Isaiah 58:3 kjv
Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
Isaiah 58:3 nkjv
'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?' "In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers.
Isaiah 58:3 niv
'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?' "Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers.
Isaiah 58:3 esv
'Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?' Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers.
Isaiah 58:3 nlt
'We have fasted before you!' they say.
'Why aren't you impressed?
We have been very hard on ourselves,
and you don't even notice it!'
"I will tell you why!" I respond.
"It's because you are fasting to please yourselves.
Even while you fast,
you keep oppressing your workers.
Isaiah 58 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 58:3 | "You fast...yet you do not discern. You afflict your souls." | Matt 6:16-18 |
| Isa 58:3 | "Look, you fast for strife and debate and to strike with wicked fist." | Matt 23:14-15 |
| Isa 58:3 | "Is this the fast that I have chosen...that a man should humble himself?" | 1 Cor 8:1 |
| Isa 58:3 | "When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you." | Jer 11:11 |
| Isa 58:3 | "Even when they call to me, I will not listen." | Ps 66:18 |
| Isa 58:3 | "I will punish all who practice iniquity." | Jer 7:31 |
| Isa 58:3 | "They seek me daily and delight to know my ways." | Prov 1:28-29 |
| Isa 58:3 | "Though they call out to me, I will not answer." | Zech 7:13 |
| Isa 58:3 | "My eyes will see the iniquity of the house of Israel." | Ezek 9:4 |
| Isa 58:3 | "You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel." | Matt 23:24 |
| Isa 58:3 | "God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap." | Gal 6:7 |
| Isa 58:3 | "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord...'" | Matt 7:22 |
| Isa 58:3 | "The Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save." | Isa 59:1 |
| Isa 58:3 | "God has no pleasure in destruction by sword or famine or curse or plague." | Rev 18:8 |
| Isa 58:3 | "Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God." | Isa 59:2 |
| Isa 58:3 | "The sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination." | Prov 21:27 |
| Isa 58:3 | "To obey is better than sacrifice." | 1 Sam 15:22 |
| Isa 58:3 | "My Spirit rests on him who is humble and contrite in spirit." | Isa 66:2 |
| Isa 58:3 | "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?" | Matt 16:26 |
Isaiah 58 verses
Isaiah 58 3 Meaning
The people question God’s seeming indifference to their religious practices, asking why fasting and affliction bring no visible divine attention or recognition. They contrast their rigorous observance of religious duties with God’s apparent lack of response to their efforts.
Isaiah 58 3 Context
Isaiah chapter 58 addresses the people of Judah during or after the Babylonian exile. Despite their return to the land and outward displays of piety, they continue in spiritual error and social injustice. The prophet Isaiah is commissioned to rebuke them and reveal the true nature of acceptable worship. This verse highlights their misunderstanding of what constitutes genuine spiritual discipline, particularly fasting. The underlying issue is not their performance of rituals but the unaddressed sins and the self-serving motives behind their actions, which alienate them from God.
Isaiah 58 3 Word analysis
- "Yet" (וְאַתָּ֣ה - we'atta): Connects this clause adversatively to the previous statement or implication about God’s actions.
- "you" (אַתָּ֣ה - attah): Emphatic, referring directly to the people addressed.
- "fast" (צוֹמְקִ֥ים - tsom'qim): The noun "tsom" (fast) is conjugated to describe an ongoing action by "you." Refers to voluntary or mandated periods of abstaining from food.
- "and" (וְ - we): Joins the concepts of fasting and afflicting their souls.
- "afflict" (מְעִיתֶ֣ם - me'item): "To crush, destroy, afflict, vex." Suggests internal suffering or self-denial.
- "your" (נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶ֣ם - naphshothekhem): "Your soul/selves." The self in its entirety – emotional, volitional, intellectual, and vital principle.
- "do not" (לֹא - lo'): Absolute negation.
- "discern" (תּוֹדִיעוּ - todia'u): "To know, recognize, make known, distinguish." The Qal infinitive suggests the lack of understanding or realization of God’s will or pleasure. The Niphal (which is not here) means to be known. The Hiphil form means to make known. The literal sense is a lack of recognition or awareness.
- Word Group Analysis: "fast... and afflict your souls" implies a ritualistic approach to spirituality without internal change. The emphasis is on outward show rather than inward reality.
- Phrase Analysis: "yet you do not discern" signifies a profound lack of spiritual insight, failing to understand God’s expectations and the purpose of His commands, especially regarding spiritual disciplines.
Isaiah 58 3 Bonus section
The concept of "afflicting the soul" is crucial. While often associated with fasting, it implies a deeper engagement of the whole person in contrition and humility before God. The people missed the mark by performing the physical act of affliction without the corresponding spiritual or moral transformation. Their "fast" was perceived by God as an empty ritual, failing to achieve the desired connection because it was coupled with internal strife and oppressive behavior towards others. The absence of discernment indicates a spiritual blindness where they could not perceive the reason for their unanswered prayers or God’s seeming silence.
Isaiah 58 3 Commentary
This verse encapsulates a critical theme in Isaiah: the disconnect between religious performance and true righteousness. The people of Judah observed the fast, a day of affliction for their souls, which was a prescribed solemnity. However, their fasting was not accompanied by repentance, justice, or mercy. They engaged in the outward actions of worship but inwardly harbored unrighteousness and conflict. God’s response, or lack thereof, was not due to His inability to see or hear, but because their practice of fasting was corrupted. True fasting, as later clarified in the chapter, involves loosening the bonds of wickedness, sharing provisions with the hungry, and acting with compassion. Their current observance was thus rendered ineffective and even hypocritical in God’s eyes. They performed religious acts but failed to apprehend God’s design for them.