New Living Translation
Isaiah 56:3
3“Don’t let foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord say, ‘The Lord will never let me be part of his people.’ And don’t let the eunuchs say, ‘I’m a dried-up tree with no children and no future.’
Isaiah 56:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.
- New International Version (NIV)Let no foreigner who is bound to the Lord say, “The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.” And let no eunuch complain, “I am only a dry tree.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, "The Lord will surely separate me from his people"; and let not the eunuch say, "Behold, I am a dry tree."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Do not let the son of the foreigner Who has joined himself to the Lord Speak, saying, “The Lord has utterly separated me from His people”; Nor let the eunuch say, “Here I am, a dry tree.”
Context of Isaiah 56:3
1This is what the Lord says: “Be just and fair to all. Do what is right and good, for I am coming soon to rescue you and to display my righteousness among you. 2Blessed are all those who are careful to do this. Blessed are those who honor my Sabbath days of rest and keep themselves from doing wrong. “Don’t let foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord say, ‘The Lord will never let me be part of his people.’ And don’t let the eunuchs say, ‘I’m a dried-up tree with no children and no future.’ 4For this is what the Lord says: I will bless those eunuchs who keep my Sabbath days holy and who choose to do what pleases me and commit their lives to me. 5I will give them—within the walls of my house— a memorial and a name far greater than sons and daughters could give. For the name I give them is an everlasting one. It will never disappear!
Read all of Isaiah 56Isaiah 56:3 word by word
וְאַל־יֹאמַ֣ר בֶּן־הַנֵּכָ֗ר הַנִּלְוָ֤ה אֶל־יְהוָה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הַבְדֵּ֧ל יַבְדִּילַ֛נִי יְהוָ֖ה מֵעַ֣ל עַמּ֑וֹ וְאַל־יֹאמַר֙ הַסָּרִ֔יס הֵ֥ן אֲנִ֖י עֵ֥ץ יָבֵֽשׁ׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Neither let the sonבֵּןbên · son: type ofH1121
- of the strangerנֵכָרnêkâr · foreignH5236
- that hath joinedלָוָהlâvâh · to joinH3867
- himself to the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- speakאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- hath utterlyבָּדַלbâdal · to separateH914
- me from his peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- neither let the eunuchסָרִיסsârîys sâris · eunuchH5631
- a dryיָבֵשׁyâbêsh · dryH3002
- treeעֵץ‛êts · treeH6086
Cross-references for Isaiah 56:3
- Numbers 18:4The Levites must join you in fulfilling their responsibilities for the care and maintenance of the Tabernacle, but no unauthorized person may assist you.
- Deuteronomy 23:1“If a man’s testicles are crushed or his penis is cut off, he may not be admitted to the assembly of the Lord.
- Zechariah 8:20“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: People from nations and cities around the world will travel to Jerusalem.
- Matthew 8:10When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!
- Acts 8:27So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship,
- Acts 10:1In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment.
- Acts 13:47For the Lord gave us this command when he said, ‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.’”
- Acts 17:4Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women.
- Acts 18:7Then he left and went to the home of Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God and lived next door to the synagogue.
- Romans 2:10But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.
- Romans 16:9Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.
- Ephesians 2:12In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.
- 1 Peter 1:1This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.
- Jeremiah 50:5They will ask the way to Jerusalem and will start back home again. They will bind themselves to the Lord with an eternal covenant that will never be forgotten.
- Zephaniah 2:11The Lord will terrify them as he destroys all the gods in the land. Then nations around the world will worship the Lord, each in their own land.
- 1 Corinthians 6:17But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.
Commentaries on Isaiah 56:3
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Neither let the son of the stranger - The foreigner who shall become a proselyte to the true religion. That hath joined himself - That has embraced the true faith, and become a worshipper of the true God. It is evidently implied here that there would be such proselytes, and that the true religion would be extended so as to include and embrace them. The idea is, that they should be admitted to the same privileges with those who had been long recognized as…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 3-8Verses 3-8 Unbelief often suggests things to discourage believers, against which God has expressly guarded. Spiritual blessings are unspeakably better than having sons and daughters; for children are a care, and may prove a grief and shame, but the blessings we partake of in God's house, are comforts which cannot be made bitter. Those who love the Lord truly, will serve him faithfully, and then his commandments are not grievous. Three things are promised…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord would become full members of his covenant community. In earlier times, their participation had strict limits (Deuteronomy 23:3, 7–8). eunuch: In the past, a man who had been emasculated was not allowed to take part fully in the community (Deuteronomy 23:1). Both eunuchs and foreigners were seen as outside Israel’s holiness. They were considered on the edge of God’s people. But in the age to come, God would…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. God welcomes all believers, without distinction of persons, under the new economy (Ac 10:34, 35). joined ... to ... Lord--(Nu 18:4, 7). "Proselytes." separated--Proselytes from the Gentiles were not admitted to the same privileges as native Israelites. This barrier between Jews and Gentiles was to be broken down (Ep 2:14-16). eunuch--(Ac 8:27, &c.). Eunuchs were chamberlains over harems, or court ministers in general. dry tree--barren (compare Lu…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 56:3
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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