Isaiah 65:3

Isaiah 65:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick;
• New International Version (NIV)a people who continually provoke me to my very face, offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on altars of brick;
• English Standard Version (ESV)a people who provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens and making offerings on bricks;
• New King James Version (NKJV)A people who provoke Me to anger continually to My face; Who sacrifice in gardens, And burn incense on altars of brick;

Context of Isaiah 65:3

1The Lord says, ‘I was ready to answer, even when my people did not ask me anything. I showed myself to people who were not even looking for me. I said, “Look! Here I am!” to a nation who did not even use my name to pray. 2All the time, I have been ready to help my people, even though they turned against me. But they continue to live in a way that is not good. They do whatever they want to do. They continue to make me angry, as they insult me without shame. They offer sacrifices to their idols in their gardens. They burn incense to them on altars that are made from bricks. 4They sit among the graves and they hide in caves. They eat meat from pigs. They use unclean meat to make their soup. 5They say to each other, “Keep away from me! Do not come near me! I am too holy for you!” These people are like smoke in my nose! They are like a fire that burns all day.’

Isaiah 65:3 word by word

הָעָ֗ם הַמַּכְעִיסִ֥ים אוֹתִ֛י עַל־פָּנַ֖י תָּמִ֑יד זֹֽבְחִים֙ בַּגַּנּ֔וֹת וּֽמְקַטְּרִ֖ים עַל־הַלְּבֵנִֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• A peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• that provoketh me to angerכָּעַסka‛as · to provokeH3707
• continuallyתָּמִידtâmîyd · continuallyH8548
• to my faceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
• that sacrificethזָבַחzâbach · to sacrificeH2076
• in gardensגַּנָּהgannâh · gardenH1593
• and burneth incenseקָטַרqâţar · to offer: offerH6999
• upon altars of brickלְבֵנָהlebênâh · brickH3843

Cross-references for Isaiah 65:3

• Isaiah 3:8Jerusalem is falling down! The towns of Judah are in trouble! The Lord hates the things that their people say and the things that they do. They have turned against the Lord and they insult him.
• Deuteronomy 32:16They worshipped foreign gods. So the Lord became angry and jealous. They made idols which he hated.
• 2 Kings 17:14But the Israelites would not agree to obey God's Law. They were proud and they refused to obey. Like their ancestors, they did not trust in the Lord their God.
• 2 Kings 22:17I will send this trouble because they have turned away from me. They have offered sacrifices to other gods. I am very angry with them because of all the idols that they have made for themselves. My anger is like a fire that is burning and nobody can stop it!”
• Psalms 78:40When the Israelite people were in the wilderness, they often turned against God. That caused God to be very sad.
• Jeremiah 32:30The people of Israel and Judah have continued to do things that I see are evil. They have done those things since they were a young nation. They have always done things that make me angry. That is what the Lord says.
• Ezekiel 8:17The Lord said to me, ‘Son of man, look at that! The people of Judah are doing these disgusting things here in my temple! That is a terrible thing! And they are also doing violent things everywhere in their land. They continue to make me angry all the time. Look at them! They insult me as much as they can!
• Matthew 23:32Now you must finish the work that your ancestors began to do!
• Job 1:11You should take away from him all the things that he has. Then he will certainly curse you very strongly.’
• Job 2:5So now cause Job to have great pain in his own body. Then he will certainly curse you very strongly.’
• Isaiah 1:29You will become ashamed because you trusted special oak trees to help you. You worshipped idols in your special gardens, and you will be ashamed because of that.
• Isaiah 66:17The Lord says, ‘I will destroy people who prepare themselves to worship their false gods. They make themselves clean and they follow one another into their special gardens. They eat unclean meat from pigs and rats and other disgusting animals. They will all come to their deaths together.
• Leviticus 17:5This rule will stop the people giving sacrifices to the Lord in the fields. They must bring their gifts to the priest. They will be friendship offerings to the Lord. The priest will be at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
• Jeremiah 3:6The Lord spoke to me while Josiah was king of Judah. He said, ‘Look at what the Israelites have done. They have not been faithful to me. They have worshipped other gods under every big tree and on every high hill. Israel has been like a wife who is not faithful to her husband.
• Ezekiel 20:28I took them to the land which I had promised to give to them. But when they were there, they continued to offer sacrifices to idols. They did this on every high hill or under every green tree that they saw! They burned sweet incense and they poured out wine as offerings in all those places. That made me very angry.
• Exodus 20:24Instead, use earth to make an altar for me. You must offer sacrifices to me on the altar. You may take your sheep, your goats or your cows to make burnt offerings or friendship offerings or other sacrifices to me. Make an altar like this in any place that I choose for you to worship me. In those places, I will come to you and I will bless you.

Commentaries on Isaiah 65:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3That sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick "Sacrificing in the gardens, and burning incense on the tiles" - These are instances of heathenish superstition, and idolatrous practices, to which the Jews were immoderately addicted before the Babylonish captivity. The heathen worshipped their idols in groves; whereas God, in opposition to this species of idolatry, commanded his people, when they should come into the promised land, to…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3A people - This verse contains a specification of the reasons why God had rejected them, and brought the calamities upon them. That provoketh me to anger - That is, by their sins. They give constant occasion for my indignation. Continually - (תמיד tâmı̂yd ). It is not once merely, but their conduct as a people is constantly such as to excite my displeasure. To my face - There is no attempt at concealment. Their abominations are public. It is always…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Sacred gardens were a part of the fertility religion of Baal.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. continually--answering to "all the day" (Is 65:2). God was continually inviting them, and they continually offending Him (De 32:21). to my face--They made no attempt to hide their sin (Is 3:9). Compare "before Me" (Ex 20:3). in gardens--(See on Is 1:29; Is 66:17; Le 17:5). altars of brick--Hebrew, "bricks." God had commanded His altars to be of unhewn stone (Ex 20:25). This was in order to separate them, even in external respects, from idolaters; also…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 65:3

• Altar
• Backsliders
• Brick
• Church
• Condescension of God
• Idolatry
• Self-Righteousness

In the dictionaries

• Cry
• Face
• Sought
• Thence
• Garden
• Isaiah
• Oreb; Zeeb
• Salvation

Commentaries on Isaiah 65

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• 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