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Isaiah 58:5

Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?

KJV

Numquid tale est jejunium quod elegi, per diem affligere hominem animam suam ? numquid contorquere quasi circulum caput suum, et saccum et cinerem sternere ? numquid istud vocabis jejunium, et diem acceptabilem Domino ?

Vulgate

οὐ ταύτην τὴν νηστείαν ἐξελεξάμην, καὶ ἡμέραν ταπεινοῦν ἄνθρωπον τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ· οὐδ’ ἂν κάμψῃς ὡς κρίκον τὸν τράχηλόν σου, καὶ σάκκον καὶ σποδὸν ὑποστρώσῃ, οὐδ’ οὕτως καλέσετε νηστείαν δεκτήν.

LXX

Is such the fast that I have chosen? the day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a rush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to Jehovah?

ASV

הֲ/כָ/זֶ֗ה יִֽהְיֶה֙ צ֣וֹם אֶבְחָרֵ֔/הוּ י֛וֹם עַנּ֥וֹת אָדָ֖ם נַפְשׁ֑/וֹ הֲ/לָ/כֹ֨ף כְּ/אַגְמֹ֜ן רֹאשׁ֗/וֹ וְ/שַׂ֤ק וָ/אֵ֨פֶר֙ יַצִּ֔יעַ הֲ/לָ/זֶה֙ תִּקְרָא צ֔וֹם וְ/י֥וֹם רָצ֖וֹן לַ/יהוָֽה

Hebrew

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In the original Hebrew

17 distinct Hebrew words appear in this verse.

אֵֽפֶר
'pr
noun · 21×
אַגְמ֖וֹן
'gmvn
noun · 4×
אָדָ֖ם
'dm
noun · 545×
בָּחַ֣ר
bchr
verb · 168×
וֹ
v
verb · 83×
וֹ
v
noun · 53×
זֶּֽה
zh
pronoun · 1173×
י
y
noun · 752×
יְהִי֙
yhy
verb · 3549×
יְהוָ֖ה
yhvh
proper_noun · 6455×
יֻצַּ֖ע
yts'
verb · 4×
יּ֣וֹם
yvm
noun · 2285×
יִּקְרָ֥א
yqr'
verb · 737×
כֹ֨ף
kp
verb · 5×
צ֣וֹם
tsvm
noun · 26×
רֹ֣אשׁ
r'sh
noun · 593×
שַׂקִּ֔ים
shqym
noun · 48×

Themes

Historic Christian voices

6 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

He says to them again, concerning these things, "Why do ye fast for Me, as on this day, saith the Lord, that your voice should be heard with a cry? I have not chosen this fast, saith the Lord, that a man should humble his soul."
Q. What does God require of you in this commandment? A. That I do whatever I can for my neighbor's good, that I treat others as I would like them to treat me, and that I work faithfully so that I may share with those in need.
We see that in the ancient churches there were certain times appointed for holy days, or feasts, and appointed solemn assemblies for their orderly celebration. We permit the churches to celebrate the memory of the Lord's nativity, circumcision, passion, resurrection, and of his ascension into heaven, and the sending of the Holy Spirit upon his disciples. We approve of fasting a…

Cross-references

  • 1Kgs 21:27 — And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.
  • 1Kgs 21:27 — And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.
  • 1Pet 2:5 — Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
  • 2Chr 20:3 — And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
  • Dan 4:27 — Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.
  • Dan 9:3 — And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
  • Eph 5:10 — Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
  • Esth 4:3 — And in every province, whithersoever the king’s commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
  • Esth 4:3 — And in every province, whithersoever the king’s commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
  • Esth 4:16 — Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto
  • Ezra 8:21 — Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.
  • Ezra 10:6 — Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the
  • Isa 49:8 — Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth
  • Isa 58:3 — Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours
  • Isa 61:2 — To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
  • Job 2:8 — And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.
  • Job 42:6 — Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
  • Lev 16:29 — And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a
  • Lev 16:29 — And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a
  • Lev 16:31 — It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.
  • Lev 23:27 — Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LO
  • Luke 4:19 — To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
  • Mark 12:33 — And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and s
  • Neh 9:1 — Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.
  • Ps 35:13 — But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
  • Ps 69:13 — But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.
  • Rom 12:2 — And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
  • Zech 7:5 — Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?