New English Translation
Isaiah 56:2
2The people who do this will be blessed, the people who commit themselves to obedience, who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it, who refrain from doing anything that is wrong.
Isaiah 56:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
- New International Version (NIV)Blessed is the one who does this— the person who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps their hands from doing any evil.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Blessed is the man who does this, And the son of man who lays hold on it; Who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
Context of Isaiah 56:2
1This is what the Lord says, “Promote justice! Do what is right! For I am ready to deliver you; I am ready to vindicate you openly. The people who do this will be blessed, the people who commit themselves to obedience, who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it, who refrain from doing anything that is wrong. 3No foreigner who becomes a follower of the Lord should say, ‘The Lord will certainly exclude me from his people.’ The eunuch should not say, ‘Look, I am like a dried-up tree.’” 4For this is what the Lord says: “For the eunuchs who observe my Sabbaths and choose what pleases me and are faithful to my covenant,
Read all of Isaiah 56Isaiah 56:2 word by word
אַשְׁרֵ֤י אֱנוֹשׁ֙ יַעֲשֶׂה־זֹּ֔את וּבֶן־אָדָ֖ם יַחֲזִ֣יק בָּ֑הּ שֹׁמֵ֤ר שַׁבָּת֙ מֵֽחַלְּל֔וֹ וְשֹׁמֵ֥ר יָד֖וֹ מֵעֲשׂ֥וֹת כָּל־רָֽע׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Blessedאֶ֫שֶׁר'esher · blessedH835
- the manאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- doethעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- this, and the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- layeth holdחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: holdH2388
- on it; that keepethשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: obeyH8104
- the sabbathשַׁבָּתshabbâth · SabbathH7676
- from pollutingחָלַלchâlal · to profane/begin: profaneH2490
- his handיָדyâd · handH3027
- any evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
Cross-references for Isaiah 56:2
- Psalms 1:1How blessed is the one who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand in the pathway with sinners, or sit in the assembly of scoffers!
- Psalms 15:1Lord, who may be a guest in your home? Who may live on your holy hill?
- Psalms 106:3How blessed are those who promote justice, and do what is right all the time!
- Psalms 112:1Praise the Lord! How blessed is the one who obeys the Lord, who takes great delight in keeping his commands.
- Psalms 119:1How blessed are those whose actions are blameless, who obey the law of the Lord.
- Psalms 128:1How blessed is every one of the Lord’s loyal followers, each one who keeps his commands!
- Luke 11:28But he replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!”
- Luke 12:43Blessed is that slave whom his master finds at work when he returns.
- John 13:17If you understand these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
- Revelation 22:14Blessed are those who wash their robes so they can have access to the tree of life and can enter into the city by the gates.
- Isaiah 56:4For this is what the Lord says: “For the eunuchs who observe my Sabbaths and choose what pleases me and are faithful to my covenant,
- Proverbs 4:13Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; protect it, because it is your life.
- Ecclesiastes 7:18It is best to take hold of one warning without letting go of the other warning; for the one who fears God will follow both warnings.
- Isaiah 58:13You must observe the Sabbath rather than doing anything you please on my holy day. You must look forward to the Sabbath and treat the Lord’s holy day with respect. You must treat it with respect by refraining from your normal activities, and by refraining from your selfish pursuits and from making business deals.
- Exodus 31:13“Tell the Israelites, ‘Surely you must keep my Sabbaths, for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.
- Leviticus 19:30“‘You must keep my Sabbaths and fear my sanctuary. I am the Lord.
Commentaries on Isaiah 56:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2That keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it - Kimchi has an excellent note here. "The Sabbath is sanctified when it is distinguished in dignity; and separated from other days. As to the body, in meat, drink, and clean clothing. As to the soul, that it be empty of worldly occupations, and be busily employed in the words of the law and wisdom, and in meditation on the works of the Lord." The rabbins say, "Jerusalem had never been destroyed, had not the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Blessed is the man - Hebrew, The blessings of the man‘ (see Psalm 1:1). The sense is, happy is the man.‘ The word here rendered man‘ (אנושׁ 'ĕnôsh ) usually denotes a man in humble life or in a subordinate rank, in contradistinction from אישׁ 'ı̂ysh a man in elevated rank. As the object of the prophet here is particularly to say, that the stranger‘ and the eunuch‘ would be admitted to these privileges, it is possible that he designedly used a word…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Blessed: Compare Isaiah 30:18; 32:20; see also Psalms 1:1; 119:1; Matthew 5:3. The Sabbath is a sign of the covenant (Exodus 31:13–17), and is God's gift to his people. It applies to both the present age and the age to come (Isaiah 56:4, 6; 58:13–14; see Hebrews 4:1–13).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. (Lu 12:43). the man--Hebrew, enosh, "a man in humble life," in contradistinction to Hebrew, ish, "one of high rank." Even the humblest, as "the stranger" and "the eunuch" (Is 56:4, 6), are admissible to these privileges. this ... it--what follows: "keeping the Sabbath," &c. (Is 58:13, 14; Eze 20:12). A proof that the Sabbath, in the spirit of its obligation, was to be binding under the Gospel (Is 66:23). That gospel times are referred to is plain, from…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 56:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 56
- 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
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