Revised Literal Translation
Isaiah 56:3
3Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to Yhwh, speak, saying, Yhwh hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.
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
1Thus saith Yhwh, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. 2Blessed 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. Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to Yhwh, speak, saying, Yhwh hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. 4For thus saith Yhwh unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; 5Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
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
- Neither let the sonבֵּןbên · son: type ofH1121
- of the strangerנֵכָרnêkâr · foreignH5236
- that hath joinedלָוָהlâvâh · to joinH3867
- himself to Yhwhיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · 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 18:4And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.
- Deuteronomy 23:1He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of Yhwh.
- Zechariah 8:20Thus saith Yhwh of Armies; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities:
- Matthew 8:10When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
- Acts 8:27And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
- Acts 10:1There was a certain man in Cæsarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
- Acts 13:47For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.
- Acts 17:4And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
- Acts 18:7And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man’s house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.
- Romans 2:10But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
- Romans 16:9Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.
- Ephesians 2:12That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
- 1 Peter 1:1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the sojourners scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
- Jeremiah 50:5They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to Yhwh in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.
- Zephaniah 2:11Yhwh will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen.
- 1 Corinthians 6:17But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
Commentaries