The Meaning of Isaiah 1:11 Explained

Isaiah 1:11

KJV: To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.

YLT: Why to Me the abundance of your sacrifices? saith Jehovah, I have been satiated with burnt-offerings of rams, And fat of fatlings; And blood of bullocks, and lambs, And he-goats I have not desired.

Darby: To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith Jehovah. I am sated with burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and in the blood of bullocks, and of lambs, and of he-goats I take no pleasure.

ASV: What unto me is the multitude of your sacrifices? saith Jehovah: I have had enough of the burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

To what  purpose [is] the multitude  of your sacrifices  unto me? saith  the LORD:  I am full  of the burnt offerings  of rams,  and the fat  of fed beasts;  and I delight  not in the blood  of bullocks,  or of lambs,  or of he goats. 

What does Isaiah 1:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 1:10-20 - Religion Without Righteousness Vain
The prophet points out, first the misery that had overtaken the country, Isaiah 1:4-9; and then the sins of the ruling classes, Isaiah 1:10; Isaiah 1:17; Isaiah 1:21-23. What may be called personal and private sins, such as drunkenness, vanity, bribery, and the oppression of the poor, are viewed in their public hearing, as bringing wrath and disaster on the whole nation. No man can sin by himself. His most private sins react on the whole community. Thistle-down floats far and wide. In reply, the nation pointed to the splendid ritual and innumerable sacrifices of the Temple service. But these observances only added to the tale of their sins, because they were formal and perfunctory. The sacrifice of God is a broken and contrite heart. The outward is absolutely worthless, unless it is the expression of the inward and the spiritual. But where a pure and holy spirit is present, the simplest forms are magnificent in their significance and value. To atone becomes the base of a ladder to heaven, and the thorn-bush flames with Deity. But forgiveness is freely offered to the guilty. Crimson and scarlet are the most lasting of all colors, and their removal impresses the completeness of God's pardoning love. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 1

1  Isaiah complains of Judah for her rebellion
5  He laments her judgments
10  He upbraids their whole service
16  He exhorts to repentance, with promises and threats
21  Bewailing their wickedness, he denounces God's judgments
25  He promises grace
28  And threatens destruction to the wicked

What do the individual words in Isaiah 1:11 mean?

Why to Me the multitude of your sacrifices says Yahweh I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle and the blood of bulls Or of lambs or goats not I do delight in
לָמָּה־ לִּ֤י רֹב־ זִבְחֵיכֶם֙ יֹאמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה שָׂבַ֛עְתִּי עֹל֥וֹת אֵילִ֖ים וְחֵ֣לֶב מְרִיאִ֑ים וְדַ֨ם פָּרִ֧ים וּכְבָשִׂ֛ים וְעַתּוּדִ֖ים לֹ֥א חָפָֽצְתִּי

לָמָּה־  Why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
לִּ֤י  to  Me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
רֹב־  the  multitude 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֹב  
Sense: multitude, abundance, greatness.
זִבְחֵיכֶם֙  of  your  sacrifices 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: זֶבַח  
Sense: sacrifice.
יֹאמַ֣ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
שָׂבַ֛עְתִּי  I  have  had  enough 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׂבַע  
Sense: to be satisfied, be sated, be fulfilled, be surfeited.
עֹל֥וֹת  of  burnt  offerings 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: עֹלָה  
Sense: whole burnt offering.
אֵילִ֖ים  of  rams 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אַיִל 
Sense: ram.
וְחֵ֣לֶב  and  the  fat 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חֵלֶב  
Sense: fat.
מְרִיאִ֑ים  of  fed  cattle 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מָרָא 
Sense: well-fed, fatling.
וְדַ֨ם  and  the  blood 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
פָּרִ֧ים  of  bulls 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: פַּר  
Sense: .
וּכְבָשִׂ֛ים  Or  of  lambs 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֶּבֶשׂ  
Sense: lamb, sheep, young ram.
וְעַתּוּדִ֖ים  or  goats 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: עַתּוּד  
Sense: ram, he-goat, chief one.
חָפָֽצְתִּי  I  do  delight  in 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: חָפֵץ 
Sense: to delight in, take pleasure in, desire, be pleased with.