 78:36-37 |
| Jer 12:2 | You are always righteous, Lord, when I bring a case before you. Yet I want to argue with you about your judgments. Why do the wicked prosper? Why do all traitors remain unpunished? | Jer 12:2 |
| Hos 6:4 | What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears. | Hos 6:4 |
| Matt 15:8-9 | “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.” | Matt 15:8-9 |
| John 4:24 | God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth. | John 4:24 |
| 1 Cor 10:22 | Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he? | 1 Cor 10:22 |
| Jam 4:4 | You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. | Jam 4:4 |
| 1 John 2:15 | Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love is not in them. | 1 John 2:15 |
| Isa 29:13 | The Lord says: “These people draw near to me with their mouths and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. I | Isa 29:13 |
| Jer 17:1 | “Judah's sin is inscribed with a stylus of iron; with a pointed diamond it is engraved on the tablets of their hearts and on the horns of their altars. | Jer 17:1 |
| Psa 51:6 | Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. | Psa 51:6 |
| Micah 6:8 | He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. | Micah 6:8 |
| Amos 5:21-23 | “I hate, I despise your religious festivals, your celebrations are putrid! But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! | Amos 5:21-23 |
| Isa 60:7 | All Kedar’s flocks will be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth will serve you; they will be accepted as offerings on my altar and will bring beauty to my temple. | Isa 60:7 |
| Luke 18:10-14 | Two men went into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: “God, I thank you that I am not like other people—ungrateful, evil, adulterous—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I possess.” But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. | Luke 18:10-14 |
| Acts 5:3-4 | Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the land you received for it? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold, and after it was sold, wasn’t it at your disposal? How is it that you have concocted such a deed in your heart? You have not lied to mortals but to God.” | Acts 5:3-4 |
| Jer 29:13 | You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. | Jer 29:13 |
| Psa 119:2 | Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart! | Psa 119:2 |
| Isa 1:11-15 | “The multitude of your sacrifices— what are they to me?” says the LORD. “I have had enough of burnt offerings— of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to appear before me, who has asked you this, that you should tread my courts? Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New moons, Sabbaths and assemblies— I cannot bear your iniquities and your religious festivals. I hate them. Your hands are full of blood! Your arms are covered with soot! Wash yourselves clean! Make yourselves clean! Take your deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, rebuke the oppressor, champion the fatherless, defend the widow.” I will come to you to pronounce judgment. In righteousness I will stand ready to punish. | Isa 1:11-15 |
Isaiah 58 verses
Isaiah 58 2 Meaning
This verse declares that while the people claim to seek God daily and profess devotion, their hearts are distant from Him. Their outward actions of worship are perceived by God as empty and ungenuine because their inner disposition is not aligned with their stated desires.
Isaiah 58 2 Context
Isaiah 58 is a profound rebuke of Israel's outward religious observance, which lacks genuine inner piety. The preceding verses (likely chapter 57 or earlier context in Isaiah 56-57) may have described societal and spiritual decay. In this chapter, God laments that despite the people’s meticulous fasting and outward shows of piety, their hearts are not with Him. Their actions are seen as ritualistic rather than relational. This disconnect between outward performance and inner reality is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, particularly from the prophets. They emphasized that God desires a wholehearted devotion, not mere empty rituals performed without a corresponding transformation of the heart.
Isaiah 58 2 Word Analysis
Yet (Hebrew: וְעֹ֥וד, wə‘ōd): This conjunction introduces a contrast. It highlights that despite a previous or implied state (perhaps their unrighteous actions), they also do these religious things.
they seek (Hebrew: יִבְקְשׁוּנִי֙, yiḇəḵəšûnî): The verb "to seek" implies an active effort to find or inquire. Here, it describes their attempts to find God or draw near to Him. The imperfect tense suggests a continuous or habitual action.
me (Hebrew: אֹתִ֑י, ʾōṯî): Direct object pronoun, referring to God.
daily (Hebrew: י֣וֹם, yōm): Indicates regularity, every day.
and (Hebrew: וְ, wə): Connects the two clauses.
delight (Hebrew: חָפֵ֣ץ, ḥāp̄ēṣ): Means to take pleasure in, to desire, to want. It suggests a willingness and even enjoyment in their actions.
in approaching (Hebrew: קָרֹ֣ב, qārōḇ): The infinitive form of the verb "to draw near" or "to approach."
God (Hebrew: אֵלִ֔ים, ʾĕlîm): The plural form of God. Some interpret this plural as emphasizing God’s majesty and power, or perhaps as referring to the general concept of divinity in their society. Others suggest it may reflect the polytheistic tendencies of some within the nation. However, within the prophetic context of Isaiah, it typically refers to the One True God.
seeking me daily and delighting in approaching God: This phrase presents a paradox. They engage in the outward actions of worship regularly, appearing devout. However, the core issue is the sincerity of this pursuit, which the verse later implicitly questions by contrasting it with their unrighteous deeds. The "delight" in approaching God is juxtaposed with their internal distance, highlighting hypocrisy.
Isaiah 58 2 Bonus Section
The Hebrew word for "God" used here is ʾĕlîm (אֵלִ֔ים), which is a plural form. While it's common in Hebrew poetry and prophetic discourse to use the plural form of El to refer to God in a way that emphasizes His power, sovereignty, or as a generic reference to divinity, some scholars note the context of the verse suggests a subtle critique. The people claim to approach God, but their heart's inclination is revealed through their actions. The very fact that they are seeking Him daily while simultaneously engaging in unjust practices indicates a fragmented devotion, perhaps bordering on syncretism or a selective adherence to religious obligations, missing the core essence of a relationship with the covenant God. The people’s practice might have been to seek the Elohim of their society, a conceptual plurality, rather than the singular, faithful Yahweh. However, within Isaiah's prophetic voice, the context strongly favors this being a statement about their superficial engagement with the God of Israel.
Isaiah 58 2 Commentary
The people are engaging in religious activities – seeking God and approaching Him – but without the heart of the matter. This outward performance is superficial because it’s not accompanied by true obedience or internal alignment with God’s will. God perceives this as a hollow form of worship. Their actions, while appearing devotional, are tainted by hypocrisy. They go through the motions, but their hearts are elsewhere, uncommitted to God’s ways. This highlights a crucial principle: God values a sincere, wholeheartedly devoted heart far more than elaborate rituals performed with insincere intent.
- Practical application: Genuine worship involves not just attending services or engaging in religious practices, but a heart that is truly seeking and treasuring God. If our actions of faith are not motivated by love for God and obedience, they become empty gestures.