God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 29:13
13The Lord says, “These people worship me with their mouths and honor me with their lips. But their hearts are far from me, and their worship of me is ⌞based on⌟ rules made by humans.
Isaiah 29:13 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
- New International Version (NIV)The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the Lord said: "Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,
Context of Isaiah 29:13
11To you all these visions will be like words in a book that is closed and sealed. You give this book to someone who can read, saying, “Please read this.” He answers, “I can’t read it. It’s sealed.” 12Then you give the book to someone who can’t read, saying, “Please read this.” He answers, “I can’t read.” The Lord says, “These people worship me with their mouths and honor me with their lips. But their hearts are far from me, and their worship of me is ⌞based on⌟ rules made by humans. 14That is why I am going to do something completely amazing for these people once again. The wisdom of their wise people will disappear. The intelligence of their intelligent people will be hidden.” 15How horrible it will be for those who try to hide their plans from the Lord. Their deeds are done in the dark, and they say, “No one can see us” and “No one can recognize us.”
Read all of Isaiah 29Isaiah 29:13 word by word
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲדֹנָ֗י יַ֚עַן כִּ֤י נִגַּשׁ֙ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה בְּפִ֤יו וּבִשְׂפָתָיו֙ כִּבְּד֔וּנִי וְלִבּ֖וֹ רִחַ֣ק מִמֶּ֑נִּי וַתְּהִ֤י יִרְאָתָם֙ אֹתִ֔י מִצְוַ֥ת אֲנָשִׁ֖ים מְלֻמָּדָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Wherefore the Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Forasmuchיַעַןya‛an · becauseH3282
- as this peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- draw nearנָגַשׁnâgash · to approach: approachH5066
- with their mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
- and with their lipsשָׂפָהώâphâh ώepheth · lipsH8193
- do honourכָּבֵדkâbad kâbêd · to honor: honourH3513
- me, but have removedרָחַקrâchaq · to removeH7368
- their heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- from me, and their fearיִרְאָהyir'âh · fearH3374
- toward me is taughtלָמַדlâmad · to learn: teachH3925
- by the preceptמִצְוָהmitsvâh · commandmentH4687
- of menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
Cross-references for Isaiah 29:13
- Isaiah 10:6I send them against a godless nation. In my fury I order them against the people to take their belongings, loot them, and trample on them like mud in the streets.
- Isaiah 48:1Listen to this, descendants of Jacob! You are given the name of Israel. You are descended from Judah. You take oaths by the name of the Lord. You acknowledge the God of Israel, but you are not honest or sincere.
- Isaiah 58:2They look for me every day and want to know my ways. They act as if they were a nation that has done what is right and as if they haven’t disregarded God’s judgment ⌞on them⌟. They ask me for just decrees. They want God to be near them.
- Psalms 17:1Hear my plea for justice, O Lord. Pay attention to my cry. Open your ears to my prayer, ⌞which comes⌟ from lips free from deceit.
- Jeremiah 3:10Even after all this, Israel’s treacherous sister Judah didn’t wholeheartedly come back to me. She was deceitful,” declares the Lord.
- Jeremiah 5:1Walk around the streets of Jerusalem. Look around, and think about these things. Search the city squares. See if you can find anyone who does what is right and seeks the truth. Then I will forgive Jerusalem.
- Jeremiah 12:2You plant them, and they take root. They grow, and they produce fruit. They speak well of you with their lips, but their hearts are far from you.
- Jeremiah 42:2They said to him, “Please listen to our request, and pray to the Lord your God for all of us who are left here. As you can see, there are only a few of us left.
- Ezekiel 33:31Then they come to you, as if they are still my people, and they sit down in front of you. They listen to what you say, but they don’t do it. They say that they love me, but in their hearts they chase dishonest profits.
- Matthew 15:7You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
- 2 Chronicles 29:1Hezekiah began to rule as king when he was 25 years old. He ruled for 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother was Abijah, daughter of Zechariah.
- 2 Chronicles 30:1Hezekiah sent a message to all Israel and Judah and wrote letters to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. He invited them to come to the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of the Lord God of Israel.
- 2 Chronicles 31:1When this was over, all the Israelites who were there went to the cities in Judah. They crushed the sacred stones, cut down the poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah, and tore down the illegal places of worship and the altars throughout Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh. The Israelites destroyed all of these things. Then all the Israelites returned to their own cities. Each person went to his own property.
- Proverbs 30:6Do not add to his words, or he will reprimand you, and you will be found to be a liar.
- Matthew 15:2“Why do your disciples break the traditions of our ancestors? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”
- Mark 7:2They saw that some of his disciples were unclean because they ate without washing their hands.
Commentaries on Isaiah 29:13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13The Lord "Jehovah" - For אדני Adonai, sixty-three MSS. of Kennicott's, and many of De Rossi's, and four editions, read יהוה Yehovah, and five MSS. add יהוה . Kimchi makes some just observations on this verse. The vision, meaning the Divine revelation of all the prophets, is a book or letter that is sealed - is not easily understood. This is delivered to one that is learned - instructed in the law. Read this; and he saith, I cannot, for it is sealed; a…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13Wherefore the Lord said - This verse, with the following, is designed to denounce the divine judgment on their formality of worship. They kept up the forms of religion, but they witcheld the affections of their hearts from God; and he, therefore, says that he will proceed to inflict on them exemplary and deserved punishment. This people draw near me - That is, in the temple, and in the forms of external devotion. And with their lips do honor me - They…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-16Verses 9-16 The security of sinners in sinful ways, is cause for lamentation and wonder. The learned men, through prejudice, said that the Divine prophecies were obscure; and the poor urged their want of learning. The Bible is a sealed book to every man, learned or unlearned, till he begins to study it with a simple heart and a teachable spirit, that he may thence learn the truth and the will of God. To worship God, is to approach him. And if the heart be…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13These people used religious language in their prayers and conversations (see Matthew 15:8; Mark 7:6–7), but they did not truly honor God. In their hearts, they were not committed to the Lord. In their worship, they followed human rules and regulations instead of God's word.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. precept of men--instead of the precepts of God, given by His prophets; also worship external, and by rule, not heartfelt as God requires (Joh 4:24). Compare Christ's quotation of this verse from the Septuagint.Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 29:13
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 29
- 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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