Isaiah

Isaiah 58:3–4

³“Why have we fasted,

and You have not seen?

Why have we humbled ourselves,

and You have not noticed?”

“Behold, on the day of your fast, you do as you please,

and you oppress all your workers.

⁴You fast with contention and strife

to strike viciously with your fist.

You cannot fast as you do today

and have your voice be heard on high.

Read all of Isaiah 58

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Isaiah 58:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Why	לָ֤מָּה	lām·māh	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
have we fasted	צַּ֙מְנוּ֙	ṣam·nū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural	H6684 abstain from food, fast
and You have not	וְלֹ֣א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
seen	רָאִ֔יתָ	rā·’î·ṯā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H7200 see
have we humbled	עִנִּ֥ינוּ	‘in·nî·nū	Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common plural	H6031 be occupied, busied with
ourselves	נַפְשֵׁ֖נוּ	nap̄·šê·nū	Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common plural	H5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
and You have not	וְלֹ֣א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
noticed	תֵדָ֑ע	ṯê·ḏā‘	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H3045 know
Behold	הֵ֣ן	hên	Interjection	H2005 lo! behold
on the day	בְּי֤וֹם	bə·yō·wm	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3117 day
of your fast	צֹֽמְכֶם֙	ṣō·mə·ḵem	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine plural	H6685 fasting, fast
you do	תִּמְצְאוּ־	tim·ṣə·’ū-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural	H4672 attain to, find
as you please	חֵ֔פֶץ	ḥê·p̄eṣ	Noun - masculine singular	H2656 delight, pleasure
and you oppress	תִּנְגֹּֽשׂוּ׃	tin·gō·śū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural	H5065 press, drive, oppress, exact
all	וְכָל־	wə·ḵāl	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
your workers	עַצְּבֵיכֶ֖ם	‘aṣ·ṣə·ḇê·ḵem	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine plural	H6092 toiler

Isaiah 58:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
You fast	תָּצ֔וּמוּ	tā·ṣū·mū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural	H6684 abstain from food, fast
with contention	לְרִ֤יב	lə·rîḇ	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular	H7379 strife, dispute
and strife	וּמַצָּה֙	ū·maṣ·ṣāh	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular	H4683 strife, contention
to strike	וּלְהַכּ֖וֹת	ū·lə·hak·kō·wṯ	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct	H5221 smite
viciously	רֶ֑שַׁע	re·ša‘	Noun - masculine singular	H7562 wickedness
with your fist	בְּאֶגְרֹ֣ף	bə·’eḡ·rōp̄	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H106 fist
You cannot	לֹא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
fast	תָצ֣וּמוּ	ṯā·ṣū·mū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural	H6684 abstain from food, fast
as you do today	כַיּ֔וֹם	ḵay·yō·wm	Preposition-k, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3117 day
and have your voice	קוֹלְכֶֽם׃	qō·wl·ḵem	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine plural	H6963 sound, voice
be heard	לְהַשְׁמִ֥יעַ	lə·haš·mî·a‘	Preposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct	H8085 hear
on high	בַּמָּר֖וֹם	bam·mā·rō·wm	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4791 height

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Isaiah 58:3 Luke 18:9–12 · Malachi 3:14 · Proverbs 28:9 · Matthew 20:11–12 · Leviticus 16:29 · Jonah 3:6–8 · Daniel 10:2–3 · Exodus 2:23–24 · Nehemiah 5:7

Isaiah 58:4 1 Kings 21:9–13 · Matthew 6:16–18 · Proverbs 21:27 · Isaiah 59:2

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.