The Meaning of Isaiah 65:4 Explained

Isaiah 65:4

KJV: Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;

YLT: Who are dwelling among sepulchres, And lodge in reserved places, Who are eating flesh of the sow, And a piece of abominable things -- their vessels.

Darby: who sit down among the graves, and lodge in the secret places; who eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;

ASV: that sit among the graves, and lodge in the secret places; that eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Which remain  among the graves,  and lodge  in the monuments,  which eat  swine's  flesh,  and broth  of abominable  [things is in] their vessels; 

What does Isaiah 65:4 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Israelites also engaged in pagan practices that rendered them unclean, and they were not careful to avoid the defilement caused by disregard for God"s will. God"s standards of discipline and holiness were of no concern to them (cf. Revelation 21:8; Revelation 22:15).
"Sitting in the tombs and lodging between the rocks appear to be rituals of the cult of the dead, that Isaiah , necromancy in which one contacts the spirits of the dead by spending the night in the cemeteries." [1]

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 65:4 mean?

who sit among the graves and in the tombs spend the night who eat flesh of swine - and the broth of abominable things is [in] their vessels
הַיֹּֽשְׁבִים֙ בַּקְּבָרִ֔ים וּבַנְּצוּרִ֖ים יָלִ֑ינוּ הָאֹֽכְלִים֙ בְּשַׂ֣ר הַחֲזִ֔יר [ופרק] (וּמְרַ֥ק) פִּגֻּלִ֖ים כְּלֵיהֶֽם

הַיֹּֽשְׁבִים֙  who  sit 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בַּקְּבָרִ֔ים  among  the  graves 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: קֶבֶר  
Sense: grave, sepulchre, tomb.
וּבַנְּצוּרִ֖ים  and  in  the  tombs 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine plural
Root: נְצוּרִים 
Sense: to guard, watch, watch over, keep.
יָלִ֑ינוּ  spend  the  night 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: לוּן 
Sense: to lodge, stop over, pass the night, abide.
הָאֹֽכְלִים֙  who  eat 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
בְּשַׂ֣ר  flesh 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בָּשָׂר  
Sense: flesh.
הַחֲזִ֔יר  of  swine 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֲזִיר  
Sense: hog, swine, boar.
[ופרק]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
(וּמְרַ֥ק)  and  the  broth  of 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פָּרָק  
Sense: fragment, broken crumb, broth.
פִּגֻּלִ֖ים  abominable  things 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: פִּגּוּל  
Sense: foul thing, refuse.
כְּלֵיהֶֽם  is  [in]  their  vessels 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: כְּלִי  
Sense: article, vessel, implement, utensil.