Isaiah 66:3
in Isaiah 66Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who slays a man; whoever sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever presents a grain offering is like one who offers pig’s blood; whoever offers frankincense is like one who blesses an idol. Indeed, they have chosen their own ways and delighted in their abominations.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He that killeth an ox is as he that slayeth a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as he that breaketh a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as he that offereth swine’s blood; he that burneth frankincense, as he that blesseth an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations:
KJV
He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.
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This verse in Isaiah 66
Commentary
10 notes on this verse(Vers. 2, 3.) But to whom shall I look, except to the poor and contrite in spirit, and trembling at my words? He who slaughters an ox is like one who slays a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog's neck; he who presents a grain offering, like one who offers pig's blood; he who remembers frankincense, like one who blesses an idol. LXX: And to whom shall I look, except to the humble and peaceful, and trembling at my words? But unjust is the one who sacrifices a calf as if striking a man.
This site's exposition
Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who slays a man
on Isaiah 66:3-4
Each lawful act is paired with an atrocity: “Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who slays a man”. The worshippers kept the forms while “they have chosen their own ways and delighted in their abominations”. Their choosing is answered by His: “So I will choose their punishment”.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
He is angry with them, saying by Isaiah, "Who has required these of your hands?" And by Jeremiah, since they were very bold, he threatens, "Gather together your whole burnt offerings with your sacrifices, and eat flesh, for I did not speak to your ancestors or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."
By these words he rejected the worship prescribed by the law by teaching this; it was for their sake that he had established this legislation from early times, not because he took pleasure in their sacrifices but because he was exercising forethought for them in …
The Medieval Church1 voice
Second, he excludes the confidence that they took from their rites of sacrifice. And first, he sets out their rejection: he that sacrifices an ox, is as if he slew a man, as if to say: their sacrifices are so abominable, as if they were …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The unbelieving Jews, after the gospel was preached and in it notice given of the offering up of the great sacrifice, which put an end to all the ceremonial services, continued to offer sacrifices, as if the law of Moses had been still in force and could make the comers thereunto perfect: this was an abomination.
He that killeth an ox, is as if he slew a man,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
God loathes even the sacrifices of the wicked (Isa 1:11; 28:9). is as if--LOWTH not so well omits these words: "He that killeth an ox (presently after) murders a man" (as in Eze 23:39). But the omission in the Hebrew of "is as if"--increases the force of the comparison.
He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man “He that slayeth an ox killeth a man” - These are instances of wickedness joined with hypocrisy; of the most flagitious crimes committed by those who at the same time affected great strictness in the performance of all the external services of religion. God, by the Prophet Ezekiel, upbraids the Jews with the same practices: “When they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it,” Eze 23:39. Of the same kind was the hypocrisy of the Pharisees in our Savior’s time:” who devoured widows’ houses, and for a pretense made long prayers,” Mat 23:14. The generality of interpreters, by departing from the literal rendering of the text, have totally lost the true sense of it, and have substituted in its place what makes no good sense at all; for it is not easy to show how, in any circumstances, sacrifice and murder, the presenting of legal offerings and idolatrous worship, can possibly be of the same account in the sight of God. He that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood “That maketh an oblation offereth swine’s blood” - A word here likewise, necessary to complete the sense, is perhaps irrecoverably lost out of the text. The Vulgate and Chaldee add the word offereth, to make out the sense; not, as I imagine, from any different reading, (for the word wanted seems to have been lost before the time of the oldest of them as the Septuagint had it not in their copy,; but from mere necessity. Le Clerc thinks that מעלה maaleh is to be repeated from the beginning of this member; but that is not the case in the parallel members, which have another and a different verb in the second place, “דם dam, sic Versiones; putarem tamen legendum participium aliquod, et quidem זבח zabach, cum sequatur ח cheth, nisi jam praecesserat.” - Secker. Houbigant supplies אכל achal, eateth. […]
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man - Lowth and Noyes render this, ‘He that slayeth an ox, killeth a man.’ This is a literal translation of the Hebrew.
The words behind it
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שׁוֹחֵ֨ט | shochet | [one who] slaughters | H7819 → | 81 times |
| הַשּׁ֜וֹר | hashor | <the> ox | H7794 → | 79 times |
| מַכֵּה־ | makeh- | [one who] strikes down | H5221 → | 499 times |
| אִ֗ישׁ | ʾish | <of> a person | H376 → | 1663 times |
| זוֹבֵ֤חַ | zoveach | [one who] sacrifices | H2076 → | 134 times |
| הַשֶּׂה֙ | haseh | <the> lamb | H7716 → | 47 times |
| עֹ֣רֵֽף | ʾoref | [one who] breaks [the] neck of | H6202 → | |
| כֶּ֔לֶב | kelev | a dog | H3611 → | 32 times |
| מַעֲלֵ֤ה | maaleh | [one who] offers up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| מִנְחָה֙ | minchah | <of> a grain offering | H4503 → | 211 times |
| דַּם־ | dam- | [the] blood of | H1818 → | 360 times |
| חֲזִ֔יר | chazir | a pig | H2386 → | 7 times |
| מַזְכִּ֥יר | mazkir | [one who] offers as a memorial | H2142 → | 230 times |
| לְבֹנָ֖ה | levonah | frankincense | H3828 → | 21 times |
| מְבָ֣רֵֽךְ | mevarekh | [one who] blesses | H1288 → | 330 times |
| אָ֑וֶן | ʾaven | wickedness | H205 → | 77 times |
| גַּם־ | gam- | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| הֵ֗מָּה | hemah | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| בָּֽחֲרוּ֙ | bacharu | they have chosen | H977 → | 171 times |
| בְּדַרְכֵיהֶ֔ם | bedarkheihem | <in> own ways their | H1870 → | 707 times |
| וּבְשִׁקּוּצֵיהֶ֖ם | uveshikutzeihem | and <in> detestable things their | H8251 → | |
| נַפְשָׁ֥ם | nafsham | self their | H5315 → | 754 times |
| חָפֵֽצָה׃ | chafetzah | it has delighted | H2654 → | 74 times |
שׁוֹחֵ֨ט[one who] slaughters
shochetH7819 →81 times
הַשּׁ֜וֹר<the> ox
hashorH7794 →79 times
מַכֵּה־[one who] strikes down
makeh-H5221 →499 times
אִ֗ישׁ<of> a person
ʾishH376 →1663 times
זוֹבֵ֤חַ[one who] sacrifices
zoveachH2076 →134 times
הַשֶּׂה֙<the> lamb
hasehH7716 →47 times
עֹ֣רֵֽף[one who] breaks [the] neck of
ʾorefH6202 →
כֶּ֔לֶבa dog
kelevH3611 →32 times
מַעֲלֵ֤ה[one who] offers up
maalehH5927 →890 times
מִנְחָה֙<of> a grain offering
minchahH4503 →211 times
דַּם־[the] blood of
dam-H1818 →360 times
חֲזִ֔ירa pig
chazirH2386 →7 times
מַזְכִּ֥יר[one who] offers as a memorial
mazkirH2142 →230 times
לְבֹנָ֖הfrankincense
levonahH3828 →21 times
מְבָ֣רֵֽךְ[one who] blesses
mevarekhH1288 →330 times
אָ֑וֶןwickedness
ʾavenH205 →77 times
גַּם־also
gam-H1571 →769 times
הֵ֗מָּהthey
hemahH1992 →553 times
בָּֽחֲרוּ֙they have chosen
bacharuH977 →171 times
בְּדַרְכֵיהֶ֔ם<in> own ways their
bedarkheihemH1870 →707 times
וּבְשִׁקּוּצֵיהֶ֖םand <in> detestable things their
uveshikutzeihemH8251 →
נַפְשָׁ֥םself their
nafshamH5315 →754 times
חָפֵֽצָה׃it has delighted
chafetzahH2654 →74 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
Proverbs 15:8The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.
it leads to
- Proverbs 15:29
The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.
- 1 Chronicles 29:17
I know, my God, that You test the heart and delight in uprightness. All these things I have given willingly and with an upright heart, and now I have seen Your people who are…
- Proverbs 21:27
The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable—how much more so when brought with ill intent!
- Isaiah 1:10–15
Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
- Jeremiah 6:20
What use to Me is frankincense from Sheba or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please Me.”
- Proverbs 15:29
Through
Isaiah 66:17“Those who consecrate and purify themselves to enter the groves—to follow one in the center of those who eat the flesh of swine and vermin and rats—will perish together,” declares the LORD.
it leads to
- Isaiah 65:3–4
to a people who continually provoke Me to My face, sacrificing in the gardens and burning incense on altars of brick,
- Deuteronomy 14:3–8
You must not eat any detestable thing.
- Isaiah 65:3–4
Through
Leviticus 2:2and bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the flour and oil, together with all the frankincense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar,…
it leads to
- Leviticus 5:12
He is to bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful from it as a memorial portion and burn it on the altar atop the offerings made by fire to the LORD;…
- Leviticus 5:12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Isaiah
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Athanasius of Alexandria, FESTAL LETTERS 19:2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 20:66.3 and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.