Isaías 58
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Isaías 58
BACKGROUND This chapter is a condemnation of religious ritual without personal faith (cf. Isa. 29:13; Jeremiah 7). This is the spiritual problem that caused the Exile, and in my opinion, the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. See my exegetical notes on the Olivet Discourse online (i.e. Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 17; 21).
Isaías 58:1-12
58:1 This chapter, like many chapters in Isaiah (i.e. a typical literary marker for a new poem), starts with a series of IMPERATIVES. The questions of interpretation are: who is the speaker? who is the recipient? Here is the list of what is commanded (note the parallelism): cry loudly ‒ Qal IMPERATIVE, BDB 894, KB 1128 do not hold back ‒ Qal IMPERFECT, BDB 362, KB 359, used in a JUSSIVE sense raise your voice ‒ Hiphil IMPERATIVE, BDB 926. KB 1202 declare ‒ Hiphil IMPERATIVE, BDB 616, KB 665 The speaker is YHWH by the mouth of His prophet and the recipients are: pre-exilic Israel/Judah exilic Israel/Judah returning Judah eschatological people of God (i.e. believers, both Jew and Gentile, cf. Rom. 2:28-29; Gal. 3:7-9,29; 6:16; Eph. 2:11-3:13) ▣ "trumpet" This is BDB 1051 and denotes the prophet raising his voice like a trumpet so all could hear YHWH's message. See SPECIAL TOPIC: HORNS USED BY ISRAEL ▣ "their transgression. . .their sins" Formal ritual had replaced personal righteousness. They were religious but far from YHWH (cf. Isa. 29:13-14; Jer. 7; 2 Tim. 3:5; Titus 1:16). Religion can be a barrier to true personal faith! 58:2 Notice how the false faith is characterized. They seek Me day by day (see SPECIAL TOPIC: Seek The Lord). They delight to know My ways. A nation. . .has not forsaken the ordinance (BDB 1048) of their God (see SPECIAL TOPIC: TERMS FOR GOD'S REVELATION, II. F) . They ask Me for just decisions. They delight in the nearness of God. All of this sounds great but it was a show, a farce, a religious game; words, not deeds (cf. Isa. 29:13; Jer. 7). ▣ "As a nation that has done righteousness" This is sarcasm. SPECIAL TOPIC: RIGHTEOUSNESS ▣ "ask Me for just decisions" This refers to ways to know God's will. the Urim and Thummim (i.e. the High Priest, cf. Exod. 28:30; Num. 27:23; Deut. 33:8; Neh. 7:65 the prophets (covenant mediators) local Levites (teachers of the application of Mosaic laws) SPECIAL TOPIC: URIM AND THUMMIM SPECIAL TOPIC: WAYS OF REVELATION 58:3 "fasted. . .humbled ourselves" The word "fasted" (Qal PERFECT, BDB 847, KB 1012) parallels "humbled" (Piel PERFECT, BDB 776, KB 853, cf. Lev. 16:29,31). They thought God must bless their religious acts. The OT has only one fast a year (Leviticus 16), the Day of Atonement (cf. Isa. 58:6a). During the Exile the Jews had multiplied this to four fast days to commemorate tragic events in their national life (i.e. the fall of Jerusalem, the destruction of the Temple, etc., cf. Zech. 7:3,5; 8:19). SPECIAL TOPIC: FASTING ▣ "on the day of your fast you find your desire And drive hard all your workers" They fasted for "religious" reasons and would not allow their laborers off to participate! The effects of the Fall continue! 58:4 The fast days produced irritation not faith. ▣ NASB, NKJV, JPSOA "to strike with a wicked fist" "strike the poor with the fist" "strike a humble person with your fists" "to strike violently with the fists of wickedness" "to strike viciously with your fist" The MT has "to hit with fist wicked," but notice how the LXX takes a clue from Isa. 58:3c-d. ▣ "to make your voice heard on high" One purpose of fasting was to help with prayers, but it caused the opposite reaction (cf. Isa. 1:15; 59:2). 58:5 This is a list of outward signs of mourning, like sackcloth and ashes, but in reality these were only for show (cf. Matt. 6:5,16-18). SPECIAL TOPIC: GRIEVING RITES 58:6-7 "Is this not the fast which I chose" God lists what He really wants from His people (i.e. daily social justice, cf. Exod. 21:2; Lev. 25:39-41; Deut. 15:12; and Jer. 34:8-11, which refers to the year of Jubilee; Titus 1:16). to loosen the bonds of wickedness ‒ Piel INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE, BDB 834, KB 986 to undo the bonds of the yoke ‒ Hiphil INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE, BDB 684, KB 736 to let the oppressed go free ‒ Piel INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE, BDB 1018, KB 1511 to break every yoke ‒ Piel PASSIVE PARTICIPLE, BDB 954, KB 1285 (i.e. indentured servitude) to divide your bread with the hungry ‒ Qal INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE, BDB 828, KB 969 to bring the homeless poor into the house ‒ Hiphil IMPERFECT, BDB 97, KB 112, cf. Matt. 25:35; Rom. 12:13; 1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:8; Heb. 13:2; 1 Pet. 4:9 to cover the naked ‒ Piel PERFECT with waw, BDB 491, KB 487, cf. James 2:14-18 not to hide yourself from your own flesh ‒ Hithpael PERFECT, BDB 761, KB 834, cf. 1 Tim. 5:8 (i.e. help your relatives) This is the origin of the glorified Messiah's criteria for dividing the sheep (faithful believers) from the goats (unbelievers who act selfishly) in Matt. 25:31-46. This is not a works-righteousness, but lifestyle evidence that the results of the Fall (i.e. self) have been reversed (i.e. others). 58:8-9b This is the promised restoration if they will repent and exhibit lifestyle faith. Notice what true faithfulness brings. your light will break out like the dawn your recovery will speedily spring forth your righteousness will go before you the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard you will call and the Lord will answer you will cry, and He will say "Here I am" (cf. Isa. 65:1) This is what God wanted to do for His people, but their sin and rebellion caused judgment and separation! ▣ "the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard" This refers to the Shekinah cloud of glory being their protection as it was during the Exodus period (cf. Exod. 14:19 and Isa. 52:12). SPECIAL TOPIC: SHEKINAH SPECIAL TOPIC: GLORY (OT) 58:9a,b These lines of poetry emphasize YHWH's availability to an obedient covenant people. He will hear their prayers He will be available (i.e. "Here I am," cf. Isa. 6:8) 58:9c-10 "If" This (cf. Isa. 58:9 and 10) shows the conditional element of God's reciprocal covenantal relationship ("if. . .then," often assumed but not stated) with His people. Note the conditions. remove the yoke (i.e. indentured servants/slaves) stop the pointing of the finger, cf. Prov. 6:13 stop speaking wickedness give yourself to the hungry (Hiphil JUSSIVE, BDB 807, KB 920) satisfy the desire of the afflicted SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT 58:9 "The pointing of the finger" This refers to evil gestures or words (cf. Prov. 6:13). formal legal accusation announce a curse social slander 58:10c-12 The "then" (blessing) part of the conditional covenant (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28-29) is spelled out. your light will rise in darkness your gloom will become like midday the Lord will continually guide you the Lord will satisfy your desire the Lord will give strength to your bones you will be like a watered garden you will be like a spring of water whose waters do not fail you will rebuild the ancient ruins you will raise up the age old foundations you will be called the repairer of the breach you will be called the restorer of the streets The prophet uses several sources of imagery to describe YHWH's presence and blessing. light vs. darkness shepherd imagery agricultural blessing rebuilding imagery 58:11 There are two textual issues in this verse. Isa. 58:11b "satisfy your desire" "satisfy your soul in drought" "satisfy you with good things" "will satisfy your needs in the scorched land" "He will slake your thirst in parched places" "satisfy your soul with rich food" "you shall be satisfied exactly as your soul desires" The word "desire" is nephesh (BDB 659) which has many connotations (see SPECIAL TOPIC: NEPHESH). The "scorched places" is found only here (BDB 850, KB 1019) and the meaning is uncertain. Isa. 58:11e NASB, NKJV "whose waters do not fail" The MT's VERB (BDB 469, KB 467, Piel IMPERFECT) means "to lie" or "to deceive." The sense seems to be "the waters God provides; they never 'lie' or 'deceive'" (i.e. always flows [NJB]) 58:12 YHWH promises that the returnees from exile will rebuild their land, but this seems to contradict Isa. 32:14 (as well as Jer. 25:9). There are two issues here. the eastern peoples' use of hyperbole (see SPECIAL TOPIC: EASTERN LITERATURE) the ambiguity of the Bible's use of "forever," "everlasting" (see SPECIAL TOPIC: FOREVER ('olam and aiōnios) Prophecies were meant to effect change in the way God's people were living. If they did not change, the prophecies were sure! However, if repentance and rightoues living occurred, the prophecies were canceled (i.e. Jonah)! SPECIAL TOPIC: PROPHECY (OT) SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT ▣ "the restorer of the streets in which to dwell" "restorer of lanes for habitation" "you shall cause the paths between them to rest" "the restorer of paths to dwell in" "the restorer of houses in ruins" The MT has "paths" (BDB 677), probably to be understood as "streets" because of the VERB "to dwell" (Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT, BDB 442, KB 444).
Isaías 58:13-14
58:13-14 This strophe uses obedience to the Sabbath requirements as a way to know a person's attitude and faithfulness. turn your foot from doing your own pleasure, to YHWH's sabbath (cf. Isa. 58:13) delight in the sabbath by calling it "honorable" (BDB 457, KB 455, is used twice in Isa. 58:13) Notice again the conditional covenant ("if. . .then"). The benefits are listed in Isa. 58:14b,c. 58:13 "the sabbath" See Exodus 20:8-11 and Isaiah 56. SPECIAL TOPIC: SABBATH 58:14 "For the mouth of the Lord has spoken" This expresses the trustworthiness and power of God's promises (cf. Genesis 1; Isa. 55:11)! SPECIAL TOPIC: PROBLEMS AND LIMITATIONS OF HUMAN LANGUAGE 58:14b "I will make you ride on the heights of the earth" There are two interpretive issues. meaning of the VERB "ride on the heights" imagery for military victory and security (i.e. cities, forts built on hills) imagery of God-given abundance (cf. Deut. 32:13-14), v. 14c "the earth" (see SPECIAL TOPIC: LAND, COUNTRY, EARTH) Palestine/Canaan universal implications for a new day of YHWH's blessing on the planet