Isaias 58:3

Filipino Cebuano Bible

3 Busa ngano man nga kami nanagpuasa, nanag-ingon sila, ug ikaw wala makakita? ngano man nga kami nanagsakit sa among kalag, ug ikaw wala magtagad? Ania karon, sa adlaw sa inyong pagpuasa kamo nakakaplag sa inyong kaugalingon nga kahimut-an, ug nagapaningil sa inyong mga bulohaton.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

have we fasted: Numbers 23:4, Micah 3:9-11, Zechariah 7:5-7, Malachi 3:14, Matthew 20:11, Matthew 20:12, Luke 15:29, Luke 18:9-12

afflicted: Leviticus 16:29, Leviticus 16:31, Leviticus 23:27, Psalms 69:10

in: Daniel 10:2, Daniel 10:3, Jonah 3:6-8

exact: Nehemiah 5:7, Proverbs 28:9, Jeremiah 34:9-17, Matthew 18:28-35

labours: or, things wherewith ye grieve others, Heb. griefs. Isaiah 47:6, Exodus 2:23, Exodus 2:24

Reciprocal: Exodus 21:20 - smite Exodus 23:12 - and the son Leviticus 23:32 - afflict Leviticus 25:43 - rule Numbers 29:7 - afflict Deuteronomy 15:2 - exact it 1 Samuel 4:3 - Wherefore Ezra 8:21 - afflict ourselves Job 39:7 - driver Psalms 35:13 - humbled Psalms 80:4 - how long Isaiah 29:13 - Forasmuch Isaiah 58:5 - a day for a man to afflict his soul Jeremiah 2:35 - Because Jeremiah 14:12 - they fast Malachi 2:14 - Wherefore Matthew 6:16 - be Matthew 25:24 - I knew Luke 5:33 - Why Luke 18:12 - fast Ephesians 6:9 - ye Colossians 4:1 - give 1 Timothy 4:8 - bodily James 1:7 - General

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not?.... Our fasting; takest no notice of it; expresses no approbation of it, and pleasure in it: this is put for all religious services, being what was frequently performed under the Old Testament, not only at certain times appointed by the Lord, but on other occasions, and of their own fixing; in which they put their confidence, and often boasted of,

Luke 18:12: "wherefore have we afflicted our soul", by fasting, "and thou takest no knowledge?" of that, nor of us, and dost not save us from our enemies, and deliver us from our troubles, and bestow favours on us: they had a high opinion of their own performances, and thought that God must have likewise; and were displeased that he showed no more regard unto them:

behold, in the day of your fast you find pleasure; this, and what follows in the two next verses, are an answer to their questions, and give reasons why the Lord took no more notice of their fasting, or of their services; because they were not done aright, they found their own pleasure in them; not that they indulged to bodily recreations and carnal delights, but they gratified the inward desires of the flesh, malice, envy, and the like; and they pleased themselves with their own duties, and fancied they procured the favour of God by them:

and exact all your labours; of their servants, or their money of their debtors; they grieved and afflicted their debtors, by demanding their debts of them, as Jarchi interprets it; and that in a very rigorous manner, requiring whole and immediate payment; or, as it is usual with establishments, they require an exact conformity to their manner of service, worship, and discipline.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Wherefore have we fasted - They had fasted much, evidently with the expectation of delivering themselves from impending calamities, and securing the divine favor. They are here introduced as saying that they had been disappointed. God had not interposed as they had expected. Chagrined and mortified, they now complain that he had not noticed their very conscientious and faithful regard for the duties of religion.

And thou seest not? - All had been in vain. Calamities still impended; judgments threatened; and there were no tokens of the divine approbation. Hypocrites depend on their fastings and prayers as laying God under obligation to save them. If he does not interpose, they complain and murmur. When fasting is the result of a humble and broken heart, it is acceptable; when it is instituted as a means of purchasing the divine favor, and as laying God under obligation, it can be followed by no happy result to the soul.

Have we afflicted our soul - By fasting. Twenty-one manuscripts (six ancient), says Lowth, have this in the plural number - ‘our souls’ and so the Septuagint, Chaldee, and the Vulgate. The sense is not materially affected, however. It is evident here that they regarded their numerous fastings as laying the foundation of a claim on the favor of God, and that they were disposed to complain when that claim was not acknowledged. Fasting, like other religious duties, is proper; but in that, as in all other services of religion, there is danger of supposing that we bring God under obligations, and that we are laying the foundation of a claim to his favor.

Thou takest no knowledge - Thou dost not regard our numerous acts of self-denial.

Behold, in the day of your fast you find pleasure - The prophet here proceeds to state the reasons why their fastings were not succeeded as they supposed they would be, by the divine favor. The first reason which he states is, that even when they were fasting, they were giving full indulgence to their depraved appetites and lusts. The Syriac has well rendered this, ‘In the day of your fasting you indulge your lusts, and draw near to all your idols.’ This also was evidently the case with the Jews in the time of the Saviour. They were Characterized repeatedly by him as ‘an evil and adulterous generation,’ and yet no generation perhaps was ever more punctual and strict in the external duties of fasting and other religious ceremonies.

And exact all your labors - This is the second reason why their fasting was attended with no more happy results. The margin renders this ‘griefs,’ or things wherewith ye grieve others.’ Lowth renders it, ‘All your demands of labor ye rigorously exact.’ Castellio renders it, ‘And all things which are due to you, you exact.’ The word rendered here ‘labors’ denotes usually hard and painful labor; toil, travail, etc. The Septuagint renders it here, ‘And goad (ὑπονύσσετε huponussete) all those who are under your control’ (τοὺς ὑποχειρίους ὑμῶν tous hupocheirious humōn). The idea seems to be that they were at that time oppressive in exacting all that was due to them; they remitted nothing, they forgave nothing. Alas, how often is this still true! People may be most diligent in the external duties of religion; most abundant in fasting and in prayer, and at the same time most unyielding in demanding all that is due to them. Like Shylock - another Jew like those in the time of Isaiah - they may demand ‘the pound of flesh,’ at the same time that they may be most formal, punctual, precise, and bigoted in the performance of the external duties of religion. The sentiment taught here is, that if we desire to keep a fast that shall be acceptable to God, it must be such as shall cause us to unbind heavy burdens from the poor, and to lead us to relax the rigor of the claims which would be oppressive on those who are subject to us (see Isaiah 58:6).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 58:3. Have we adopted our soul - "Have we afflicted our souls"] Twenty-seven MSS. (six ancient) of Dr. Kennicott's, thirty-six of De Rossi's, and two of my own, and the old edition of 1488 have the noun in the plural number, נפשינו naphsheynu, our souls; and so the Septuagint, Chaldee, and Vulgate. This reading is undoubtedly genuine.

In the day of your fast ye find pleasure — Fast days are generally called holidays, and holidays are days of idleness and pleasure. In numberless cases the fast is turned into a feast.

And exact all your labours. — Some disregard the most sacred fast, and will oblige their servant to work all day long; others use fast days for the purpose of settling their accounts, posting up their books, and drawing out their bills to be ready to collect their debts. These are sneaking hypocrites; the others are daringly irreligious.