Isaiah 58:9

Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I [am]. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;

Then shalt thou call {H7121}, and the LORD {H3068} shall answer {H6030}; thou shalt cry {H7768}, and he shall say {H559}, Here I am. If thou take away {H5493} from the midst {H8432} of thee the yoke {H4133}, the putting forth {H7971} of the finger {H676}, and speaking {H1696} vanity {H205};

Then you will call, and ADONAI will answer; you will cry, and he will say, "Here I am." If you will remove the yoke from among you, stop false accusation and slander,

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry out, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and malicious talk,

Then shalt thou call, and Jehovah will answer; thou shalt cry, and he will say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking wickedly;

Isaiah 58:9 (KJV)

This verse offers a wonderful promise of God's responsiveness, but it is immediately followed by the crucial condition for that response.

The first part, "Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I [am]," is a powerful assurance that God is attentive and available to His people. The phrase "Here I am" (Hebrew: hinneni) is a common biblical response indicating readiness and willingness to engage or act when called upon. It promises God's immediate presence and help.

However, this promise is not unconditional. The verse continues, "If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;" This links God's willingness to answer prayer directly to the people's behavior and treatment of others. In the context of Isaiah 58, which contrasts empty religious ritual with genuine justice and compassion, these phrases refer to:

  • the yoke: The burdens of oppression and injustice placed upon others, particularly the poor and vulnerable, which the people were inflicting despite their outward piety (as described in earlier verses like Isaiah 58:6).
  • the putting forth of the finger: Likely refers to scorn, malicious accusation, or mocking directed towards others, especially the afflicted or less fortunate.
  • speaking vanity: Points to harmful, false, empty, or wicked speech, which could include slander, deceit, or words that inflict hurt.

The core message is that genuine faith and effective prayer are inseparable from righteous living, which includes actively removing oppression, ceasing to scorn or accuse others unjustly, and controlling one's tongue from harmful speech. When the people turn away from these practices and embrace justice and compassion (as outlined in Isaiah 58:6-8), *then* they will experience God's ready response when they call.

This verse challenges us to consider whether our actions and words towards others align with God's heart for justice and compassion, as these significantly impact our communion with Him and the effectiveness of our prayers.

See also Proverbs 28:9 and 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.

  • Jeremiah 29:12

    Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

  • Jeremiah 29:13

    And ye shall seek me, and find [me], when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

  • Psalms 50:15

    And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

  • Isaiah 65:24

    And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

  • Matthew 7:7

    Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

  • Matthew 7:8

    For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

  • Psalms 91:15

    He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I [will be] with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

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