Isaiah 43:22

KJV

¶ But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.

KJV (with Strong's)

But thou hast not called {H7121} upon me, O Jacob {H3290}; but thou hast been weary {H3021} of me, O Israel {H3478}.

Complete Jewish Bible

But you haven't called on me, Ya'akov; because you have grown weary of me, Isra'el.

Berean Standard Bible

But you have not called on Me, O Jacob, because you have grown weary of Me, O Israel.

American Standard Version

Yet thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Isaiah 43:22 presents a poignant divine lament, contrasting God's unwavering commitment and redemptive acts with the spiritual apathy and neglect of His chosen people, Jacob/Israel. Despite having just declared His unique sovereignty and steadfast love, God expresses profound disappointment that His people have failed to call upon Him and have instead grown weary of His presence and ways, indicating a relationship that has become a burden rather than a source of joy and strength.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse marks a significant shift in tone within Isaiah 43. The preceding verses (e.g., [Isaiah 43:1-7](/isaiah/43-1 "Isaiah 43:1-7 - God's Promise to Israel") and [Isaiah 43:14-21](/isaiah/43-14 "Isaiah 43:14-21 - God as Redeemer and Creator")) are rich declarations of God's redemptive power, His unique identity as the only Savior, and His promise to restore Israel from exile. He recounts His mighty acts, such as making a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, all for the sake of His people. Verse 22, however, abruptly pivots from these declarations of divine faithfulness to a sharp, sorrowful accusation of Israel's spiritual failure. It sets the stage for further indictments of their sin and unfaithfulness in [Isaiah 43:23-28](/isaiah/43-23 "Isaiah 43:23-28 - Israel's Failure and God's Forgiveness"), ultimately leading to a renewed promise of forgiveness and restoration based solely on God's grace.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The book of Isaiah, particularly chapters 40-55, is set against the backdrop of the [Babylonian exile](/jeremiah/25-11 "Jeremiah 25:11 - Prophecy of the Babylonian Exile"). The people of Israel, addressed here as "Jacob" and "Israel" (names that encapsulate their entire national and covenantal identity), had been taken captive due to their persistent idolatry and disobedience. Despite this severe judgment, God consistently reminds them of His covenant faithfulness and His ultimate plan for their deliverance and restoration. The cultural expectation for a covenant people was to worship and rely solely on their God, especially in times of distress. Their failure to "call upon" Yahweh and their "weariness" of Him highlights a deep spiritual malaise, where formal religion had replaced genuine relationship, and the very God who promised to save them had become an inconvenience or an obligation.

* **Key Themes:** The primary themes in Isaiah 43:22 include **Divine Disappointment and Grief**, revealing God's profound heartache over His people's spiritual state. It's not primarily an expression of anger, but rather a lament over their neglect of a relationship that He initiated and sustains. This leads to the theme of **Spiritual Apathy and Neglect**, where Israel's failure to "call upon" God signifies a pervasive lack of prayer, worship, and active reliance, contrasting sharply with the vibrant relationship God desires (e.g., [Psalm 50:15](/psalms/50-15 "Psalm 50:15 - Call Upon Me in the Day of Trouble")). Furthermore, their "weariness" of God suggests that His commands, His presence, or even the very idea of serving Him had become a burden, indicative of a formalistic religion devoid of genuine delight or intimacy (compare [Malachi 1:13](/malachi/1-13 "Malachi 1:13 - Weariness of God's Service")). This verse also powerfully underscores the **Contrast of Faithfulness**, setting God's steadfast and unwavering commitment to His covenant promises (as declared in [Isaiah 43:1-21](/isaiah/43 "Isaiah 43 - God's Promises to Israel")) against Israel's consistent and painful unfaithfulness.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **called (Hebrew, _qârâʼ'_):** This primitive root signifies "to call out to," "to address by name," or "to invoke." It encompasses a wide range of applications from inviting guests to proclaiming a message, but in the context of calling upon God, it denotes prayer, supplication, seeking divine help, and establishing a relationship through verbal interaction. The absence of this action indicates a profound breakdown in communication and reliance.
* **weary (Hebrew, _yâgaʻ'_):** Properly meaning "to gasp," this root extends to "to be exhausted," "to tire," or "to toil." When applied to being weary *of* God, it conveys a sense of burden, drudgery, or aversion. It suggests that Israel's religious duties or even the thought of engaging with God had become an onerous task rather than a joyful privilege, indicating a deep spiritual fatigue and lack of desire for His presence.
* **Jacob (Hebrew, _Yaʻăqôb'_):** Meaning "heel-catcher" or "supplanter," this name refers to the patriarch Jacob, whose name was later changed to Israel. As a collective term, "Jacob" here represents the entire nation of Israel, emphasizing their foundational identity and their historical lineage as God's chosen people.
* **Israel (Hebrew, _Yisrâʼêl'_):** Meaning "he will rule as God" or "God strives," this is the symbolic name given to Jacob after his wrestling with God ([Genesis 32:28](/genesis/32-28 "Genesis 32:28 - Jacob Becomes Israel")). As with Jacob, "Israel" here refers to the entire nation, underscoring their unique status as God's covenant people, called to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. The parallel use of "Jacob" and "Israel" serves as a rhetorical device to address the entirety of the nation, leaving no segment exempt from the accusation.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob;":** This clause directly contrasts God's preceding declarations of His mighty acts and unwavering commitment with Israel's profound spiritual negligence. The phrase "called upon me" (qârâʼ) denotes a lack of prayer, worship, and reliance on God. Despite God's constant presence and power, the people, identified by their foundational covenant name "Jacob," had failed to engage Him in a vital, interactive relationship. This points to a deep-seated spiritual apathy rather than overt rebellion.
* **"but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.":** This second clause reinforces and deepens the accusation. The conjunction "but" again highlights the stark contrast. The term "weary" (yâgaʻ) suggests that God's presence, His commands, or the very act of worship had become a burden or an exhausting obligation for the people. Instead of finding delight and strength in Him, Israel, addressed by their exalted covenant name, had grown spiritually fatigued and indifferent, viewing their relationship with Yahweh as a tiresome duty rather than a life-giving source.

#### Literary Devices
Isaiah 43:22 employs several powerful **literary devices**. The most prominent is **Parallelism**, specifically **Synonymous Parallelism**, where the two clauses "But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob" and "but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel" convey essentially the same idea using different but related phrasing. "Jacob" and "Israel" are synonymous terms for the nation, and "not called upon me" is functionally equivalent to "been weary of me" in expressing spiritual neglect. This repetition emphasizes the pervasive nature of Israel's apathy. The verse also uses **Anthropomorphism**, attributing human emotions—disappointment and weariness—to God, allowing the reader to grasp the depth of His grief over His people's unfaithfulness. Furthermore, the verse functions as a **Rhetorical Lament**, implicitly asking how His chosen people could respond with such indifference after all He has done for them, thereby inviting self-reflection and conviction.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 43:22 profoundly reveals the nature of God's relationship with humanity: He desires not mere ritualistic observance, but a vibrant, heartfelt, and dependent communion. His lament underscores the pain of unrequited love and the disappointment of a covenant partner who has grown cold and indifferent. This verse serves as a stark reminder that even after experiencing divine deliverance and receiving magnificent promises, humanity's propensity for spiritual apathy remains a persistent challenge. It highlights the tension between God's unwavering faithfulness and humanity's wavering commitment, emphasizing that true worship stems from a heart that delights in God, not one that finds Him burdensome. God's grief here is a prelude to His ultimate act of grace, where He takes their sin upon Himself, demonstrating that His love is not contingent on their performance but flows from His own character.

* [Psalm 95:7-8](/psalms/95-7 "Psalm 95:7-8 - Do Not Harden Your Hearts")
* [Hebrews 3:7-11](/hebrews/3-7 "Hebrews 3:7-11 - Do Not Harden Your Hearts")
* [Matthew 11:28-30](/matthew/11-28 "Matthew 11:28-30 - Come to Me, All Who Are Weary")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Isaiah 43:22 serves as a timeless mirror for believers today, prompting a crucial self-examination of our spiritual vitality. Do we genuinely "call upon" the Lord in every circumstance, seeking His guidance, comfort, and provision, or have our prayers become perfunctory, our worship rote, and our reliance on Him superficial? The verse challenges us to consider if we have, perhaps subtly, grown "weary" of God—weary of His commands, weary of the discipline of prayer, weary of the demands of discipleship, or even weary of His very presence in our busy lives. This weariness can manifest as spiritual burnout, apathy, or a preference for self-sufficiency over divine dependence. The Lord desires a dynamic, intimate relationship, one characterized by delight and dependence, not duty and drudgery. This passage calls us to shake off any spiritual lethargy, to rekindle our first love, and to rediscover the profound joy and privilege of intimate communion with our Creator and Redeemer, recognizing that His faithfulness endures even when ours falters.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what ways might I be "weary" of God or His ways in my current season of life?**
* **Am I consistently "calling upon" the Lord in prayer and dependence, or have I become self-reliant?**
* **How can I cultivate a greater delight in God's presence and commands, rather than viewing them as burdens?**
* **What practical steps can I take to reignite my spiritual fervor and combat apathy?**

### FAQ

**What does it mean that Israel "has not called upon me"?**

Answer: This phrase indicates a profound spiritual neglect and a breakdown in the covenant relationship. To "call upon" God in the Old Testament context means to invoke His name, to pray, to seek His help, to worship Him, and to rely on Him in times of need. It signifies active dependence and communion. Israel, despite God's mighty acts on their behalf and His constant presence, had ceased to genuinely engage with Him in this way. Their religious practices may have continued outwardly, but their hearts were far from Him, demonstrating a lack of true faith and heartfelt devotion. It points to a failure to acknowledge God's sovereignty and their need for Him, choosing instead to lean on their own understanding or on other nations, as seen in various historical accounts (e.g., [Isaiah 30:1-3](/isaiah/30-1 "Isaiah 30:1-3 - Woe to Rebellious Children")).

**How could Israel be "weary" of God, especially after He delivered them?**

Answer: Israel's weariness of God, expressed as finding Him burdensome, is a tragic consequence of spiritual apathy and a misunderstanding of His character. Despite God's past deliverances (like the Exodus, recounted in [Exodus 14](/exodus/14 "Exodus 14 - The Crossing of the Red Sea")) and His ongoing covenant promises, the people had come to view their relationship with Him as an obligation rather than a source of joy and life. This weariness often stems from a heart that seeks self-gratification or worldly comforts over divine communion. It can also arise from a legalistic approach to faith, where adherence to rules becomes a heavy burden rather than an expression of love. Instead of delighting in God's presence and commands, they found them tiresome, reflecting a spiritual exhaustion that had replaced genuine love and devotion (see also [Malachi 1:13](/malachi/1-13 "Malachi 1:13 - Weariness of God's Service")).

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Isaiah 43:22, a divine lament over Israel's spiritual weariness and failure to call upon God, finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus. While ancient Israel grew weary of God's ways, Jesus Christ perfectly embodied the life of complete dependence and delight in the Father. He consistently "called upon" God, spending entire nights in prayer (e.g., [Luke 6:12](/luke/6-12 "Luke 6:12 - Jesus Prays on a Mountain")), always doing the Father's will (e.g., [John 5:30](/john/5-30 "John 5:30 - Jesus Does the Father's Will")), and never growing "weary" of God, even unto death on the cross. Furthermore, Jesus comes as the ultimate answer to humanity's spiritual weariness *of* God, inviting us to find rest *in* Him. His famous invitation, "[Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest](/matthew/11-28 "Matthew 11:28 - Jesus' Invitation to the Weary")," directly contrasts with Israel's condition. He takes upon Himself the burden of our sins and our spiritual apathy, fulfilling the righteous requirements we could not meet. Through His atoning sacrifice, He opens the way for us to genuinely call upon God, not as a burdensome duty, but as beloved children (e.g., [Romans 8:15](/romans/8-15 "Romans 8:15 - Spirit of Adoption")), and to find true spiritual rest and delight in Him, overcoming the weariness that plagued ancient Israel.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Micah 6:3

O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me.

Malachi 3:14

Ye have said, It [is] vain to serve God: and what profit [is it] that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?

Malachi 1:13

Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness [is it]! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought [that which was] torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD.

James 4:2

Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

James 4:3

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume [it] upon your lusts.

Jeremiah 10:25

Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.

Hosea 7:10

And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this.