Isaiah

Isaiah 58:3–5

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.

5Is this the fast I have chosen:

a day for a man to deny himself,

to bow his head like a reed,

and to spread out sackcloth and ashes?

Will you call this a fast

and a day acceptable to the LORD?

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

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Whyלָ֤מָּהlām·māhInterrogativeH4100 what? how? aught
have we fastedצַּ֙מְנוּ֙ṣam·nūVerb - Qal - Perfect - first person common pluralH6684 abstain from food, fast
and You have notוְלֹ֣אwə·lōConjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
seenרָאִ֔יתָrā·’î·ṯāVerb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singularH7200 see
have we humbledעִנִּ֥ינוּ‘in·nî·nūVerb - Piel - Perfect - first person common pluralH6031 be occupied, busied with
ourselvesנַפְשֵׁ֖נוּnap̄·šê·nūNoun - feminine singular construct; first person common pluralH5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
and You have notוְלֹ֣אwə·lōConjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
noticedתֵדָ֑עṯê·ḏā‘Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularH3045 know
Beholdהֵ֣ןhênInterjectionH2005 lo! behold
on the dayבְּי֤וֹםbə·yō·wmPreposition-b; Noun - masculine singular constructH3117 day
of your fastצֹֽמְכֶם֙ṣō·mə·ḵemNoun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine pluralH6685 fasting, fast
you doתִּמְצְאוּ־tim·ṣə·’ū-Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralH4672 attain to, find
as you pleaseחֵ֔פֶץḥê·p̄eṣNoun - masculine singularH2656 delight, pleasure
and you oppressתִּנְגֹּֽשׂוּ׃tin·gō·śūVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralH5065 press, drive, oppress, exact
allוְכָל־wə·ḵālConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
your workersעַצְּבֵיכֶ֖ם‘aṣ·ṣə·ḇê·ḵemNoun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine pluralH6092 toiler

Isaiah 58:4

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
You fastתָּצ֔וּמוּtā·ṣū·mūVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralH6684 abstain from food, fast
with contentionלְרִ֤יבlə·rîḇPreposition-l; Noun - masculine singularH7379 strife, dispute
and strifeוּמַצָּה֙ū·maṣ·ṣāhConjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singularH4683 strife, contention
to strikeוּלְהַכּ֖וֹתū·lə·hak·kō·wṯConjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive constructH5221 smite
viciouslyרֶ֑שַׁעre·ša‘Noun - masculine singularH7562 wickedness
with your fistבְּאֶגְרֹ֣ףbə·’eḡ·rōp̄Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular constructH106 fist
You cannotלֹא־lō-Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
fastתָצ֣וּמוּṯā·ṣū·mūVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralH6684 abstain from food, fast
as you do todayכַיּ֔וֹםḵay·yō·wmPreposition-k, Article; Noun - masculine singularH3117 day
and have your voiceקוֹלְכֶֽם׃qō·wl·ḵemNoun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine pluralH6963 sound, voice
be heardלְהַשְׁמִ֥יעַlə·haš·mî·a‘Preposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive constructH8085 hear
on highבַּמָּר֖וֹםbam·mā·rō·wmPreposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singularH4791 height

Isaiah 58:5

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Isיִֽהְיֶה֙yih·yehVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
thisהֲכָזֶ֗הhă·ḵā·zehPg, Preposition-k; Pronoun - masculine singularH2088 this, that
the fastצ֣וֹםṣō·wmNoun - masculine singularH6685 fasting, fast
I have chosenאֶבְחָרֵ֔הוּ’eḇ·ḥā·rê·hūVerb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular; third person masculine singularH977 choose
a dayי֛וֹםyō·wmNoun - masculine singularH3117 day
for a manאָדָ֖ם’ā·ḏāmNoun - masculine singularH120 man, mankind
to denyעַנּ֥וֹת‘an·nō·wṯVerb - Piel - Infinitive constructH6031 be occupied, busied with
himselfנַפְשׁ֑וֹnap̄·šōwNoun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singularH5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
to bowהֲלָכֹ֨ףhă·lā·ḵōp̄Preposition; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH3721 bend, bend down, be bent, bowed
his headרֹאשׁ֗וֹrō·šōwNoun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH7218 head
like a reedכְּאַגְמֹ֜ןkə·’aḡ·mōnPreposition-k; Noun - masculine singularH100 rush, bulrush
and to spread outיַצִּ֔יעַyaṣ·ṣî·a‘Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH3331 lay, spread
sackclothוְשַׂ֤קwə·śaqConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singularH8242 sack, sackcloth
and ashesוָאֵ֙פֶר֙wā·’ê·p̄erConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singularH665 ashes
Will you callתִּקְרָא־tiq·rā-Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularH7121 call, proclaim, read
thisהֲלָזֶה֙hă·lā·zehPg, Preposition-l; Pronoun - masculine singularH2088 this, that
a fastצ֔וֹםṣō·wmNoun - masculine singularH6685 fasting, fast
and a dayוְי֥וֹםwə·yō·wmConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular constructH3117 day
acceptableרָצ֖וֹןrā·ṣō·wnNoun - masculine singularH7522 goodwill, favour, acceptance, will
to the LORDלַיהוָֽה׃Yah·wehPreposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh

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

Isaiah 58:5 Daniel 9:3–19 · Zechariah 7:5 · Isaiah 49:8 · Esther 4:16 · Romans 12:2 · Isaiah 61:2 · Psalm 69:13 · 2 Chronicles 20:3 · Luke 4:19 · Leviticus 16:29 · Ezra 10:6 · Job 2:8

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.