Christian Standard Bible
Isaiah 1:11
11“What are all your sacrifices to me?” asks the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings and rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I have no desire for the blood of bulls, lambs, or male goats.
Isaiah 1:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.
- New International Version (NIV)“The multitude of your sacrifices— what are they to me?” says the Lord. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?” Says the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, Or of lambs or goats.
Context of Isaiah 1:11
9If the Lord of Armies had not left us a few survivors, we would be like Sodom, we would resemble Gomorrah. 10Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah! “What are all your sacrifices to me?” asks the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings and rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I have no desire for the blood of bulls, lambs, or male goats. 12When you come to appear before me, who requires this from you — this trampling of my courts? 13Stop bringing useless offerings. Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons and Sabbaths, and the calling of solemn assemblies — I cannot stand iniquity with a festival.
Read all of Isaiah 1Isaiah 1:11 word by word
לָמָּה־לִּ֤י רֹב־זִבְחֵיכֶם֙ יֹאמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה שָׂבַ֛עְתִּי עֹל֥וֹת אֵילִ֖ים וְחֵ֣לֶב מְרִיאִ֑ים וְדַ֨ם פָּרִ֧ים וּכְבָשִׂ֛ים וְעַתּוּדִ֖ים לֹ֥א חָפָֽצְתִּי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- To whatמָהmâh mah mâ ma meh · what?H4100
- the multitudeרֹבrôb · abundanceH7230
- of your sacrificesזֶ֫בַחzebach · sacrificeH2077
- unto me? saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- I am fullשָׂבֵעַώâba‛ ώâbêa‛ · to satisfyH7646
- of the burnt offeringsעֹלָה‛ôlâh ‛ôlâh · burnt offeringH5930
- of ramsאַ֫יִל'ayil · ramH352
- and the fatחֵ֫לֶבcheleb chêleb · fatH2459
- of fed beastsמְרִיאmerîy' · fatlingH4806
- and I delightחָפֵץchâphêts · to delight inH2654
- not in the bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
- of bullocksפַּרpar pâr · bullockH6499
- or of lambsכֶּ֫בֶשׂkebeώ · lambH3532
- or of he goatsעַתּוּד‛attûd ‛attûd · goatH6260
Cross-references for Isaiah 1:11
- Isaiah 66:3One person slaughters an ox, another kills a person; one person sacrifices a lamb, another breaks a dog’s neck; one person offers a grain offering, another offers pig’s blood; one person offers incense, another praises an idol — all these have chosen their ways and delight in their abhorrent practices.
- 1 Samuel 15:22Then Samuel said: Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.
- Psalms 50:8I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or for your burnt offerings, which are continually before me.
- Psalms 51:16You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it; you are not pleased with a burnt offering.
- Proverbs 15:8The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is his delight.
- Proverbs 21:27The sacrifice of a wicked person is detestable — how much more so when he brings it with ulterior motives!
- Jeremiah 6:20What use to me is frankincense from Sheba or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please me.
- Jeremiah 7:21This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices, and eat the meat yourselves,
- Amos 5:21I hate, I despise, your feasts! I can’t stand the stench of your solemn assemblies.
- Micah 6:7Would the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousand streams of oil? Should I give my firstborn for my transgression, the offspring of my body for my own sin?
- Matthew 9:13Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Commentaries on Isaiah 1:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11To what purpose, etc. "What have I to do" - The prophet Amos has expressed the same sentiments with great elegance: - I hate, I despise your feasts; And I will not delight in the odour of your solemnities: Though ye offer unto me burnt-offerings And your meat-offerings, I will not accept: Neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fatlings. Take away from me the noise of your songs; And the melody of your viols I will not hear. But let judgment…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11To what purpose - לי למה lâmâh lı̂y What is it to me; or what profit or pleasure can I have in them?‘ God here replies to an objection which might be urged by the Jews to the representation which had been made of their guilt. The objection would be, that they were strict in the duties of their religion, and that they even abounded in offering victims of sacrifice. God replies in this and the following verses, that all this would be of no use, and would…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-15Verses 10-15 Judea was desolate, and their cities burned. This awakened them to bring sacrifices and offerings, as if they would bribe God to remove the punishment, and give them leave to go on in their sin. Many who will readily part with their sacrifices, will not be persuaded to part with their sins. They relied on the mere form as a service deserving a reward. The most costly devotions of wicked people, without thorough reformation of heart and life…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11-15The people had sinned so much that God no longer found joy in their sacrifices. The Lord wanted Judah to stop the religious practices he had commanded them to do rather than to continue them in a manner that was sinful and false (Isaiah 1:13). Ceremony cannot replace true godliness.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. God does not here absolutely disparage sacrifice, which is as old and universal as sin (Ge 3:21; 4:4), and sin is almost as old as the world; but sacrifice, unaccompanied with obedience of heart and life (1Sa 15:22; Psa 50:9-13; 51:16-19; Ho 6:6). Positive precepts are only means; moral obedience is the end. A foreshadowing of the gospel, when the One real sacrifice was to supersede all the shadowy ones, and "bring in everlasting righteousness" (Psa…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 1:11
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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