Isaiah 48:2

"“Hear this, house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel, and have come out of the waters of Judah. You swear by the LORD’s name, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness—"

Key Reflection

This passage highlights the hypocrisy of the Israelites, who professed loyalty to God while living unrighteously. They claimed to be God's chosen people and citizens of His holy city but consistently failed to live according to His covenant and standards, thus desecrating His name among the nations.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

For they call themselves of the holy city -Of Jerusalem (seeIsaiah 52:1;Nehemiah 11:1;Matthew 4:5;Matthew 27:53;Revelation 21:2-27). The word rendered ‘for’ here, (כיkı̂y) means, as it often does, “although”; and the sense is, although they call themselves of the holy city, they do not worship God in sincerity and truth. Jerusalem was called ‘the holy city,’ because the temple, the ark, and the symbol of the divine presence were there, and it was the place where God was worshipped. It was deemed sacred by the Jews, and they regarded it as sufficient proof of goodness, it would seem, that they had dwelt there.

More from Isaiah 48

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Go deeper with Bible.talk - your AI Bible study companion