Isaiah 58:3

¶ 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.

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}.

[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.

“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.

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 on Isaiah 58:3 (KJV)

Isaiah 58:3 captures a poignant exchange between the people of ancient Israel and God. The verse opens with the people's complaint: "Wherefore have we fasted, [say they], and thou seest not? [wherefore] have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge?" They express frustration that their religious observances, specifically fasting, seem to go unnoticed or unacknowledged by God. The second part of the verse immediately reveals God's counter-accusation, exposing the hypocrisy behind their outward devotion: "Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours." This highlights a stark contrast between their ritualistic piety and their actual conduct.

Context

The prophet Isaiah is addressing the people of Judah, likely in the post-exilic period, a time when religious rituals were often performed without genuine heart transformation. They meticulously observed fasts, particularly the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), which involved "afflicting the soul" (self-denial). However, their outward piety was disconnected from their daily lives, especially concerning social justice and their treatment of others. This chapter serves as a powerful critique of superficial religion, setting the stage for God's definition of true worship in the subsequent verses.

Key Themes

  • Hypocrisy in Worship: The central issue is the stark contrast between their outward religious actions and their inward spiritual state and daily conduct. They performed rituals while simultaneously pursuing selfish interests and oppressing others.
  • God's Omniscience and Judgment: The people question God's awareness ("seest not," "takest no knowledge"), yet the verse immediately demonstrates God's full awareness of their true motives and actions. God sees beyond mere performance and judges the heart.
  • False Fasting vs. True Fasting: This verse serves as a crucial prelude to God's definition of a "true fast" in Isaiah 58:6 and Isaiah 58:7, which emphasizes justice, mercy, and compassion over mere ritualistic observance.

Linguistic Insights

  • "afflicted our soul" (Hebrew: 'innu naphsheinu): This phrase is a common biblical idiom for fasting, particularly associated with acts of humbling oneself before God, often involving self-denial and repentance. It refers to a deep internal spiritual discipline, which the people claimed to be doing.
  • "exact all your labours" (Hebrew: kol 'amaleikhem tignosu): This highlights their oppressive behavior. While supposedly humbling themselves through fasting, they were still demanding harsh labor from their workers, pursuing their own business interests, and exploiting others. It points to a profound lack of genuine care and justice for their fellow human beings.

Practical Application

Isaiah 58:3 serves as a timeless challenge to examine the authenticity of our spiritual practices. It reminds us that true worship and devotion are not merely about outward religious acts, but about a transformed heart that expresses itself in righteousness, justice, and compassion towards others. God values sincere obedience and love for neighbors over ritualistic performance, as echoed in 1 Samuel 15:22. It calls us to integrate our faith into every aspect of our lives, ensuring our actions align with our professed beliefs, and that our private devotion leads to public righteousness, especially concerning the vulnerable and oppressed, as also emphasized in Micah 6:8.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • 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.

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