Isaiah 66:1

Isaiah 66:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
• New International Version (NIV)This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?
• English Standard Version (ESV)Thus says the Lord: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest?
• New King James Version (NKJV)Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest?

Context of Isaiah 66:1

This is what the Lord says: ‘Heaven is my throne. The earth is the place where I put my feet. So you could not build a house for me to live in. Where would I lie down to rest? 2I made all these things with my own hands. That is how everything began.’ The Lord says, ‘I am pleased with people who are humble. Those people are sorry when they do wrong things. They respect my teaching. 3You may kill a bull as a sacrifice to me, but you might also kill a man. You may offer a lamb to me as a sacrifice, but you might also break a dog's neck to offer to your idols. You may give me a grain offering, but you also offer pigs' blood. You may burn incense to worship me but you also worship false gods. Yes, these people have chosen how they want to live. They love to do these disgusting things.

Isaiah 66:1 word by word

כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם כִּסְאִ֔י וְהָאָ֖רֶץ הֲדֹ֣ם רַגְלָ֑י אֵי־זֶ֥ה בַ֙יִת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּבְנוּ־לִ֔י וְאֵי־זֶ֥ה מָק֖וֹם מְנוּחָתִֽי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thus saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• The heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
• my throneכִּסֵּאkissê' kissêh · throneH3678
• and the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• my footstoolהֲדֹםhădôm · footstoolH1916
• my footstoolרֶ֫גֶלregel · footH7272
• the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: templeH1004
• that ye buildבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
• the placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
• of my restמְנוּחָהmenûchâh menûchâh · restingH4496

Cross-references for Isaiah 66:1

• 1 Kings 8:27But surely God, you do not live on the earth! The whole sky, or even heaven itself, is too small to contain you! So how can you live in this temple that I have built?
• 1 Chronicles 28:2King David stood up and he said, ‘Listen to me, my people. I wanted to build a house where we could put the Lord's Covenant Box. It would be like a place for our God to rest his feet. I prepared the things that I would need to build a temple.
• 2 Chronicles 6:18But surely God, you do not live on the earth with people! The whole sky, or even heaven itself, is too small to contain you! So how can you live in this temple that I have built?
• Psalms 11:4The Lord is in his holy temple. He rules from his throne in heaven. He carefully watches what people are doing. He knows about each person.
• Psalms 99:9Praise the Lord our God! Go and worship him on his holy hill, because the Lord our God is holy!
• Psalms 132:7We will go to the Lord's home! We will worship him on his throne!
• Matthew 5:34But what I tell you is this. Do not use any name to make a promise stronger. Do not use the words “by heaven” to make a promise stronger. Heaven is the place where God rules. Do not use the words “by the earth” to make a promise stronger. The earth is the place where God rests his feet.
• Matthew 23:21Also, somebody may make a promise by the name of the temple. Then he is making a promise in the name of God, who lives there.
• Acts 17:24The true God made the earth and everything that is in it. He rules everything in the earth and in heaven. He does not live in any buildings that people have made for him.
• 2 Samuel 7:5‘Go and tell my servant David, “The Lord says this: Do not think that you are the right man to build a house for me to live in.
• Jeremiah 7:4People may say, ‘We are safe here! This is the temple of the Lord. It is the temple of the Lord!’ But the people who say that are deceiving you. Do not trust them.
• Malachi 1:11‘People in every nation of the whole world will respect my name. People everywhere will offer incense and pure sacrifices to worship me. They will all know that I am great.’ That is what the Lord Almighty says.
• Matthew 24:2So Jesus said to them, ‘Yes, you can see all these beautiful buildings now. But I tell you this: Enemies will completely destroy them. Not even one stone will remain on top of another stone.’
• John 4:20Our ancestors worshipped God on this mountain. But you Jews say that Jerusalem is the right place to worship.’
• Acts 7:48But we know that God does not live in a house that people have made. He is the powerful God who is over all. God's prophet Isaiah spoke these words:

Commentaries on Isaiah 66:1

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1The heaven is my throne - (See the notes at Isaiah 57:15). Here he is represented as having his seat or throne there. He speaks as a king. heaven is the place where he holds his court; from where he dispenses his commands; and from where he surveys all his works (compare 2 Chronicles 6:18; Matthew 5:34). The idea here is, that as God dwelt in the vast and distant heavens, no house that could be built on earth could be magnificent enough to be his abode…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1God looks at the heart, and vengeance is threatened for guilt. (Is. 66:1-4) The increase of the church, when Jew and Gentile shall be gathered to the Redeemer. (Is. 66:5-14) Every enemy of the church shall be destroyed, and the final ruin of ungodly men shall be seen. (Is. 66:15-24) Verses 1-4 The Jews gloried much in their temple. But what satisfaction can the Eternal Mind take in a house made with men's hands? God has a heaven and an earth of his own…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1My throne … My footstool: God's kingdom extends over all creation (see Isaiah 40:22; Matthew 5:34–035). house … place of repose: The entire universe is God's home, so humans cannot confine him to a building (see 1 Kings 8:27). Stephen quoted Isaiah 66:1–2a in his final sermon (Acts 7:49–50).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-24This closing chapter is the summary of Isaiah's prophecies as to the last days, hence the similarity of its sentiments with what went before. 1. heaven ... throne ... where is ... house ... ye build--The same sentiment is expressed, as a precautionary proviso for the majesty of God in deigning to own any earthly temple as His, as if He could be circumscribed by space (1Ki 8:27) in inaugurating the temple of stone; next, as to the temple of the Holy Ghost…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 66:1

• Earth
• Footstool
• God
• Heaven
• Quotations and Allusions
• Stool
• Throne
• Worship

In the dictionaries

• Draw
• Extend
• Footstool
• Throne
• God
• Heavens
• Isaiah
• Manner; Manners
• Omnipresence

Commentaries on Isaiah 66

• 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
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings