The Meaning of Isaiah 29:13 Explained

Isaiah 29:13

KJV: Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

YLT: And the Lord saith: Because drawn near hath this people, with its mouth, And with its lips they have honoured Me, And its heart it hath put far off from Me, And their fear of Me is -- A precept of men is taught!

Darby: And the Lord saith, Forasmuch as this people draw near with their mouth, and honour me with their lips, but their heart is removed far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught of men;

ASV: And the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw nigh unto me , and with their mouth and with their lips to honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which hath been taught them ;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Wherefore the Lord  said,  Forasmuch  as this people  draw near  [me] with their mouth,  and with their lips  do honour  me, but have removed  their heart  far  from me, and their fear  toward me is taught  by the precept  of men: 

What does Isaiah 29:13 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord had observed that the people of Jerusalem were going through the motions of worship without a vital, daily relationship of trust and obedience with Him. Their worship was a matter of traditional ritual observance, rather than a heartfelt desire to interact with Him (cf. Matthew 15:9; John 4:23-24).

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 29

1  God's heavy judgment upon Jerusalem
7  The insatiableness of her enemies
9  The senselessness
13  And deep hypocrisy of the people
17  A promise of sanctification to the godly

What do the individual words in Isaiah 29:13 mean?

Therefore said Yahweh because Inasmuch as draw near people this with their mouths and with their lips honor Me but their hearts have removed far from Me and is their fear toward Me by the commandment of men taught
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲדֹנָ֗י יַ֚עַן כִּ֤י נִגַּשׁ֙ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה בְּפִ֤יו וּבִשְׂפָתָיו֙ כִּבְּד֔וּנִי וְלִבּ֖וֹ רִחַ֣ק מִמֶּ֑נִּי וַתְּהִ֤י יִרְאָתָם֙ אֹתִ֔י מִצְוַ֥ת אֲנָשִׁ֖ים מְלֻמָּדָֽה

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  Therefore  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲדֹנָ֗י  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
יַ֚עַן  because 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַעַן  
Sense: because, therefore, because that, on account of prep.
כִּ֤י  Inasmuch  as 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
נִגַּשׁ֙  draw  near 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָגַשׁ  
Sense: to draw near, approach.
הָעָ֣ם  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הַזֶּ֔ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
בְּפִ֤יו  with  their  mouths 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
וּבִשְׂפָתָיו֙  and  with  their  lips 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, fdc, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׂפָה  
Sense: lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding.
כִּבְּד֔וּנִי  honor  Me 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person common plural, first person common singular
Root: כָּבֵד  
Sense: to be heavy, be weighty, be grievous, be hard, be rich, be honourable, be glorious, be burdensome, be honoured.
וְלִבּ֖וֹ  but  their  hearts 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
רִחַ֣ק  have  removed  far 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָחַק  
Sense: to be or become far, be or become distant, be removed, go far away.
מִמֶּ֑נִּי  from  Me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
וַתְּהִ֤י  and  is 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
יִרְאָתָם֙  their  fear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: יָרֵא  
Sense: fearing, reverent, afraid.
אֹתִ֔י  toward  Me 
Parse: Direct object marker, first person common singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מִצְוַ֥ת  by  the  commandment 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מִצְוָה  
Sense: commandment.
אֲנָשִׁ֖ים  of  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
מְלֻמָּדָֽה  taught 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Participle, feminine singular
Root: לָמַד  
Sense: to learn. teach, exercise in.