Isaiah 58:4

Isaiah 58:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
• New International Version (NIV)Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high.
• New Living Translation (NLT)What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me.

Context of Isaiah 58:4

2Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God. 3'Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?' Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. 5Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord? 6"Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?

Isaiah 58:4 word by word

הֵ֣ן לְרִ֤יב וּמַצָּה֙ תָּצ֔וּמוּ וּלְהַכּ֖וֹת בְּאֶגְרֹ֣ף רֶ֑שַׁע לֹא־תָצ֣וּמוּ כַיּ֔וֹם לְהַשְׁמִ֥יעַ בַּמָּר֖וֹם קוֹלְכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Behold, ye fastצוּםtsûm · to fastH6684
• for strifeרִיבrîyb rib · strifeH7379
• and debateמַצָּהmatstsâh · strifeH4683
• and to smiteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• with the fistאֶגְרֹף'egrôph · fistH106
• of wickednessרֶ֫שַׁעresha‛ · wickednessH7562
• dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• to make your voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
• to be heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• on highמָרוֹםmârôm · heightH4791

Cross-references for Isaiah 58:4

• 1 Kings 21:9And she wrote in the letters, "Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people.
• Proverbs 21:27The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how much more when he brings it with evil intent.
• Matthew 6:16"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
• Luke 20:47who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."
• John 18:28Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor's headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor's headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover.
• Acts 23:1And looking intently at the council, Paul said, "Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day."
• Philippians 1:14And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
• Joel 2:13and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.
• Jonah 3:7And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water,

Commentaries on Isaiah 58:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Ye fast for strife and debate - How often is this the case! A whole nation are called to fast to implore God's blessing on wars carried on for the purposes of wrath and ambition. To smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day "To smite with the fist the poor. Wherefore fast ye unto me in this manner" - I follow the version of the Septuagint, which gives a much better sense than the present reading of the Hebrew. Instead of לא…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Behold, ye fast for strife and debate - This is a third characteristic of their manner of fasting, and a third reason why God did not regard and accept it. They were divided into parties and factions, and probably made their fastings an occasion of augmented contention and strife. How often has this been seen! Contending denominations of Christians fast, not laying aside their strifes; contending factions in the church fast in order to strengthen their…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 3-12Verses 3-12 A fast is a day to afflict the soul; if it does not express true sorrow for sin, and does not promote the putting away of sin, it is not a fast. These professors had shown sorrow on stated or occasioned fasts. But they indulged pride, covetousness, and malignant passions. To be liberal and merciful is more acceptable to God than mere fasting, which, without them, is vain and hypocritical. Many who seem humble in God's house, are hard at home…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-4This is a charge against religious Israelites who were pleased with themselves because of their religious activities.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. ye shall not fast--rather, "ye do not fast at this time, so as to make your voice to be heard on high," that is, in heaven; your aim in fasting is strife, not to gain the ear of God [Maurer] (1Ki 21:9, 12, 13). In English Version the sense is, If you wish acceptance with God, ye must not fast as ye now do, to make your voice heard high in strife.Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 58:4

• Fasting
• Hypocrisy
• Strife

In the dictionaries

• Aloud
• Fast
• Light
• Commentaries
• Guilt
• Isaiah
• Saviour

Commentaries on Isaiah 58

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