Isaiah 65 2

Isaiah 65:2 kjv

I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;

Isaiah 65:2 nkjv

I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in a way that is not good, According to their own thoughts;

Isaiah 65:2 niv

All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations?

Isaiah 65:2 esv

I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices;

Isaiah 65:2 nlt

All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people.
But they follow their own evil paths
and their own crooked schemes.

Isaiah 65 verses

Isaiah 65 2 Meaning

This verse describes God's unwavering devotion and willingness to listen and respond to His people, even when they actively seek Him. It speaks of an eagerness from God's side to be found and to engage with humanity.

Isaiah 65 2 Context

Isaiah chapter 65 contrasts God's faithfulness and his continued outstretched hand towards his people with their persistent rebellion and self-will. The preceding verses (64:1-12) describe the people's distress and their plea for God to intervene and rend the heavens, acknowledging their sin. This verse, therefore, positions God's action within the framework of His long-suffering grace extended to a disobedient nation. Historically, this speaks to Israel's ongoing history of straying from God's path, despite His numerous attempts to draw them back, whether through prophets, miracles, or covenant faithfulness.

Isaiah 65 2 Word analysis

• “I”: Emphatic declaration of God's personal involvement.
  • Refers to Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel.
• “spread out”: Denotes an extended, continuous gesture.
  • Implies accessibility, openness, and an invitation.
  • Hebrew: "parash" (פָּרַשׂ) - to spread out, stretch out, extend. Used for spreading sails, a ruler spreading his authority, or a bird spreading its wings.
• “my hands”: Symbolizes God's power, authority, and the means by which He acts or offers.
  • Can signify both provision and judgment. In this context, it emphasizes an offer of help and presence.
• “to”: Indicates the recipient of the action.
• “a rebellious people”: Describes the characteristic nature of the audience.
  • Hebrew: "m'rî" (מְרִי) - rebellion, defiance, stubbornness. This is a repeated theme in Israel's history.
• “who walk”: Refers to their conduct, their lifestyle, and the path they follow.
  • Hebrew: "hol'khîm" (הֹלְכִים) - participle of "halakh" (הָלַךְ), to walk, go. Indicates habitual action.
• “in a way that is not good”: Highlights the wrongness of their chosen path.
  • This way is contrary to God's commands and ways.
  • Hebrew: "derek" (דֶּרֶךְ) - way, path, road, manner of life.
  • "lo' tov" (לֹא־טוֹב) - not good, not right, evil.
• “following”: Indicates that their actions are prompted by something specific.
  • Hebrew: "b'-maḥ'shevot" (בְּמַחְשְׁבוֹת) - literally "in thoughts" or "in imaginations," often understood as intentions or plans derived from those thoughts. Implies inner motivations leading to outward actions.
• “their own devices”: Their independent intentions, schemes, and imaginings, separate from God's will.
  • Hebrew: "yeṭzer" (יֵצֶר) - impulse, device, imagination, thought. Here, it's plural, emphasizing the multiplicity of their own self-serving plans.

Isaiah 65 2 Bonus section

The posture of spreading out hands is also found in pleas for mercy or declarations of openness (e.g., Psalm 143:6; Proverbs 23:26). Here, it represents God's consistent effort to reach a straying people, showing that His offer of grace is ever-present. This verse stands in stark contrast to passages like Proverbs 1:28 where God declares, "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but will not find me," highlighting the consequence of prolonged, unrepented rebellion. However, in Isaiah 65, God’s initiative remains active. It speaks to the persistent, sometimes unreciprocated, nature of divine love in drawing humanity back to Himself. The New Testament echoes this with Jesus weeping over Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37), lamenting their refusal of His outstretched grace.

Isaiah 65 2 Commentary

God expresses His ongoing, active pursuit of a people who are consistently defying Him. The imagery of spreading out hands signifies an outstretched invitation and an offer of help and reconciliation, despite the people’s deliberate chosen path of disobedience. Their “way that is not good” and their “own devices” underscore their self-willed nature, operating apart from divine guidance. This is a poignant depiction of God’s persistent grace even in the face of stubborn rebellion, foreshadowing the deeper theme of Christ's invitation to a world resistant to Him. It highlights the deep love and longing of God to connect, even when rejected.