Isaiah Chapter 1 Verse-by-Verse Commentary
Isaiah 1:1
This is the vision of Yesha’yahu the son of Amotz, which he saw concerning Y’hudah and Yerushalayim during the days of ’Uziyahu, Yotam, Achaz and Y’chizkiyahu, kings of Y’hudah:
The book opens by telling us about the author and it is emphasized that this is the result of visions. We see a listing of the kings of Judah and this speaks of the longevity of the ministry of Isaiah as it is estimated that these visions covered a span of 60 to 65 years. It is estimated that the book was written from about 740 to 681 B.C.
Isaiah 1:2–4
“Hear, heaven! Listen, earth! For ADONAI is speaking. “I raised and brought up children, but they rebelled against me. An ox knows its owner and a donkey its master’s stall, but Isra’el does not know, my people do not reflect. “Oh, sinful nation, a people weighed down by iniquity, descendants of evildoers, immoral children! They have abandoned ADONAI, spurned the Holy One of Isra’el, turned their backs on him!
Now, the prophet begins to share the very words of God and it opens with a call for heaven and earth to listen which calls to mind creation and Genesis chapter one. This translation says “Adonai is speaking” but the Hebrew text uses the past tense meaning God has spoken and this speaks of completeness. You can almost feel the sadness in this passage as God laments at how his people have rebelled and abandoned him. The Hebrew word that is translated here as rebelled speaks of a serious crime and the violation of man’s laws as well as the laws of God. He compares Israel to various animals who by contrast always know their master and their home. These very words seem as fitting today in our society and even in our “churches” as they were when they were written.
Isaiah 1:5–6
“Where should I strike you next, as you persist in rebelling? The whole head is sick, the whole heart diseased. From the sole of the foot to the head there is nothing healthy, only wounds, bruises and festering sores that haven’t been dressed or bandaged or softened up with oil.
Isaiah continues to share the words of God and the effects of their rebellion are described as a sickness in the body that has not been treated. Since the sickness has not been treated, the infection has spread and the entire body is affected. You can almost feel the compassion as God describes the personal effects of their abandoning Him and that same compassion should be a part of us as Christians as we see the suffering of those around us.
Isaiah 1:7–9
“Your land is desolate, your cities are burned to the ground; foreigners devour your land in your presence; it’s as desolate as if overwhelmed by floods. The daughter of Tziyon is left like a shack in a vineyard, like a shed in a cucumber field, like a city under siege.” If ADONAI-Tzva’ot had not left us a tiny, tiny remnant, we would have become like S’dom, we would have resembled ’Amora.
Now, God’s words describe the effects on the nation that are the result of their abandonment. Israel is compared to a sukkah (temporary shelter) that is used during the harvest season but has no purpose once the harvest is over. This is a reminder that Israel was chosen by God to be a light to the world but they had abandoned that purpose and so they no longer had any use. God still gives them some encouragement as he reminds them that He left them some survivors (unlike the city of Gomorrah). This is referring to the destruction of the cities of Sodom & Gomorrah as described in Genesis 19 where they were totally destroyed. This same comparison can be used for many nations today as we have turned away from being led by God to our own ways. Sodom & Gomorrah had become a haven for all sorts of detestable sexual sins before their destruction. The parallel with our society today is scary and one can only wonder how long God will delay His judgment.
Isaiah 1:10
Hear what ADONAI says, you rulers of S’dom! Listen to God’s Torah, you people of ’Amora!
Now that the people have been told about the effects of their idolatry, God gives another plea to them to listen. He is not simply calling on them to listen to the words but to repent and put the words of God into action. The same plea is going out to us and to the local bodies of believers today.
Isaiah 1:11
“Why are all those sacrifices offered to me?” asks ADONAI. “I’m fed up with burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened animals! I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls, lambs and goats!
God is not a god of meaningless religious activity. The people were going through the motions of religious activities but their hearts were not right. God tells them that he doesn’t need their sacrifices to sustain him. The same can be true of us today in that God does not want us to just have a routine and go through the motions. He wants us to have the close personal relationship that Yeshua has with the Father. We may not bring animal sacrifices as the people of this day did but many times we can see our attendance at worship or other activities as our sacrifice to God. He doesn’t want that from us anymore than He wanted their animal sacrifices in an unworthy manner.
Isaiah 1:12–14
Yes, you come to appear in my presence; but who asked you to do this, to trample through my courtyards? Stop bringing worthless grain offerings! They are like disgusting incense to me! Rosh-Hodesh, Shabbat, calling convocations - I can’t stand evil together with your assemblies! Everything in me hates your Rosh-Hodesh and your festivals; they are a burden to me - I’m tired of putting up with them!
God continues to tell his people that all of their religious activities meant nothing to him and in fact they have become a burden. You can almost feel the way the people grudgingly went about their religious duties instead of truly worshiping God. The same can be said of many of us today only we now call them “ministries”. Many are doing so through their own power and without the anointing of God much like the “trampling of my courts” that God speaks of in this passage.
Isaiah 1:15
“When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; no matter how much you pray, I won’t be listening; because your hands are covered with blood.
God even tells his people in this verse to stop praying and to “make yourselves clean”. This is not talking about the ceremonial washing of the hands but points to the coming Messiah. This can be a reminder to us as well that there are requirements for prayer and that it is a privilege for God’s children.
Isaiah 1:16–17
“Wash yourselves clean! Get your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing evil, learn to do good! Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, defend orphans, plead for the widow.
God is calling the people to repent and showing them that true worship of Him is not about rituals. Here, the people are encouraged to put their faith in action by serving instead of just showing up at the temple and going through the motions. The same message is true for the church today as many are showing up on Sunday but that is the extent of their “worship”. It didn’t please God then and it doesn’t please Him now!
Isaiah 1:18
“Come now,” says ADONAI, “let’s talk this over together. Even if your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow; even if they are red as crimson, they will be like wool.
This verse is probably the most quoted of all of the book of Isaiah but it is also the most inaccurately quoted. In the Hebrew text, the verse opens with “Come please let us argue” and this shows us that it is God’s nature to forgive and argue is not a term of conflict but a term of discussion and coming to the truth of a matter. This verse tells of the promise of our sins being forgiven through the blood of Yeshua Messiah.
Isaiah 1:19–20
If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you will be eaten by the sword”; for the mouth of ADONAI has spoken.
Simply put, these two verses help us to understand that, after our sins are forgiven, we are called to obey. If we obey, we will be blessed. If we do not obey, the sword of Yeshua’s mouth will devour us. (He will deny us on judgment day.)
Isaiah 1:21
How the faithful city has become a whore! Once she was filled with justice, righteousness lodged in her; but now murderers!
The “faithful city” refers to Jerusalem and the fact that God has set aside the city to be holy. This verse is a lament of the fact that the holy city was inhabited by all sorts of false gods and religions. The same is true of Jerusalem today as it contains the Dome Of The Rock (Muslim holy site), the Wailing Wall (Jewish holy site), and various other “religious sites”. The same analogy is true of local bodies of believers (churches) of today as they have turned their back on the very word of God and allowed all sorts of false teachings to sway people from the truth.
Isaiah 1:22–23
Your silver is no longer pure, your wine is watered down. Your leaders are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and run after gifts. They give no justice to orphans, the widow’s complaint doesn’t catch their attention.
This passage describes the corruption of the city and its people as they have turned away from God. The city was chosen by God to be a beacon of light but they now seek to serve themselves instead of those that are less fortunate. This passage also describes our world today as it is normal and expected that everyone is out to get as much as they can for themselves. This is in direct contradiction to the word of God but it is a great opportunity for us, as Christians, to stand out and be the shining light that Yeshua called us to be.
Isaiah 1:24–25
“Therefore,” says the Lord, ADONAI-Tzva’ot, the Mighty One of Isra’el, “I will free myself of my adversaries, I will take vengeance on my enemies. But I will also turn my hand against you! I will cleanse your impurities as with lye and remove all your alloyed base metal.
This passage consists of a warning as well as a promise. God wants us to be made pure as that is the only way that we can have fellowship with Him. This passage says that God will get “relief” by purging the impurities. We, as Christians, need to stop and think about how our sins grieve God. If we are willing, God will remove the sin. If we hold onto the sinful practices, we will be removed along with the dross.
Isaiah 1:26–27
I will restore your judges as at first and your advisers as at the beginning. After that, you will be called the City of Righteousness, Faithful City. Tziyon will be redeemed by justice; and those in her who repent, by righteousness.
This passage tells of the promise for God’s people in that, after they repent and turn back to God, He will restore their relationship. The same promise is true for us today and we can have that right relationship with him through Yeshua Messiah.
Isaiah 1:28–31
“Rebels and sinners together will be broken and those who abandon ADONAI be consumed. You will be ashamed of the sacred oaks you desired, you will blush at the gardens you chose; for you will be like an oak whose leaf fades, like a garden without any water. The strong will be like tinder and maker like a spark; both will burn together, and no one will put them out.”
At this time, Babylon was controlled by the Assyrians and was planning a revolt against them. The ruler of Babylon wanted Judah to join him in that revolt with the promise of freedom. This passage is a warning to Judah about the consequences of trusting in a man instead of trusting in God. This same warning applies to us today as many Christians put their hope and trust in politicians to provide for them or to protect them. Our hope and trust (just like that of Judah in Isaiah’s days) must be in God alone or these same consequences will apply to us.