The Meaning of Isaiah 65:11 Explained

Isaiah 65:11

KJV: But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number.

YLT: And ye are those forsaking Jehovah, Who are forgetting My holy mountain, Who are setting in array for Gad a table, And who are filling for Meni a mixture.

Darby: But ye who forsake Jehovah, who forget my holy mountain, who prepare a table for Gad, and fill up mixed wine unto Meni:

ASV: But ye that forsake Jehovah, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for Fortune, and that fill up mingled wine unto Destiny;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But ye [are] they that forsake  the LORD,  that forget  my holy  mountain,  that prepare  a table  for that troop,  and that furnish  the drink offering  unto that number. 

What does Isaiah 65:11 Mean?

Verse Meaning

In contrast to these faithful were those who forsook the Lord, who forgot Jerusalem as the specified place of His worship, and who participated in ritual meals to the gods Fortune and Destiny (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:21-22). Isaiah was using examples of idolatry that were present in his generation of Israelites to represent the idolatry that would exist after the exile. "Fortune" (Heb. gd) was an Aramean god (cf. Joshua 11:17; Joshua 15:37), and "Destiny" (Heb. mny) means "apportionment (of fate)" and may have a connection with the goddess "Manat" of Arabian mythology. [1] These may have been what became identified later with the planets Jupiter ("the greater luck") and Venus ("the lesser luck"), or with the sun and moon. [2]

Context Summary

Isaiah 65:1-12 - A Seed Rescued From Destruction
The prophet now enumerates the reasons that forced the Lord to turn aside from the Chosen People, and call in the Gentiles to occupy the place and perform the mission which they had despised and forfeited. Paul makes memorable reference to this passage. See Romans 10:20-21. Their gardens were scenes of debauchery; their altars were covered by polluting engravings; they practiced necromancy in the graveyards, and ate swine's flesh, Isaiah 65:3-4. Fortune and destiny were their chosen deities, Isaiah 65:11, r.v. While professing greater holiness than others, the land was filled with abominations.
But the Lord ever discriminates between the righteous and the wicked. Did He not spare Noah and Lot and Caleb? There has always been a faithful remnant, and these become the seed germs of a new nation. Ponder Isaiah 65:8-10. Then ask that your life may be like the new young grapes of the vineyard, on which the blessing of God rests! [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 65

1  The calling of the Gentiles,
2  and the rejection of the Jews, for their incredulity, idolatry, and hypocrisy
8  A remnant shall be saved
11  Judgments on the wicked, and blessings on the godly
17  The blessed state of the new Jerusalem

What do the individual words in Isaiah 65:11 mean?

But you [are] those who forsake Yahweh who forget - mountain My holy who prepare for Gad a table and who furnish for Meni a drink offering
וְאַתֶּם֙ עֹזְבֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה הַשְּׁכֵחִ֖ים אֶת־ הַ֣ר קָדְשִׁ֑י הַֽעֹרְכִ֤ים לַגַּד֙ שֻׁלְחָ֔ן וְהַֽמְמַלְאִ֖ים לַמְנִ֥י מִמְסָֽךְ

וְאַתֶּם֙  But  you  [are] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine plural
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
עֹזְבֵ֣י  those  who  forsake 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: עָזַב 
Sense: to leave, loose, forsake.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הַשְּׁכֵחִ֖ים  who  forget 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: כָּשַׁח 
Sense: to forget, ignore, wither.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַ֣ר  mountain 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
קָדְשִׁ֑י  My  holy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
הַֽעֹרְכִ֤ים  who  prepare 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: עָרַךְ  
Sense: to arrange, set or put or lay in order, set in array, prepare, order, ordain, handle, furnish, esteem, equal, direct, compare.
לַגַּד֙  for  Gad 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: גַּד  
Sense: fortune, good fortune.
שֻׁלְחָ֔ן  a  table 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֻׁלְחָן  
Sense: table.
וְהַֽמְמַלְאִ֖ים  and  who  furnish 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine plural
Root: מָלֵא 
Sense: to fill, be full.
לַמְנִ֥י  for  Meni 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְנִי  
Sense: god of fate who the Jews worshipped in Babylonia.
מִמְסָֽךְ  a  drink  offering 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִמְסָךְ  
Sense: mixed drink, mixed wine, drink-offering.