Isaiah 66:4
in Isaiah 66So I will choose their punishment and I will bring terror upon them, because I called and no one answered, I spoke and no one listened. But they did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did that which was evil in mine eyes, and chose that wherein I delighted not.
KJV
I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.
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This verse in Isaiah 66
Commentary
9 notes on this verse(Verse 4.) They have chosen all these things in their ways, and their soul delighted in their abominations. Therefore I will also choose their delusions, and I will bring upon them what they feared. Because when I called, there was none that answered; when I spoke, they did not hear. They did evil in my sight and chose what I did not desire. (Septuagint: And they chose their own ways, and their soul desired their abominations; and I will choose their delusions, and I will repay them for their sins.)
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”.
This site's exposition
So I will choose their punishment
Barnes gives the Hebrew behind punishment as calamity, and he sets aside the older rendering, delusions. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown read the terror as the thing they feared, which their chosen abominations were meant to avert. The charge that no one answered when He called repeats 65:12.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
Second, he threatens punishment: wherefore I also will choose their mockeries: he shall scorn the scorners (Prov 3:34); the fear which I feared, has come upon me: and that which I was afraid of, has befallen me (Job 3:25). Third, he denounces the hardness of …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 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.
) who, when God spoke, would not hear; but, if some will not, others sill. If the heart tremble at the word, the ear will be open to it. Now what is here said to them?
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
I also will choose their delusions,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
I also will choose their delusions - Margin, ‘Devices.’ The Hebrew word rendered here ‘delusions’ and ‘devices’ (תעלוּלים ta‛ălûlı̂ym) properly denotes petulance, sauciness; and then vexation, adverse destiny, from עלל ‛âlal, to do, to accomplish, to do evil, to maltreat. It is not used in the sense of delusions, or devices; and evidently here means the same as calamity or punishment. Compare the Hebrew in Lam 1:
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
However, the Hebrew means rather "vexations," "calamities," which also the parallelism to "fears" requires; "choose their calamities" means, "choose the calamities which they thought to escape by their own ways." their fears--the things they feared, to avert which their idolatrous "abominations" (Isa 66:3) were practised.
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| גַּם־ | gam- | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| אֲנִ֞י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| אֶבְחַ֣ר | ʾevchar | I will choose | H977 → | 171 times |
| בְּתַעֲלֻלֵיהֶ֗ם | betaaluleihem | <in> punishments their | H8586 → | |
| וּמְגֽוּרֹתָם֙ | umegurotam | and fears their | H4035 → | |
| אָבִ֣יא | ʾavi' | I will bring | H935 → | 2568 times |
| לָהֶ֔ם | lahem | to them | ||
| יַ֤עַן | yaan | because | H3282 → | 99 times |
| קָרָ֙אתִי֙ | karati | I called | H7121 → | 733 times |
| וְאֵ֣ין | veein | and there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| עוֹנֶ֔ה | oneh | [was one who] answered | H6030 → | 331 times |
| דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי | dibarti | I spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| שָׁמֵ֑עוּ | shameu | they listened | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| וַיַּעֲשׂ֤וּ | vaiyaasu | and they did | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| הָרַע֙ | hara' | the evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
| בְּעֵינַ֔י | beeinai | in view my | H5869 → | 887 times |
| וּבַאֲשֶׁ֥ר | uvaasher | and <in> [that] which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| חָפַ֖צְתִּי | chafatzti | I desired | H2654 → | 74 times |
| בָּחָֽרוּ׃ ס | bacharu | they chose | H977 → | 171 times |
גַּם־also
gam-H1571 →769 times
אֲנִ֞יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
אֶבְחַ֣רI will choose
ʾevcharH977 →171 times
בְּתַעֲלֻלֵיהֶ֗ם<in> punishments their
betaaluleihemH8586 →
וּמְגֽוּרֹתָם֙and fears their
umegurotamH4035 →
אָבִ֣יאI will bring
ʾavi'H935 →2568 times
לָהֶ֔םto them
lahem
יַ֤עַןbecause
yaanH3282 →99 times
קָרָ֙אתִי֙I called
karatiH7121 →733 times
וְאֵ֣יןand there not
veeinH369 →789 times
עוֹנֶ֔ה[was one who] answered
onehH6030 →331 times
דִּבַּ֖רְתִּיI spoke
dibartiH1696 →1141 times
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
שָׁמֵ֑עוּthey listened
shameuH8085 →1159 times
וַיַּעֲשׂ֤וּand they did
vaiyaasuH6213 →2628 times
הָרַע֙the evil
hara'H7451 →662 times
בְּעֵינַ֔יin view my
beeinaiH5869 →887 times
וּבַאֲשֶׁ֥רand <in> [that] which
uvaasherH834 →5497 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
חָפַ֖צְתִּיI desired
chafatztiH2654 →74 times
בָּחָֽרוּ׃ סthey chose
bacharuH977 →171 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 1:24Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand,
it leads to
- Jeremiah 7:13
And now, because you have done all these things, declares the LORD, and because I have spoken to you again and again but you would not listen, and I have called to you but…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Romans 10:21
But as for Israel he says: “All day long I have held out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”
- Isaiah 65:12
I will destine you for the sword, and you will all kneel down to be slaughtered, because I called and you did not answer, I spoke and you did not listen; you did evil…
- Jeremiah 7:13
Through
Proverbs 10:24What the wicked man dreads will overtake him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
it leads to
- Psalms 145:19
He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.
- Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
- Job 15:21
Sounds of terror fill his ears; in his prosperity the destroyer attacks him.
- 1 John 5:14–15
And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
- Psalms 37:4
Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
- Psalms 145:19
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Isaiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; 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 Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.