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.

KJV (with Strong's)

Wherefore have we fasted {H6684}, say they, and thou seest {H7200} not? wherefore have we afflicted {H6031} our soul {H5315}, and thou takest no knowledge {H3045}? Behold, in the day {H3117} of your fast {H6685} ye find {H4672} pleasure {H2656}, and exact {H5065} all your labours {H6092}.

Complete Jewish Bible

[asking,] 'Why should we fast, if you don't see? Why mortify ourselves, if you don't notice?' "Here is my answer: when you fast, you go about doing whatever you like, while keeping your laborers hard at work.

Berean Standard Bible

“Why have we fasted, and You have not seen? Why have we humbled ourselves, and You have not noticed?” “Behold, on the day of your fast, you do as you please, and you oppress all your workers.

American Standard Version

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 your own pleasure, and exact all your labors.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Isaiah 58:3 captures a profound indictment of superficial piety, revealing the hypocrisy of a people who meticulously observe religious rituals like fasting while simultaneously engaging in self-serving and oppressive behaviors. The verse opens with their bewildered complaint, questioning why their acts of devotion go unnoticed by God, implying a lack of divine acknowledgment. God's immediate and cutting response exposes their true motives, revealing that even on their days of supposed humility and self-denial, they prioritize their own desires, pursue personal gain, and exploit their laborers, demonstrating a stark disconnect between their outward religious performance and their inward spiritual condition and ethical conduct.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Isaiah 58 stands as a pivotal chapter within the broader book of Isaiah, particularly within the section often referred to as "Third Isaiah" (chapters 56-66), which addresses the post-exilic community in Judah. Following the return from Babylonian exile, the people were rebuilding their nation and temple, and there was a renewed emphasis on religious observance. However, Isaiah critiques their formalistic adherence to rituals, highlighting a deep chasm between their outward piety and their neglect of social justice. This verse immediately precedes God's powerful declaration of what constitutes a "true fast" in [Isaiah 58:6-7](/isaiah/58-6 "Isaiah 58:6-7 - The Nature of True Fasting"), setting up the contrast between their false worship and the worship God truly desires, which is characterized by acts of righteousness, compassion, and liberation for the oppressed. The chapter functions as a prophetic oracle, challenging the community to align their spiritual practices with ethical living.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The practice of fasting was a significant religious discipline in ancient Israel, often associated with repentance, mourning, seeking God's favor, or preparing for divine revelation. The most prominent communal fast was on the [Day of Atonement](/leviticus/16-29 "Leviticus 16:29 - The Day of Atonement"), where people were commanded to "afflict their souls" (Leviticus 16:29). Beyond this, voluntary fasts were observed during times of national distress or personal need. The cultural expectation was that such self-denial would demonstrate humility and earnestness before God, leading to divine intervention or blessing. However, as seen throughout prophetic literature, there was a recurring tendency for these rituals to become mere external performances, devoid of genuine heart transformation or ethical implications. The "exact[ing] all your labours" suggests that even on days set aside for religious devotion, the wealthy or powerful among them were still exploiting their workers, perhaps even forcing them to work on a fast day or demanding payment of debts, revealing a profound disregard for the Mosaic Law's provisions for the poor and vulnerable.

* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within Isaiah and the prophetic tradition. It underscores the theme of **Hypocrisy in Worship**, exposing the danger of religious formalism where outward acts of piety are divorced from inward transformation and ethical conduct. The people's complaint, "thou seest not? ... thou takest no knowledge?", directly challenges God's **Omniscience and Justice**, yet the subsequent divine response immediately demonstrates God's full awareness of their true motives and actions, affirming that God sees beyond mere performance to the heart. Furthermore, the verse serves as an essential prelude to the theme of **True Fasting vs. False Fasting**, laying the groundwork for God's detailed explanation in [Isaiah 58:6-12](/isaiah/58 "Isaiah 58 - True Fasting and Its Blessings") of what genuine worship entails: acts of justice, mercy, and compassion, rather than self-serving rituals. This tension between ritual and righteousness is a recurring motif, found also in passages like [Amos 5:21-24](/amos/5-21 "Amos 5:21-24 - God's Rejection of Empty Rituals") and [Hosea 6:6](/hosea/6-6 "Hosea 6:6 - Mercy, Not Sacrifice").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **afflicted (Hebrew, _ʻânâh'_):** This primitive root means "to depress literally or figuratively," encompassing ideas such as to "abase self," "humble self," or "deal hardly with." In the context of fasting, particularly on the Day of Atonement, it denotes a deep spiritual discipline involving self-denial and humbling oneself before God. The people claim to be doing this, but God's response reveals their external performance lacks the internal disposition of true humility.
* **pleasure (Hebrew, _chêphets'_):** Derived from a root meaning "to desire," this word signifies "pleasure," "delight," "desire," or "a valuable thing." God's accusation is that on their fast days, instead of seeking God or humbling themselves, they "find pleasure"—pursuing their own desires, interests, or business affairs. This starkly contrasts with the intended spirit of a fast, which is self-denial for spiritual focus.
* **exact (Hebrew, _nâgas'_):** This primitive root means "to drive (an animal, a workman, a debtor, an army)" and, by implication, "to tax, harass, or tyrannize." It conveys the idea of a taskmaster or oppressor. By "exact[ing] all your labours," the people were aggressively demanding work or payment from their laborers, indicating oppressive behavior and a lack of compassion, even during a time supposedly dedicated to spiritual reflection and humility.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Wherefore have we fasted, [say they], and thou seest not?"**: This opening clause captures the people's bewildered and perhaps self-righteous complaint. They perceive their religious efforts (fasting) as going unacknowledged or unnoticed by God, implying a sense of injustice or divine indifference to their piety. Their question challenges God's omniscience and responsiveness.
* **"[wherefore] have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge?"**: This reiterates and intensifies their complaint. "Afflicting the soul" is a common biblical idiom for severe self-denial, particularly fasting. They feel their deep acts of humility and spiritual discipline are not being recognized or understood by God, expressing a profound disconnect between their perceived devotion and God's apparent lack of response.
* **"Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure,"**: This is God's direct and damning counter-accusation. The word "Behold" (KJV) or "Look!" (modern translations) signals a stark revelation. While they claim to be humbling themselves, God reveals that on these very days of fasting, they are pursuing their own "pleasure" or "delight"—their own self-interests, comforts, or business activities, directly contradicting the spirit of self-denial.
* **"and exact all your labours."**: This final clause provides a concrete example of their self-serving behavior. Instead of focusing on spiritual matters or showing compassion, they are aggressively demanding work or payment from their laborers, likely exploiting them. This reveals that their outward piety is a facade, masking an underlying injustice and a lack of genuine concern for their fellow human beings, especially the vulnerable.

#### Literary Devices
Isaiah 58:3 masterfully employs several **literary devices** to convey its powerful message. The verse opens with a **Rhetorical Question**, "Wherefore have we fasted... and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge?" This question is not meant to be answered by the people, but rather highlights their self-pity and misunderstanding of true worship. Immediately following is a sharp **Contrast** and **Irony**: the people's perceived piety is juxtaposed with God's revelation of their actual conduct. The very "day of your fast," meant for humility and self-denial, is exposed as a time when they "find pleasure" and "exact all your labours." This creates a profound sense of **Dramatic Irony**, as the audience (and God) knows the truth of their actions, while the people remain oblivious or willfully ignorant. The use of "Behold" serves as an interjection, drawing immediate attention to the shocking revelation that exposes the depth of their hypocrisy.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 58:3 serves as a foundational text for understanding the biblical emphasis on genuine inner transformation and ethical conduct over mere ritualistic observance. It powerfully articulates the prophetic critique of religious formalism, where outward acts of piety become a substitute for true righteousness and justice. God's rejection of their superficial fasting underscores a consistent divine demand for a faith that impacts daily life, particularly in how one treats the vulnerable and marginalized. This verse challenges the notion that religious performance alone can earn divine favor, insisting instead that true worship is inseparable from a heart that loves God and neighbor, expressed through acts of justice and mercy.

* [1 Samuel 15:22](/1_samuel/15-22 "1 Samuel 15:22 - Obedience is Better than Sacrifice")
* [Micah 6:8](/micah/6-8 "Micah 6:8 - What the Lord Requires")
* [Matthew 23:23](/matthew/23-23 "Matthew 23:23 - Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Isaiah 58:3 is a timeless mirror reflecting the human tendency towards religious hypocrisy. It compels us to rigorously examine the authenticity of our spiritual disciplines, asking if our outward acts of devotion—whether fasting, prayer, church attendance, or Bible study—are truly rooted in a transformed heart and expressed in righteous living. The challenge is to ensure that our private piety does not become a cover for public injustice or self-serving pursuits. True spirituality, as God reveals, is holistic, integrating our worship with our ethics, our devotion with our daily interactions, especially concerning those who are vulnerable or in need. It calls us to a faith that is not just heard in our prayers but seen in our actions, ensuring that our pursuit of God's presence leads us to actively pursue justice and compassion in the world.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of my life might my outward religious practices be disconnected from my inward attitudes or daily conduct?**
* **How does my pursuit of "pleasure" or personal gain potentially contradict the spirit of humility or self-denial in my spiritual life?**
* **What practical steps can I take to ensure my faith genuinely impacts my treatment of others, particularly those I might "exact labour" from, whether literally or figuratively?**
* **How can I cultivate a heart that prioritizes justice and mercy as much as, or more than, religious rituals?**

### FAQ
**What does "afflicted our soul" mean in the context of fasting?**

Answer: "Afflicted our soul" (Hebrew: *ʻânâh nephesh*) is a biblical idiom primarily associated with fasting, particularly the fast on the [Day of Atonement](/leviticus/16-29 "Leviticus 16:29 - The Day of Atonement"). It signifies a deep act of self-denial, humbling oneself, and expressing repentance or earnest seeking of God. It involves abstaining from food and drink, but also implies a broader sense of spiritual introspection and submission to God. The people in Isaiah 58:3 claim to be doing this, but God reveals their external act lacks the internal sincerity and ethical outflow that true affliction of the soul requires.

**Why does God say they "find pleasure" during their fast?**

Answer: God's accusation that they "find pleasure" (Hebrew: *chêphets*) during their fast highlights the hypocrisy of their observance. Instead of dedicating the fast day to genuine humility, repentance, and seeking God's will, they were using the time for their own self-gratification, business interests, or personal desires. This could mean they were still conducting their usual affairs, pursuing profits, or simply not engaging in the spirit of self-denial. The contrast is stark: a fast is meant to deny pleasure for spiritual focus, but they were actively seeking their own delight, demonstrating a profound misunderstanding or willful perversion of the fast's purpose.

**What is the significance of "exact all your labours"?**

Answer: "Exact all your labours" (Hebrew: *nâgas ʻâtsêb*) reveals the concrete manifestation of their hypocrisy. While ostensibly humbling themselves before God through fasting, they were simultaneously oppressing their workers or debtors, demanding harsh labor or payment. The term "exact" (nâgas) implies a taskmaster or oppressor. This shows a complete disconnect between their religious performance and their ethical conduct. God desires justice and compassion (as seen in [Micah 6:8](/micah/6-8 "Micah 6:8 - What the Lord Requires")), and their exploitation of others directly contradicted the very spirit of humility and care that a true fast should foster.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Isaiah 58:3, with its scathing critique of hypocritical fasting, finds its ultimate fulfillment and resolution in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament prophets consistently highlighted the inadequacy of mere ritual without a transformed heart, a theme Jesus powerfully reiterated throughout His ministry. He condemned the Pharisees for their outward displays of piety that lacked genuine righteousness and compassion, famously stating that they "neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness" ([Matthew 23:23](/matthew/23-23 "Matthew 23:23 - Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees")). Jesus embodies the "true fast" that Isaiah describes, not through ritualistic self-denial for show, but through His perfect obedience, His life of selfless service, and His ultimate sacrifice. He did not merely "afflict His soul" in a ritualistic sense, but truly humbled Himself, even to death on a cross ([Philippians 2:8](/philippians/2-8 "Philippians 2:8 - Christ's Humility")). His entire life was a living demonstration of the justice, mercy, and compassion that God truly desires, culminating in His becoming the [Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"). Through His atoning work, believers are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live out the true righteousness that the Old Testament fasts foreshadowed, not by earning favor through external acts, but by a new heart that genuinely loves God and neighbor ([Romans 5:5](/romans/5-5 "Romans 5:5 - God's Love Poured Out")). Thus, the superficial fast of Isaiah's day gives way to the profound, transformative "fast" of a life lived in union with Christ, where spiritual devotion inherently leads to ethical action and a passion for justice, reflecting the very character of God.

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

Luke 18:9

¶ And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

Luke 18:12

I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

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?

Leviticus 16:29

¶ And [this] shall be a statute for ever unto you: [that] in the seventh month, on the tenth [day] of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, [whether it be] one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:

Proverbs 28:9

¶ He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer [shall be] abomination.

Matthew 20:11

And when they had received [it], they murmured against the goodman of the house,

Matthew 20:12

Saying, These last have wrought [but] one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.