Isaiah 58:6
in Isaiah 58Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to break the chains of wickedness, to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and tear off every yoke?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
KJV
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
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This verse in Isaiah 58
Commentary
9 notes on this verse(Verses 6, 7.) Isn't this the fast that I have chosen? To loosen the chains of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Isn't it to share your bread with the hungry, and to bring the poor who are cast out into your house? When you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Isn't it to deal your bread to the hungry, and that you bring the poor who are cast out to your house?
This site's exposition
Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen
on Isaiah 58:6-7
“Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen” answers verse 5 with justice in place of posture: “to break the chains of wickedness”, “to set the oppressed free and tear off every yoke”. Verse 7 makes it concrete in the home and the street: “to share your bread with the hungry”, “to clothe the naked when you see him”. Henry reads verses 6 and 7 as a matched set, freedom for the oppressed and bread for the hungry.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Do you see, dearly beloved, what true fasting really is? Let us perform this kind and not entertain the facile notion held by many that the essence of fasting lies in going without food till evening. This is not the end in view, but that we should demonstrate, along with abstinence from food, abstinence also from whatever is harmful, and should give close attention to spiritual duties. The person fasting ought to be reserved, peaceful, meek, humble, indifferent to the esteem of this world.
The Medieval Church1 voice
1027. Is not this rather the fast that I have chosen? Here he brings in useful counsel. And first, as to the zeal of piety towards one's neighbor; second, as to the worship of religious duty toward God: if you turn away (Isa 58:13). Concerning …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Is not this the fast that I have chosen?....
It is to undo the heavy burden laid on the back of the poor servant, under which he is ready to sink. It is to let the oppressed go free from the oppression which makes his life bitter to him.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Let the oppressed go free - How can any nation pretend to fast or worship God at all, or dare to profess that they believe in the existence of such a Being, while they carry on the slave trade, and traffic in the souls, blood, and bodies, of men! O ye most flagitious of knaves, and worst of hypocrites, cast off at once the mask of religion; and deepen not your endless perdition by professing the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, while ye continue in this traffic!
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Servitude, a fraudulent contract, &c. undo . . . heavy burdens--Hebrew, "loose the bands of the yoke." oppressed--literally, "the broken." The expression, "to let go free," implies that those "broken" with the yoke of slavery, are meant (Ne 5:10-12;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? - Fasting is right and proper; but that which God approves will prompt to, and will be followed by, deeds of justice, kindness, charity. The prophet proceeds to specify very particularly what God required, and when the observance of seasons of fasting would be acceptable to him. To loose the bands of wickedness - This is the first thing to be done in order that their fasting might be acceptable to the Lord. The idea is, that they were to dissolve every tie which unjustly bound their fellowmen. The Chaldee renders it, ‘Separate the congregation of impiety;’ but the more probable sense is, that if they were exercising any unjust and cruel authority over others; if they had bound them in any way contrary to the laws of God and the interests of justice, they were to release them. This might refer to their compelling others to servitude more rigidly than the law of Moses allowed; or to holding them to contracts which had been fraudulently made; or to their exacting strict payment from persons wholly incapacitated to meet their obligations; or it might refer to their subjecting others to more rigid service than was allowed by the laws of Moses, but it would not require a very ardent imagination for anyone to see, that if he held slaves at all, that this came fairly under the description of the prophet. […]
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הֲל֣וֹא | halo' | ¿ not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| זֶה֮ | zeh | [is] this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| צ֣וֹם | tzom | [the] fast | H6685 → | 26 times |
| אֶבְחָרֵהוּ֒ | ʾevcharehu | [which] I choose it | H977 → | 171 times |
| פַּתֵּ֙חַ֙ | pateach | to loosen | H6605 → | 144 times |
| חַרְצֻבּ֣וֹת | chartzubot | [the] bonds of | H2784 → | |
| רֶ֔שַׁע | resha' | wickedness | H7562 → | |
| הַתֵּ֖ר | hater | to unfasten | H5425 → | |
| אֲגֻדּ֣וֹת | ʾagudot | [the] bindings of | H92 → | |
| מוֹטָ֑ה | motah | [the] yoke-bar | H4133 → | 12 times |
| וְשַׁלַּ֤ח | veshalach | and to let go | H7971 → | 845 times |
| רְצוּצִים֙ | retzutzim | crushed [people] | H7533 → | 19 times |
| חָפְשִׁ֔ים | chafeshim | free [people] | H2670 → | |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מוֹטָ֖ה | motah | yoke-bar | H4133 → | 12 times |
| תְּנַתֵּֽקוּ׃ | tenateku | you will tear apart | H5423 → | 27 times |
הֲל֣וֹא¿ not
halo'H3808 →5168 times
זֶה֮[is] this
zehH2088 →1180 times
צ֣וֹם[the] fast
tzomH6685 →26 times
אֶבְחָרֵהוּ֒[which] I choose it
ʾevcharehuH977 →171 times
פַּתֵּ֙חַ֙to loosen
pateachH6605 →144 times
חַרְצֻבּ֣וֹת[the] bonds of
chartzubotH2784 →
רֶ֔שַׁעwickedness
resha'H7562 →
הַתֵּ֖רto unfasten
haterH5425 →
אֲגֻדּ֣וֹת[the] bindings of
ʾagudotH92 →
מוֹטָ֑ה[the] yoke-bar
motahH4133 →12 times
וְשַׁלַּ֤חand to let go
veshalachH7971 →845 times
רְצוּצִים֙crushed [people]
retzutzimH7533 →19 times
חָפְשִׁ֔יםfree [people]
chafeshimH2670 →
וְכָל־and every
vekholH3605 →5413 times
מוֹטָ֖הyoke-bar
motahH4133 →12 times
תְּנַתֵּֽקוּ׃you will tear apart
tenatekuH5423 →27 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 58:9Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry out, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 29:12–13
Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
- Psalms 50:15
Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
- Isaiah 65:24
Even before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear.
- Matthew 7:7–8
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
- Psalms 91:15
When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him.
- Jeremiah 29:12–13
Through
1 Timothy 6:1All who are under the yoke of slavery should regard their masters as fully worthy of honor, so that God’s name and our teaching will not be discredited.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 2:17–20
Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
- Ephesians 6:5–8
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.
- Titus 2:8–10
and wholesome speech that is above reproach, so that anyone who opposes us will be ashamed, having nothing bad to say about us.
- 1 Peter 2:17–20
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Isaiah
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 8:15; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.