God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 58:6
6This is the kind of fasting I have chosen: Loosen the chains of wickedness, untie the straps of the yoke, let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke.
Isaiah 58:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
- New International Version (NIV)“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
- English Standard Version (ESV)"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?
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?
Context of Isaiah 58:6
4Don’t you see that when you fast, you quarrel and fight and beat your workers? The way you fast today keeps you from being heard in heaven. 5Is this the kind of fasting I have chosen? Should people humble themselves for ⌞only⌟ a day? Is fasting just bowing your head like a cattail and making your bed from sackcloth and ashes? Is this what you call fasting? Is this an acceptable day to the Lord? This is the kind of fasting I have chosen: Loosen the chains of wickedness, untie the straps of the yoke, let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke. 7Share your food with the hungry, take the poor and homeless into your house, and cover them with clothes when you see ⌞them⌟ naked. Don’t refuse to help your relatives. 8Then your light will break through like the dawn, and you will heal quickly. Your righteousness will go ahead of you, and the glory of the Lord will guard you from behind.
Read all of Isaiah 58Isaiah 58:6 word by word
הֲל֣וֹא זֶה֮ צ֣וֹם אֶבְחָרֵהוּ֒ פַּתֵּ֙חַ֙ חַרְצֻבּ֣וֹת רֶ֔שַׁע הַתֵּ֖ר אֲגֻדּ֣וֹת מוֹטָ֑ה וְשַׁלַּ֤ח רְצוּצִים֙ חָפְשִׁ֔ים וְכָל־מוֹטָ֖ה תְּנַתֵּֽקוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- not this the fastצוֹםtsôm tsôm · fastH6685
- that I have chosenבָּחַרbâchar · to chooseH977
- to looseפָּתַחpâthach · to openH6605
- the bandsחַרְצֻבָּהchartsûbbâh · bondH2784
- of wickednessרֶ֫שַׁעresha‛ · wickednessH7562
- to undoנָתַרnâthar · to freeH5425
- the heavyמוֹטָהmôţâh · yokeH4133
- burdensאֲגֻדָּה'ăgûddâh · bandH92
- and to let the oppressedרָצַץrâtsats · to crushH7533
- goשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: let goH7971
- freeחׇפְשִׁיchophshîy · freeH2670
- and that ye breakנָתַקnâthaq · to tearH5423
Cross-references for Isaiah 58:6
- Nehemiah 5:10My brothers, my servants, and I are lending money and grain to the poor. But we must stop charging them interest.
- Jeremiah 34:8The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah after King Zedekiah and all the people in Jerusalem promised to free their slaves.
- Micah 3:2You hate good and love evil. You strip the skin off my people and the flesh off their bones.
- 1 Timothy 6:1All slaves who believe must give complete respect to their own masters. In this way no one will speak evil of God’s name and what we teach.
Commentaries on Isaiah 58:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Let the oppressed go free - How can any nation pretend to fast or worship God at all, or dare to profess that they believe in the existence of such a Being, while they carry on the slave trade, and traffic in the souls, blood, and bodies, of men! O ye most flagitious of knaves, and worst of hypocrites, cast off at once the mask of religion; and deepen not your endless perdition by professing the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, while ye continue in this…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Is not this the fast that I have chosen? - Fasting is right and proper; but that which God approves will prompt to, and will be followed by, deeds of justice, kindness, charity. The prophet proceeds to specify very particularly what God required, and when the observance of seasons of fasting would be acceptable to him. To loose the bands of wickedness - This is the first thing to be done in order that their fasting might be acceptable to the Lord. The…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. 6-7True fasting makes people aware of injustice and oppression. It encourages them to help those in need (see Isaiah 42:7; Matthew 25:35–36; James 1:27).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. loose ... bands of wickedness--that is, to dissolve every tie wherewith one has unjustly bound his fellow men (Le 25:49, &c.). Servitude, a fraudulent contract, &c. undo ... heavy burdens--Hebrew, "loose the bands of the yoke." oppressed--literally, "the broken." The expression, "to let go free," implies that those "broken" with the yoke of slavery, are meant (Ne 5:10-12; Jr 34:9-11, 14, 16). Jerome interprets it, broken with poverty; bankrupt.Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 58:6
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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