The Meaning of Isaiah 58:5 Explained

Isaiah 58:5

KJV: 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?

YLT: Like this is the fast that I choose? The day of a man's afflicting his soul? To bow as a reed his head, And sackcloth and ashes spread out? This dost thou call a fast, And a desirable day -- to Jehovah?

Darby: Is such the fast that I have chosen, a day for a man to afflict his soul, that he should bow down his head as a bulrush, and spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Wilt thou call this a fast, and a day acceptable to Jehovah?

ASV: 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?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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? 

What does Isaiah 58:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

This was not the type of fasting God approved (cf. Isaiah 1:11; Psalm 51:16-17; Luke 18:9-14). It consisted only in His people bowing their heads, not their hearts. Bowing the head like a reed expresses formal worship, like a reed automatically bending in response to wind. The people sat in sackcloth and ashes, but they did not really mourn over their disobedience to the Lord. They thought their outward fasting, bowing, dressing, and adorning were more important than their attitudes and behavior, though they probably did not realize it and certainly did not admit it (cf. James 1:27; James 4:8).
"When we worship because it is the popular thing to do, not because it is the right thing to do, then our worship becomes hypocritical." [1]

Context Summary

Isaiah 58:1-14 - The Fast That God Has Chosen
The divorce between outward rites and inward piety has been the curse of every age. When the Pharisees were plotting our Lord's death, they refused to enter Pilate's hall. Not the bowed head, but the broken heart; not the sackcloth and ashes of the flesh, but the contrition of the soul!
Notice the three paragraphs descriptive of the experiences of the devout and consecrated soul: (1.) The conditions of blessedness, Isaiah 58:6-7. (2.) The successive items which go to make a blessed life, Isaiah 58:8-12. (3.) The true Sabbath-keeping, Isaiah 58:13-14. Primarily, it is inward, not outward. Let us be on our watch against the entrance into our hearts of all thoughts that would break the holy inward calm. Remember to imitate Nehemiah's instructions: Nehemiah 13:16-22. Let the divine peace rule within and be as a sentinel keeping the outward gate, Colossians 3:15; Philippians 4:7. Cease to follow your own ways, or find your own pleasures, or speak your own words. Delight yourself in God; so shall you sit with Christ in heavenly places and feed at the heavenly table. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 58

1  The prophet, being sent to reprove hypocrisy,
3  shows the difference between a counterfeit fast and a true
8  He declares what promises are due unto godliness
13  And to the keeping of the Sabbath

What do the individual words in Isaiah 58:5 mean?

Like this is it a fast that I have chosen a day to afflict for a man his soul [is it] to bow down like a bulrush his head and sackcloth and ashes to spread out would this you call a fast and day an acceptable to Yahweh
הֲכָזֶ֗ה יִֽהְיֶה֙ צ֣וֹם ؟ אֶבְחָרֵ֔הוּ י֛וֹם עַנּ֥וֹת אָדָ֖ם ؟ נַפְשׁ֑וֹ הֲלָכֹ֨ף כְּאַגְמֹ֜ן רֹאשׁ֗וֹ וְשַׂ֤ק וָאֵ֙פֶר֙ יַצִּ֔יעַ הֲלָזֶה֙ תִּקְרָא־ צ֔וֹם וְי֥וֹם רָצ֖וֹן ؟ לַיהוָֽה

הֲכָזֶ֗ה  Like  this 
Parse: Pg, Preposition-k, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
יִֽהְיֶה֙  is  it 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
צ֣וֹם  a  fast 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: צֹום  
Sense: fast, fasting.
؟ אֶבְחָרֵ֔הוּ  that  I  have  chosen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּחוּר 
Sense: to choose, elect, decide for.
י֛וֹם  a  day 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
עַנּ֥וֹת  to  afflict 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: עָנָה 
Sense: (Qal) to be occupied, be busied with.
אָדָ֖ם  for  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
؟ נַפְשׁ֑וֹ  his  soul 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
הֲלָכֹ֨ף  [is  it]  to  bow  down 
Parse: Preposition, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: כָּפַף  
Sense: to bend, bend down, bow down, be bent, be bowed.
כְּאַגְמֹ֜ן  like  a  bulrush 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַגְמֹון  
Sense: rush, bulrush.
רֹאשׁ֗וֹ  his  head 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
וְשַׂ֤ק  and  sackcloth 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׂק  
Sense: mesh, sackcloth, sack, sacking.
וָאֵ֙פֶר֙  and  ashes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵפֶר  
Sense: ashes.
יַצִּ֔יעַ  to  spread  out 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָצַע  
Sense: to spread out, make a bed.
הֲלָזֶה֙  would  this 
Parse: Pg, Preposition-l, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
תִּקְרָא־  you  call 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
צ֔וֹם  a  fast 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: צֹום  
Sense: fast, fasting.
וְי֥וֹם  and  day 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
רָצ֖וֹן  an  acceptable 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רָצֹון  
Sense: pleasure, delight, favour, goodwill, acceptance, will.
؟ לַיהוָֽה  to  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.