Isaiah 58:2

Isaiah 58:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.
• New International Version (NIV)For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Yet 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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Yet they seek Me daily, And delight to know My ways, As a nation that did righteousness, And did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; They take delight in approaching God.

Context of Isaiah 58:2

1“Cry loudly, do not hold back; Raise your voice like a trumpet, And declare to My people their transgression And to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek Me day by day and delight to know My ways, As a nation that has done righteousness And has not forsaken the ordinance of their God. They ask Me for just decisions, They delight in the nearness of God. 3‘Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’ Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, And drive hard all your workers. 4Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist. You do not fast like you do today to make your voice heard on high.

Isaiah 58:2 word by word

וְאוֹתִ֗י י֥וֹם יוֹם֙ יִדְרֹשׁ֔וּן וְדַ֥עַת דְּרָכַ֖י יֶחְפָּצ֑וּן כְּג֞וֹי אֲשֶׁר־צְדָקָ֣ה עָשָׂ֗ה וּמִשְׁפַּ֤ט אֱלֹהָיו֙ לֹ֣א עָזָ֔ב יִשְׁאָל֙וּנִי֙ מִשְׁפְּטֵי־צֶ֔דֶק קִרְבַ֥ת אֱלֹהִ֖ים יֶחְפָּצֽוּן׃Read the interlinear

• seekדָּרַשׁdârash · to seekH1875
• Me dayיוֹםyôm · day: dailyH3117
• and delightחָפֵץchâphêts · to delight inH2654
• to knowדַּ֫עַתda‛ath · knowledgeH1847
• My waysדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870
• As a nationגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• that has doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• righteousnessצְדָקָהtsedâqâh · righteousnessH6666
• has not forsakenעָזַב‛âzab · to leave: forsakeH5800
• the ordinanceמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: judgementH4941
• of their Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• They askשָׁאַלshâ'al shâ'êl · to askH7592
• justצֶ֫דֶקtsedeq · righteousnessH6664
• decisionsמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justiceH4941
• in the nearnessקִרְבָהqerâbâh · nearnessH7132

Cross-references for Isaiah 58:2

• Isaiah 1:11“What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?” Says the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats.
• Isaiah 29:13Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,
• Isaiah 48:1“Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are named Israel And who came forth from the loins of Judah, Who swear by the name of the Lord And invoke the God of Israel, But not in truth nor in righteousness.
• Deuteronomy 5:28“The Lord heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me, ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken.
• 1 Samuel 15:21But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”
• Proverbs 15:8The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, But the prayer of the upright is His delight.
• Ezekiel 33:30“But as for you, son of man, your fellow citizens who talk about you by the walls and in the doorways of the houses, speak to one another, each to his brother, saying, ‘Come now and hear what the message is which comes forth from the Lord.’
• Matthew 15:7You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you:
• Mark 4:16In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy;
• Mark 6:20for Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; but he used to enjoy listening to him.
• John 5:35He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.
• Hebrews 6:4For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
• Jeremiah 42:2and said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Please let our petition come before you, and pray for us to the Lord your God, that is for all this remnant; because we are left but a few out of many, as your own eyes now see us,
• Mark 12:14They came and said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?
• James 1:21Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.
• 1 Peter 2:1Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,

Commentaries on Isaiah 58:2

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Yet they seek me daily - The whole description here is appropriate to the character of formalists and hypocrites; and the idea is, that public worship by sacrifice was celebrated daily in the temple, and was not intermitted. It is not improbable also that they kept up the regular daily service in their dwellings. And delight to know my ways - Probably this means, they profess to delight to know the ways of God; that is, his commands, truths, and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2they seek me: They may have been truly committed to a religious form, but they failed to truly meet God in their religious activities.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. Put the stop at "ways"; and connect "as a nation that," &c. with what follows; "As a nation that did righteousness," thus answers to, "they ask of Me just judgments" (that is, as a matter of justice due to them, salvation to themselves, and destruction to their enemies); and "forsook not the ordinance of their God," answers to "they desire the drawing near of God" (that God would draw near to exercise those "just judgments" in behalf of them, and…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 58:2

• Affections
• Hypocrisy

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Aloud
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• Commentaries
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• Isaiah
• Ordinance
• 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