Isaiah 65:3 kjv
A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick;
Isaiah 65:3 nkjv
A people who provoke Me to anger continually to My face; Who sacrifice in gardens, And burn incense on altars of brick;
Isaiah 65:3 niv
a people who continually provoke me to my very face, offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on altars of brick;
Isaiah 65:3 esv
a people who provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens and making offerings on bricks;
Isaiah 65:3 nlt
All day long they insult me to my face
by worshiping idols in their sacred gardens.
They burn incense on pagan altars.
Isaiah 65 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 65:3 | "A people who provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens and making offerings on bricks" | Core Verse |
| Exodus 34:12-17 | God warns against making covenants with inhabitants of the land, lest they lead Israel to idolatry (Baal worship, sacrificing to gods). | Condemnation of Idolatry |
| Lev 17:7 | "They shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to the satyrs, after whom they play the harlot. This shall be a statute forever to them." | Prohibition of Idol Sacrifice (Satyrs) |
| Deut 13:6-10 | Even close relatives who entice to idolatry are to be stoned. | Seriousness of Enticement to Idolatry |
| 1 Kings 14:23 | "And they sacrifice on the high places, and burn incense on the hills, under the oak and the poplar and all the green trees, because the offerings of their shade were pleasing to them." | Practices of Idolatry Described |
| 2 Kings 17:9-12 | The northern kingdom of Israel engages in continual sin, provoking God by worshipping idols and failing to keep His statutes. | Historical Parallel: Northern Israel |
| Psa 78:58 | "They provoked him to jealousy with their high places and moved him to anger with their graven images." | Provoking God through Idolatry |
| Jer 3:6 | Judah, too, had committed adultery by going after idols, unconcerned about God’s judgment. | Judah's Similar Faithlessness |
| Jer 7:18 | The people baked cakes for the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to other gods, provoking God’s anger. | Specific Idol Practice (Queen of Heaven) |
| Jer 11:17 | God planted the Israelites like vines but they bore wild grapes, and the LORD has bought them in rebellion. | Betrayal and Rebellion against God |
| Ezek 16:21-22 | God recounts Jerusalem's spiritual prostitution and the extent of her wickedness. | Allegory of Adultery and Wickedness |
| Ezek 20:8 | "But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me. None of them dropped the abominations of their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt." | Continued Rebellion and Idolatrous Practices |
| Ezek 22:3-5 | Jerusalem is described as a bloody city filled with injustice and idolatry, provoking God’s wrath. | Wickedness of Jerusalem |
| Hos 2:13 | God punishes Israel for her forgetfulness of Him and her idolatrous festivals. | Consequences of Forgetting God |
| Hos 5:4 | "Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God. For a spirit of whoredom is within them, and they know not the LORD." | Inability to Return due to Inner Corruption |
| Hos 9:1 | Israel rejoiced with the joy of the nations, and played the harlot against her God. | Whoredom Against God |
| Micah 1:7 | "And all her images shall be broken in pieces; all her wages shall be burned with fire, and all her idols I will make a desolation." | Destruction of Idolatrous Objects |
| Nah 3:4 | Nineveh, described as a harlot, is condemned for her widespread wickedness and idolatry. | Judgment on Idolatrous Nations |
| Mal 2:11 | "Judah has been faithless, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the holiness of the LORD that he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god." | Profanation of Holiness, Foreign Gods |
| Matt 6:24 | "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." | Incompatibility of Serving Two Masters |
| 1 Cor 10:14 | "Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry." | Exhortation to Flee from Idolatry |
| 1 Cor 10:21 | "You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons." | Choice Between God’s Table and Demonic Table |
| Gal 5:19-21 | Lists works of the flesh, including idolatry, and states that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. | Works of the Flesh, Inheritance of Kingdom |
| Rev 18:4 | "Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, and lest you share in her plagues." | Call to Separate from Sinful Systems |
Isaiah 65 verses
Isaiah 65 3 Meaning
This verse describes a continuous act of provocation and rebellion against God. The people are described as actively irritating God by their persistent sinfulness, specifically by sacrificing to demons and engaging in idolatry. It highlights the depth of their spiritual unfaithfulness and the resultant divine displeasure.
Isaiah 65 3 Context
Isaiah 65 is a chapter filled with judgment and restoration. It contrasts the faithfulness of God and the persistent sinfulness of His people with the glorious new creation that God promises. The people of Israel have consistently turned away from God, engaging in various forms of rebellion, including idolatry. This verse specifically addresses their ongoing practice of worshipping idols and their deep-seated spiritual corruption that leads them to "provoke" God "to His face continually." It sets the stage for the radical cleansing and renewal that God will bring about in the new heavens and new earth, where His faithful people will dwell. The "gardens" and "bricks" allude to illicit cultic practices prevalent in ancient Near Eastern religions, which were an abomination to Yahweh.
Isaiah 65 3 Word Analysis
- גּוֹי (gōy): People, nation. Here, referring to the covenant people of Israel who are acting like a rebellious nation, forsaking their God.
- מְרִי / מְרִי יְרוֹם (məriy məriy yərūm): A people of rebellion/who provoke / I am provoked. This phrase emphasizes continuous and open defiance. "Meriy" implies rebellion or contentiousness. The construction with "yerum" suggests being roused to anger or being lifted up in a provocative way.
- אֹתִי (ōtî): Me. Emphasizes the direct recipient of the provocation.
- עַד־אַף (ʿaḏ-ʾap̄): Continually / continually to anger. "Ad" signifies "until" or "continually." "Ap" is anger or wrath. The combination speaks of a persistent state of inciting divine anger.
- נִסְכִים (niskîm): Drink offerings, libations. Typically offerings of wine or oil poured out. Here associated with idolatrous worship.
- בַּגַּנּוֹת (ba-gannōṯ): In the gardens. Gardens were often sites for fertility cults and idolatrous worship, as they were places of natural abundance and beauty, which pagans attributed to their deities.
- וְקֹטְרִים (wə-qōṭərîm): And making offerings (by burning incense). Derived from "qatar," meaning to burn incense or offer a sacrifice. It points to the ritualistic aspect of their idolatry.
- עַל־הַלְבֵנִים (ʿal-ha-lĕḇênîm): Upon the bricks. This could refer to:
- Bricks baked with images or inscriptions of idols.
- Sacrifice being made on structures made of bricks, perhaps altars built from fired bricks.
- A specific reference to Babylonian cultic practices associated with brick structures.
- The imagery might suggest the manufactured nature of their worship, in contrast to true worship prescribed by God.
Group Analysis:
- "A people who provoke me to my face continually": This highlights the brazen and unashamed nature of their sin. They are not hiding their rebellion; it is open and directed towards God Himself. This suggests a profound lack of reverence and a deliberate affront to God's presence and authority.
- "sacrificing in gardens and making offerings on bricks": This phrase groups together specific instances of illicit worship. "Gardens" suggests the setting of fertility cults and the veneration of nature falsely attributed to pagan deities. "Bricks" points to the constructed and man-made nature of their idolatry, possibly referencing specific architectural elements used in forbidden rituals or symbolic representations of pagan powers. Both were direct violations of God's commands.
Isaiah 65 3 Bonus Section
The phrase "sacrificing in gardens" brings to mind the practices condemned in the Mosaic Law, such as those involving nature cults or specific trees which were often associated with fertility deities and pagan rituals (Lev 26:30; Deut 18:12). The mention of "bricks" might refer to practices where sacrifices were offered upon baked brick altars or structures that had idolatrous inscriptions or designs baked into them. Such imagery suggests a contrast between the divinely ordained worship and man-made, perverted forms of religious expression, all contributing to the cumulative sin that merited divine wrath. The chapter ultimately contrasts this present disobedience with the future obedience and righteousness that will characterize God's renewed people in the new creation.
Isaiah 65 3 Commentary
The verse paints a vivid picture of persistent and defiant apostasy. The people are characterized not just by sin, but by an active, ongoing process of provoking God. This provocation is not subtle; it is "to my face," indicating an open affront to divine authority. The specific practices mentioned—sacrificing in gardens and making offerings on bricks—were common features of pagan worship in the ancient Near East, deeply antithetical to Israelite covenantal loyalty. Gardens were often associated with fertility cults, while offerings on bricks may allude to altars constructed of fired bricks, perhaps inscribed with pagan symbols or used in specific rituals. These were outward manifestations of an inner turning away from the LORD. The continual nature of these actions underscores a deep-seated rebellion that defined their relationship with God, making them targets for His judgment, which Isaiah then elaborates upon throughout the chapter.