God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 65:4
4They sat among the graves and spent their nights in caves. They ate pork and in their pots made broth from unclean foods.
Isaiah 65:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;
- New International Version (NIV)who sit among the graves and spend their nights keeping secret vigil; who eat the flesh of pigs, and whose pots hold broth of impure meat;
- English Standard Version (ESV)who sit in tombs, and spend the night in secret places; who eat pig's flesh, and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels;
- New King James Version (NKJV)Who sit among the graves, And spend the night in the tombs; Who eat swine’s flesh, And the broth of abominable things is in their vessels;
Context of Isaiah 65:4
2I stretched out my hands all day long to stubborn people. They chose to go the wrong direction. They followed their own plans. 3These people constantly and openly provoked me. They offered sacrifices in gardens and burnt incense on brick altars. They sat among the graves and spent their nights in caves. They ate pork and in their pots made broth from unclean foods. 5They said, “Stay away! Don’t touch me! I’m holier than you are.” They have become like smoke in my nose, like a smoldering fire all day long. 6“Look! It is written in front of me. I will not be silent, but I will repay. I will repay you in full.
Read all of Isaiah 65Isaiah 65:4 word by word
הַיֹּֽשְׁבִים֙ בַּקְּבָרִ֔ים וּבַנְּצוּרִ֖ים יָלִ֑ינוּ הָאֹֽכְלִים֙ בְּשַׂ֣ר הַחֲזִ֔יר וּמְרַ֥ק פִּגֻּלִ֖ים כְּלֵיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Which remainיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- among the gravesקֶ֫בֶרqeber qibrâh · graveH6913
- and lodgeלוּןlûn lîyn · to lodgeH3885
- in the monumentsנָצַרnâtsar · to watchH5341
- which eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- swine’sחֲזִירchăzîyr · swineH2386
- fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
- and brothפָּרָקpârâq · brothH6564
- and brothמָרָקmârâq · brothH4839
- of abominableפִּגּוּלpiggûl piggûl · refuseH6292
- their vesselsכְּלִיkelîy · article/utensilH3627
Cross-references for Isaiah 65:4
- Numbers 19:11“Whoever touches the dead body of any human being will be unclean for seven days.
- Deuteronomy 18:11cast spells, ask ghosts or spirits for help, or consult the dead.
- Matthew 8:28When he arrived in the territory of the Gadarenes on the other side ⌞of the Sea of Galilee⌟, two men met him. They were possessed by demons and had come out of the tombs. No one could travel along that road because the men were so dangerous.
- Mark 5:2As Jesus stepped out of the boat, a man came out of the tombs and met him. The man was controlled by an evil spirit
- Luke 8:27When Jesus stepped out on the shore, a certain man from the city met him. The man was possessed by demons and had not worn clothes for a long time. He would not stay in a house but lived in the tombs.
- Isaiah 66:3Whoever kills a bull is like someone who kills a person. Whoever sacrifices a lamb is like someone who breaks a dog’s neck. Whoever offers a grain sacrifice is like someone who ⌞offers⌟ pig’s blood. Whoever burns incense is like someone who worships an idol. People have certainly chosen their own ways, and their souls delight in detestable things.
- Leviticus 11:7You must never eat pigs. (Because pigs have completely divided hoofs but do not chew their cud, they are also unclean.)
- Deuteronomy 14:8Also, you may not eat pigs. (Although their hoofs are divided, they don’t chew their cud.) Never eat their meat or touch their dead bodies.
- Exodus 23:19“You must bring the best of the first produce harvested from your soil to the house of the Lord your God. “Never cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
- Exodus 34:26“You must bring the first and best of the produce harvested from your soil to the house of the Lord your God. “Never cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”
- Deuteronomy 14:3Never eat anything that is disgusting to the Lord.
- Ezekiel 4:14I answered, “Almighty Lord, I have never dishonored myself. From the time I was young until now, I have never eaten an animal that died by itself or was killed by other wild animals. No unclean meat has ever entered my mouth.”
Commentaries on Isaiah 65:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Which remain among the graves - "For the purpose of evoking the dead. They lodged in desert places that demons might appear to them; for demons do appear in such places, to those who do believe in them." - Kimchi. In the monuments "In the caverns" - בנצורים bannetsurim, a word of doubtful signification. An ancient MS. has בצורים batstsurim, another בצרים batstsurim, "in the rocks;" and Le Clec thinks the Septuagint had it so in their copy. They render it…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Which remain among the graves - That is, evidently for purposes of necromancy and divination. They do it to appear to hold converse with the dead, and to receive communications from them. The idea in necromancy was, that departed spirits must be acquainted with future events, or at least with the secret things of the invisible world where they dwelt, and that certain persons, by various arts, could become intimate with them, or familiar‘ with them, and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4spending nights in secret places: God had banned the practice of necromancy (consulting dead spirits; see Isaiah 8:19–22; 47:9; Deuteronomy 18:9–11). the meat of pigs and polluted broth from their bowls: See Isaiah 66:3–4; Leviticus 11:7; Deuteronomy 14:3, 8.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. remain among ... graves--namely, for purposes of necromancy, as if to hold converse with the dead (Is 8:19, 20; compare Mr 5:3); or, for the sake of purifications, usually performed at night among sepulchres, to appease the manes [Maurer]. monuments--Hebrew, "pass the night in hidden recesses," either the idol's inmost shrines ("consecrated precincts") [Horsley], where they used to sleep, in order to have divine communications in dreams [Jerome]; or…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 65:4
In the dictionaries
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
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