New Living Translation
Isaiah 1:4
4Oh, what a sinful nation they are— loaded down with a burden of guilt. They are evil people, corrupt children who have rejected the Lord. They have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.
Isaiah 1:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.
- New International Version (NIV)Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Alas, sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the Lord, They have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, They have turned away backward.
Context of Isaiah 1:4
2Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth! This is what the Lord says: “The children I raised and cared for have rebelled against me. 3Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master’s care— but Israel doesn’t know its master. My people don’t recognize my care for them.” Oh, what a sinful nation they are— loaded down with a burden of guilt. They are evil people, corrupt children who have rejected the Lord. They have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him. 5Why do you continue to invite punishment? Must you rebel forever? Your head is injured, and your heart is sick. 6You are battered from head to foot— covered with bruises, welts, and infected wounds— without any soothing ointments or bandages.
Read all of Isaiah 1Isaiah 1:4 word by word
ה֣וֹי׀ גּ֣וֹי חֹטֵ֗א עַ֚ם כֶּ֣בֶד עָוֹ֔ן זֶ֣רַע מְרֵעִ֔ים בָּנִ֖ים מַשְׁחִיתִ֑ים עָזְב֣וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֗ה נִֽאֲצ֛וּ אֶת־קְד֥וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נָזֹ֥רוּ אָחֽוֹר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Ahהוֹיhôy · woe!H1945
- sinfulחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398
- nationגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- a peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- ladenכָּבֵדkâbêd · heavyH3515
- with iniquityעָוֺן‛âvôn ‛âvôn · iniquity: crimeH5771
- a seedזֶ֫רַעzera‛ · seed: childrenH2233
- of evildoersרָעַעrâ‛a‛ · be evilH7489
- childrenבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- that are corruptersשָׁחַתshâchath · to ruinH7843
- they have forsakenאֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
- they have forsakenעָזַב‛âzab · to leave: forsakeH5800
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- they have provokedנָאַץnâ'ats · to spurnH5006
- the Holy Oneקָדוֹשׁqâdôsh qâdôsh · holyH6918
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- they are gone awayזוּרzûr · be a strangerH2114
- backwardאָחוֹר'âchôr 'âchôr · backH268
Cross-references for Isaiah 1:4
- Isaiah 1:23Your leaders are rebels, the companions of thieves. All of them love bribes and demand payoffs, but they refuse to defend the cause of orphans or fight for the rights of widows.
- Isaiah 10:6I am sending Assyria against a godless nation, against a people with whom I am angry. Assyria will plunder them, trampling them like dirt beneath its feet.
- Isaiah 30:9that these people are stubborn rebels who refuse to pay attention to the Lord’s instructions.
- Genesis 13:13But the people of this area were extremely wicked and constantly sinned against the Lord.
- Matthew 11:28Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
- Acts 7:51“You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you!
- Revelation 18:5For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God remembers her evil deeds.
- Isaiah 57:3“But you—come here, you witches’ children, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!
- Numbers 32:14But here you are, a brood of sinners, doing exactly the same thing! You are making the Lord even angrier with Israel.
- Psalms 78:8Then they will not be like their ancestors— stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.
- Jeremiah 7:26But my people have not listened to me or even tried to hear. They have been stubborn and sinful—even worse than their ancestors.
- Jeremiah 16:11“Then you will give them the Lord’s reply: ‘It is because your ancestors were unfaithful to me. They worshiped other gods and served them. They abandoned me and did not obey my word.
- Matthew 3:7But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee the coming wrath?
- Matthew 23:33Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?
- Jeremiah 2:33“How you plot and scheme to win your lovers. Even an experienced prostitute could learn from you!
- Ezekiel 16:33Prostitutes charge for their services—but not you! You give gifts to your lovers, bribing them to come and have sex with you.
Commentaries on Isaiah 1:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Ah sinful nation "Degenerate" - Five MSS., one of them ancient, read משחתים moschathim, without the first י yod, in hophal corrupted, not corrupters. See the same word in the same form, and in the same sense, Proverbs 25:26. Are corrupters "Are estranged" - Thirty-two MSS., five ancient, and two editions, read נזורו nazoru ; which reading determines the word to be from the root זור zur, to alienate, not from נזר nazar, to separate; so Kimchi understands…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Ah! sinful nation - The word rendered ah!‘ - הוי hôy - is not a mere exclamation, expressing astonishment. It is rather an interjection denouncing threatening, or punishment. Wo to the sinful nation.‘ Vulgate, Vae genti peccatrici.‘ The corruption pertained to the nation, and not merely to a part. It had become general. Laden with iniquity - The word translated “laden” - כבד kebed - denotes properly anything “heavy,” or burdensome; from כבד kâbad “to be…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4The term Holy One of Israel often appears in Isaiah as a title for the Lord. God is: the righteous and just King of heaven and earth (Isaiah 6:3–5), the incomparable God, meaning no one is like him (Isaiah 40:25), and the Redeemer (the one who rescues and saves) of his people (Isaiah 43:14). Because of this, it was a serious and foolish sin for Judah to reject him.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. people--the peculiar designation of God's elect nation (Ho 1:10), that they should be "laden with iniquity" is therefore the more monstrous. Sin is a load (Psa 38:4; Mt 11:28). seed--another appellation of God's elect (Ge 12:7; Jr 2:21), designed to be a "holy seed" (Is 6:13), but, awful to say, "evildoers!" children--by adoption (Ho 11:1), yet "evildoers"; not only so, but "corrupters" of others (Ge 6:12); the climax. So "nation--people--seed…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 1:4
In the dictionaries
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
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