New King James Version
Isaiah 65:4
4Who 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;
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 Living Translation (NLT)At night they go out among the graves, worshiping the dead. They eat the flesh of pigs and make stews with other forbidden foods.
Context of Isaiah 65:4
2I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in a way that is not good, According to their own thoughts; 3A people who provoke Me to anger continually to My face; Who sacrifice in gardens, And burn incense on altars of brick; 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; 5Who say, ‘Keep to yourself, Do not come near me, For I am holier than you!’ These are smoke in My nostrils, A fire that burns all the day. 6“Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silence, but will repay— Even repay into their bosom—
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‘He who touches the dead body of anyone shall be unclean seven days.
- Deuteronomy 18:11or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.
- Matthew 8:28When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.
- Mark 5:2And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
- Luke 8:27And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.
- Isaiah 66:3“He who kills a bull is as if he slays a man; He who sacrifices a lamb, as if he breaks a dog’s neck; He who offers a grain offering, as if he offers swine’s blood; He who burns incense, as if he blesses an idol. Just as they have chosen their own ways, And their soul delights in their abominations,
- Leviticus 11:7and the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you.
- Deuteronomy 14:8Also the swine is unclean for you, because it has cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud; you shall not eat their flesh or touch their dead carcasses.
- Exodus 23:19The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.
- Exodus 34:26“The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.”
- Deuteronomy 14:3“You shall not eat any detestable thing.
- Ezekiel 4:14So I said, “Ah, Lord God! Indeed I have never defiled myself from my youth till now; I have never eaten what died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has abominable flesh ever come into 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries