Isaiah 1:3

Isaiah 1:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
• New International Version (NIV)The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand."
• New King James Version (NKJV)The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master’s crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider.”

Context of Isaiah 1:3

1Here is the message about Judah and Jerusalem that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz during the time when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah reigned over Judah. 2Listen, O heavens, pay attention, O earth! For the Lord speaks: “I raised children, I brought them up, but they have rebelled against me! An ox recognizes its owner, a donkey recognizes where its owner puts its food; but Israel does not recognize me, my people do not understand.” 4The sinful nation is as good as dead, the people weighed down by evil deeds. They are offspring who do wrong, children who do wicked things. They have abandoned the Lord, and rejected the Holy One of Israel. They are alienated from him. 5Why do you insist on being battered? Why do you continue to rebel? Your head has a massive wound, your whole body is weak.

Isaiah 1:3 word by word

יָדַ֥ע שׁוֹר֙ קֹנֵ֔הוּ וַחֲמ֖וֹר אֵב֣וּס בְּעָלָ֑יו יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֹ֣א יָדַ֔ע עַמִּ֖י לֹ֥א הִתְבּוֹנָֽן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• The oxשׁוֹרshôr · cattleH7794
• knowethיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• his ownerקָנָהqânâh · to buyH7069
• and the assחֲמוֹרchămôr chămôr · donkeyH2543
• his master’sבַּעַלba‛al · masterH1167
• cribאֵבוּס'êbûs · cribH18
• Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• my peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• doth not considerבִּיןbîyn · to understandH995

Cross-references for Isaiah 1:3

• Proverbs 6:6Go to the ant, you sluggard; observe its ways and be wise!
• Jeremiah 8:7Even the stork knows when it is time to move on. The turtledove, swallow, and crane recognize the normal times for their migration. But my people pay no attention to what I, the Lord, require of them.
• Isaiah 5:12They have stringed instruments, tambourines, flutes, and wine at their parties. So they do not recognize what the Lord is doing, they do not perceive what he is bringing about.
• Isaiah 27:11When its branches get brittle, they break; women come and use them for kindling. For these people lack understanding, therefore the one who made them has no compassion on them; the one who formed them has no mercy on them.
• Isaiah 44:18They do not comprehend or understand, for their eyes are blind and cannot see; their minds do not discern.
• Deuteronomy 32:28They are a nation devoid of wisdom, and there is no understanding among them.
• Psalms 94:8Take notice of this, you ignorant people! You fools, when will you ever understand?
• Jeremiah 4:22The Lord answered, “This will happen because my people are foolish. They do not know me. They are like children who have no sense. They have no understanding. They are skilled at doing evil. They do not know how to do good.”
• Jeremiah 9:3The Lord says, “These people are like soldiers who have readied their bows. Their tongues are always ready to shoot out lies. They have become powerful in the land, but they have not done so by honest means. Indeed, they do one evil thing after another and do not pay attention to me.
• Jeremiah 10:8The people of those nations are both stupid and foolish. Instruction from a wooden idol is worthless!
• Matthew 13:13For this reason I speak to them in parables: Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand.
• Romans 1:28And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done.
• 2 Peter 3:5For they deliberately suppress this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water.

Commentaries on Isaiah 1:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3The ox knoweth - An amplification of the gross insensibility of the disobedient Jews, by comparing them with the most heavy and stupid of all animals, yet not so insensible as they. Bochart has well illustrated the comparison, and shown the peculiar force of it. "He sets them lower than the beasts, and even than the most stupid of all beasts, for there is scarcely any more so than the ox and the ass. Yet these acknowledge their master; they know the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3The ox … - The design of this comparison is to show the great stupidity and ingratitude of the Jews. Even the least sagacious and most stupid of the animals, destitute as they are of reason and conscience, evince knowledge anal submission far more than the professed people of God. The ox is a well known domestic animal, remarkable for patient willingness to toil, and for submission to his owner. Knoweth his owner - Recognizes, or is submissive to him. The…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3The ox knows its owner: Even an animal recognizes the one who feeds and cares for it. But Judah did not recognize or obey the Lord in this way. Even so, despite their rebellion, God still spoke to them as “my people.” This shows his continued grace (undeserved kindness) toward them.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. (Jr 8:7). crib--the stall where it is fed (Pr 14:4). Spiritually the word and ordinances. Israel--The whole nation, Judah as well as Israel, in the restricted sense. God regards His covenant-people in their designed unity. not know--namely, his Owner, as the parallelism requires; that is, not recognize Him as such (Ex 19:5, equivalent to "my people," Joh 1:10, 11). consider--attend to his Master (Is 41:8), notwithstanding the spiritual food which He…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 1:3

• Blindness
• Church
• Crib
• Godlessness
• Instinct
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Ass
• Convert
• Crib
• Eat
• Fade
• Harlot
• Isaiah, The Book of

Commentaries on Isaiah 1

• 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