Isaiah 1:3

World English Bible

The ox knows his owner, And the donkey his master's crib; But Israel doesn't know, My people don't consider.

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
An ox knows its owner,And a donkey its master's manger,But Israel does not know;My people do not perceive."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"An ox knows its owner, And a donkey its master's manger, But Israel does not know, My people do not understand."

Bishop's Bible (1568)
The oxe hath knowen his owner, and the asse his maisters cribbe: [but] Israel hath not knowen, my people hath geuen no heede.

Darby Translation
The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; Israel doth not know, my people hath no intelligence.

New King James Version
The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master's crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider."

Literal Translation
The ox knows his owner, and the ass his master's manger, but Israel does not know; My people have not understood.

Easy-to-Read Version
A bull knows its master, and a donkey knows where its owner feeds it. But Israel does not know me. My people do not understand."

King James Version (1611)
The oxe knoweth his owner, and the asse his masters cribbe: but Israel doeth not know, my people doeth not consider.

King James Version
The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
An oxe knoweth his LORDE, and an Asse his masters stall, but Israel knoweth nothinge, my people hath no vnderstondinge.

Amplified Bible
"The ox [instinctively] knows its owner, And the donkey its master's feeding trough, But Israel does not know [Me as LORD], My people do not understand."

American Standard Version
The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

Bible in Basic English
Even the ox has knowledge of its owner, and the ass of the place where its master puts its food: but Israel has no knowledge, my people give no thought to me.

Update Bible Version
The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master's crib; [but] Israel does not know, my people do not consider.

Webster's Bible Translation
The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: [but] Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

New English Translation
An ox recognizes its owner, a donkey recognizes where its owner puts its food; but Israel does not recognize me, my people do not understand."

Contemporary English Version
Oxen and donkeys know who owns and feeds them, but my people won't ever learn."

Complete Jewish Bible
An ox knows its owner and a donkey its master's stall, but Isra'el does not know, my people do not reflect.

Geneva Bible (1587)
The oxe knoweth his owner, and the asse his masters crib: but Israel hath not knowen: my people hath not vnderstand.

George Lamsa Translation
The ox knows its owner, and the ass its masters crib; but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.

Hebrew Names Version
The ox knows his owner, And the donkey his master's crib; But Yisra'el doesn't know, My people don't consider.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel doth not know, My people doth not consider.

New Living Translation
Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master's care— but Israel doesn't know its master. My people don't recognize my care for them."

New Life Bible
An ox knows its owner. A donkey knows where to find the food its owner gives it. But Israel does not know. My people do not understand."

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
The ox knows his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel does not know me, and the people has not regarded me.

English Revised Version
The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

Berean Standard Bible
The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's manger, but Israel does not know; My people do not understand."

New Revised Standard
The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib; but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
An ox knoweth, his owner, And an ass his masters crib, - Israel, doth not know, My people doth not consider.

Douay-Rheims Bible
The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel hath not known me, and my people hath not understood.

Lexham English Bible
An ox knows its owner and a donkey the manger of its master. Israel does not know; my people do not understand.

English Standard Version
The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand."

New American Standard Bible
"An ox knows its owner, And a donkey its master's manger, But Israel does not know, My people do not understand."

New Century Version
An ox knows its master, and a donkey knows where its owner feeds it, but the people of Israel do not know me; my people do not understand."

Good News Translation
Cattle know who owns them, and donkeys know where their master feeds them. But that is more than my people Israel know. They don't understand at all."

Christian Standard Bible®
The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's feeding trough, but Israel does not know; My people do not understand."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
An oxe knew his lord, and an asse knew the cratche of his lord; but Israel knewe not me, and my puple vndurstood not.

Revised Standard Version
The ox knows its owner, and the ass its master's crib; but Israel does not know, my people does not understand."

Young's Literal Translation
An ox hath known its owner, And an ass the crib of its master, Israel hath not known, My people hath not understood.

Contextual Overview

² Hear, heavens, And listen, earth; for Yahweh has spoken: I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against me. ³ The ox knows his owner, And the donkey his master's crib; But Israel doesn't know, My people don't consider. ⁴ Ah sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A seed of evil-doers, Children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken Yahweh. They have despised the Holy One of Israel. They are estranged and backward. ⁵ Why should you be beaten more, That you revolt more and more? The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faint. ⁶ From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it: Wounds, welts, and open sores. They haven't been closed, neither bandaged, neither soothed with oil. ⁷ Your country is desolate. Your cities are burned with fire. Strangers devour your land in your presence, And it is desolate, As overthrown by strangers. ⁸ The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, Like a hut in a field of melons, Like a besieged city. ⁹ Unless Yahweh of hosts had left to us a very small remnant, We would have been as Sodom; We would have been like Gomorrah.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

ox: Proverbs 6:6, Jeremiah 8:7

but Israel: Isaiah 5:12, Isaiah 27:11, Isaiah 44:18, Deuteronomy 32:28, Deuteronomy 32:29, Psalms 94:8, Jeremiah 4:22, Jeremiah 9:3-6, Jeremiah 10:8, Jeremiah 10:14, Matthew 13:13-15, Matthew 13:19, Romans 1:28, 2 Peter 3:5

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 4:39 - and consider Deuteronomy 8:5 - consider Job 12:7 - But ask Job 34:27 - would Job 39:9 - or Psalms 73:22 - as a Psalms 92:6 - A brutish Proverbs 1:17 - in vain Proverbs 12:1 - he that Isaiah 5:13 - because Isaiah 42:20 - Seeing Jeremiah 2:13 - For my Jeremiah 35:16 - General Ezekiel 16:30 - weak Hosea 2:8 - she Hosea 4:6 - My people Hosea 7:2 - consider not in Mark 11:33 - We Mark 14:45 - Master 2 Timothy 2:7 - Consider Hebrews 3:1 - consider

Cross-References

Job 36:30
Behold, he spreads his light around him. He covers the bottom of the sea.

Job 38:19
"What is the way to the dwelling of light? As for darkness, where is the place of it,

Psalms 33:6
By the word of Yahweh were the heavens made, All the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

Psalms 33:9
For he spoke, and it was done. He commanded, and it stood firm.

Psalms 97:11
Light is sown for the righteous, And gladness for the upright in heart.

Psalms 104:2
He covers himself with light as with a garment. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain.

Psalms 118:27
Yahweh is God, and he has given us light. Bind the sacrifice with cords, even to the horns of the altar.

Psalms 148:5
Let them praise the name of Yahweh, For he commanded, and they were created.

Isaiah 45:7
I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil. I am Yahweh, who does all these things.

Isaiah 60:19
The sun shall be no more your light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light to you: but Yahweh will be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The ox knoweth his owner,.... Knows his voice, when he calls him, and follows him where he leads him, whether to plough in the field, or feed in the meadows;

and the ass his masters crib, or "manger"; where he is fed, and to which he goes when he wants food, and at the usual times. Gussetius w interprets the words; the ass knows the floor where he treads out the corn, and willingly goes to it, though it is to labour, as well as to eat; and so puts Israel to shame, who were weary of the worship of God in the temple, where spiritual food was provided for them, but chose not to go for it, because of labour there.

[But] Israel doth not know; his Maker and Owner, his King, Lord, and Master, his Father, Saviour, and Redeemer; he does not own and acknowledge him, but rejects him; see John 1:10.

My people doth not consider; the Jews, who were the people of God by profession, did not stir themselves up to consider, nor make use of means of knowing and understanding, divine and spiritual things, as the word used x signifies; they would not attend to the word and ordinances, which answer to the crib or manger; they would not hear nor regard the ministry of the word by Christ and his apostles, nor suffer others, but hindered them as much as in them lay; see Matthew 23:13. The Targum is,

"Israel does not learn to know my fear, my people do not understand to turn to my law.''

In like manner the more than brutal stupidity of this people is exposed in Jeremiah 8:7.

w Comment. Ling. Ebr. p. 13, 14. x התבונן a כזן "intellexit". So Gussetius says it signifies a spontaneous application, by which you stir up yourself to understand; which is an action leading to wisdom, and without which no man can be wise, Comment. Ling. Ebr. p. 121.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The ox ... - The design of this comparison is to show the great stupidity and ingratitude of the Jews. Even the least sagacious and most stupid of the animals, destitute as they are of reason and conscience, evince knowledge anal submission far more than the professed people of God. The ox is a well known domestic animal, remarkable for patient willingness to toil, and for submission to his owner.

Knoweth his owner - Recognizes, or is submissive to him.

The ass - A well known animal, proverbial for dulness and stupidity.

His master’s crib - אבוס 'êbûs from אבס 'âbas, to heap up, and then to fatten. Hence, it is applied to the stall, barn, or crib, where cattle are fed, or made fat; Job 39:9; Proverbs 14:4. The donkey has sufficient knowledge to understand that his support is derived from that. The idea is, that the ox was more submissive to laws than the Jews; and that even the most stupid animal better knew from where support was to be derived, than they did the source of their comfort and protection. The donkey would not wander away, and the ox would not rebel as they had done. This comparison was very striking, and very humiliating, and nothing could be more suited to bring down their pride. A similar comparison is used elsewhere. Thus, in Jeremiah 8:7, the Jews are contrasted with the stork: ‘Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle Dove, and the crane, and the swallow, observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the Lord.’ This idea has been beautifully expressed by Watts:

The brutes obey their God,

And bow their necks to men;

But we more base, more brutish things,

Reject his easy reign.

Compare Hosea 11:4.

But Israel - The name Israel, though after the division of the tribes into two kingdoms specifically employed to denote that of the ten tribes, is often used in the more general sense to denote the whole people of the Jews, including the kingdom of Judah. It refers here to the kingdom of Judah, though a name is used which is not inappropriately characteristic of the whole people.

Doth not know - The Latin Vulgate, the Septuagint, and the Arabic, add the word ‘me.’ The word know is used in the sense of recognizing him as their Lord; of acknowledging him, or submitting to him.

Doth not consider - Hebrew, Do not “understand.” They have a stupidity greater than the brute.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 1:3. The ox knoweth — An amplification of the gross insensibility of the disobedient Jews, by comparing them with the most heavy and stupid of all animals, yet not so insensible as they. Bochart has well illustrated the comparison, and shown the peculiar force of it. "He sets them lower than the beasts, and even than the most stupid of all beasts, for there is scarcely any more so than the ox and the ass. Yet these acknowledge their master; they know the manger of their lord; by whom they are fed, not for their own, but for his good; neither are they looked upon as children, but as beasts of burden; neither are they advanced to honours, but oppressed with great and daily labours. While the Israelites, chosen by the mere favour of God, adopted as sons, promoted to the highest dignity, yet acknowledged not their Lord and their God; but despised his commandments, though in the highest degree equitable and just." Hieroz. i., col. 409.

Jeremiah's comparison to the same purpose is equally elegant, but has not so much spirit and severity as this of Isaiah.

"Even the stork in the heavens knoweth her season;

And the turtle, and the swallow, and the crane, observe

the time of their coming:

But my people doth not know the judgment of JEHOVAH.

Jeremiah 8:7.

Hosea has given a very elegant turn to the same image, in the way of metaphor or allegory: -

"I drew them with human cords, with the bands of love:

And I was to them as he that lifteth up the yoke upon

their cheek;

And I laid down their fodder before them."

Hosea 11:4.

Salomo ben Melech thus explains the middle part of the verse, which is somewhat obscure: "I was to them at their desire as they that have compassion on a heifer, lest she be overworked in ploughing; and that lift up the yoke from off her neck, and rest it upon her cheek that she may not still draw, but rest from her labour an hour or two in the day."

But Israel — The Septuagint, Syriac, Aquila, Theodotion, and Vulgate, read וישראל veyisrael, BUT Israel, adding the conjunction, which being rendered as an adversative, sets the opposition in a stronger light.

Doth not know — The same ancient versions agree in adding ME, which very properly answers, and indeed is almost necessarily required to answer, the words possessor and lord preceding. Ισραηλ δε ΜΕ ουκ εγνω; Sept. "Israel autem ME non cognovit," Vulg. Ισραηλ δε ΜΟΥ ουκ εγνω; Aquil., Theod. The testimony of so scrupulous an interpreter as Aquila is of great weight in this case. And both his and Theodotion's rendering is such as shows plainly that they did not add the word ΜΟΥ to help out the sense, for it only embarrasses it. It also clearly determines what was the original reading in the old copies from which they translated. It could not be ידעני yedani, which most obviously answers to the version of the Septuagint and Vulgate, for it does not accord with that of Aquila and Theodotion. The version of these latter interpreters, however injudicious, clearly ascertains both the phrase, and the order of the words of the original Hebrew; it was ישראל אותי לא ידע veyisrael othi lo yada. The word אותי othi has been lost out of the text. The very same phrase is used by Jeremiah, Jeremiah 4:22, עמי אותי לא ידעו ammi othi lo yadau. And the order of the words must have been as above represented; for they have joined ישראל yisrael, with אותי othi, as in regimine; they could not have taken it in this sense, Israel MEUS non cognovit, had either this phrase or the order of the words been different. I have endeavoured to set this matter in a clear light, as it is the first example of a whole word lost out of the text, of which the reader will find many other plain examples in the course of these notes. But Rosenmuller contends that this is unnecessary, as the passage may be translated, "Israel knows nothing: my people have no understanding."

The Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read ועמי veammi, "and my people;" and so likewise sixteen MSS. of Kennicott, and fourteen of De Rossi.