Isaiah 58 5

Isaiah 58:5 kjv

Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?

Isaiah 58:5 nkjv

Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the LORD?

Isaiah 58:5 niv

Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?

Isaiah 58:5 esv

Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the LORD?

Isaiah 58:5 nlt

You humble yourselves
by going through the motions of penance,
bowing your heads
like reeds bending in the wind.
You dress in burlap
and cover yourselves with ashes.
Is this what you call fasting?
Do you really think this will please the LORD?

Isaiah 58 verses

Isaiah 58 5 Meaning

This verse describes the outward appearance of God's chosen fasting, stating that it is not to be a sorrowful display with bowed heads and covering with sackcloth and ashes, but rather a true turning towards Him with a joyous and unblemished inner life.

Isaiah 58 5 Context

Chapter 58 of Isaiah addresses the spiritual hypocrisy of the Israelites. They were meticulously observing religious rituals, including fasting, but their hearts were far from God, and they continued to oppress and mistreat others. God, through Isaiah, rebukes their outward show of piety, highlighting that true worship involves justice, compassion, and inner transformation, not merely performing religious duties while engaging in unrighteous behavior. This specific verse serves as a direct indictment of their insincere fasting, contrasting their sorrowful appearance with God's desire for genuine heart-change and a righteous life.

Isaiah 58 5 Word Analysis

• "Is this": (Hebrew: ha-zeh) A demonstrative particle introducing a rhetorical question, questioning the validity or acceptability of the described action.
• "the fast": (Hebrew: tsom) Refers to the specific religious practice of fasting. In this context, it highlights that the Israelites were observing a fast day.
• "that I have chosen?": (Hebrew: bocher - from bachar) Denotes God's selection or preference. The question implies their current form of fasting is not what God has chosen or desires.
• "a day": (Hebrew: yom) Refers to a specific day or occasion.
• "for a man": (Hebrew: adam) The generic term for mankind.
• "to afflict": (Hebrew: inneh) This is a crucial word. It signifies suffering, humbling, or mortifying oneself. The NIV translates it as "afflict". The text is questioning whether God desires them to inflict suffering on themselves in such a public and sorrowful way.
• "his soul": (Hebrew: nephesh) The inner person, the soul or self. Afflicting the soul was a key element of the Day of Atonement fast (Leviticus 16:29, 31).
• "to hang down": (Hebrew: nahta) Describes the posture of bowing the head or drooping.
• "his head": (Hebrew: rosh) The head.
• "like a bulrush": (Hebrew: ar`am` - likely `arimon` orarov`) A common marsh plant, often reedy. The comparison implies a drooping, listless, and perhaps withered appearance.
• "to spread sackcloth and ashes": (Hebrew: sorowq wakeder - sorowq meaning coarse woolen cloth for mourning, kede meaning ashes) The traditional outward signs of deep mourning and repentance in ancient Near Eastern cultures.
• "Will you call this": Introduces a direct challenge to their understanding and practice.
• "a fast": (Hebrew: tsom) Reiteration of the term, questioning its authenticity as a divine appointment.
• "and an acceptable day": (Hebrew: yom) Suggests a day pleasing or favored by God. The implication is that their current fast is neither.
• "to the Lord?": (Hebrew: Yehovah) The personal covenant name of God.

Phrase Analysis:

• "to afflict his soul": While affliction was part of commanded fasting (like Yom Kippur), Isaiah's critique is that the manner and inner disposition are wrong. The Israelites were likely misinterpreting affliction as mere outward display of misery, devoid of genuine repentance or love for God and neighbor.
• "hang down his head like a bulrush": This paints a picture of excessive, performative mourning, a visual representation of misery that doesn't necessarily stem from a heart broken over sin.
• "spread sackcloth and ashes": These were ancient markers of true penitence, but in this context, they had become mere external religious performances.

Isaiah 58 5 Bonus Section

The concept of "afflicting the soul" (Leviticus 16:29) was a divine command for the Day of Atonement, meant to foster humility and introspection. However, as seen in Isaiah 58, Israel had seemingly ritualized this, turning it into an outward show without the underlying spiritual substance. This highlights a recurring theme in prophetic literature: the contrast between God's desire for genuine relationship and righteous action versus empty, external religious ritual. Jesus also spoke against hypocrisy in fasting (Matthew 6:16-18), emphasizing that it should be a private matter directed toward God, not a public spectacle for human approval. The verse sets the stage for God to reveal the true nature of a fast that is pleasing to Him in the following verses.

Isaiah 58 5 Commentary

Isaiah challenges the Israelites’ focus on outward expressions of sorrow during their fasts. God is not interested in a performance of grief characterized by drooping heads and wearing sackcloth and ashes. These are superficial signs if not accompanied by genuine repentance and a transformed heart. True fasting, from God’s perspective, is about a deep inner self-denial and a sincere turning to Him, rather than a public display of misery. The question posed by Isaiah implies that their current fasting practice is displeasing and unacceptable to God because it lacks the core elements of a righteous heart and life.