The Meaning of Isaiah 56:3 Explained

Isaiah 56:3

KJV: Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.

YLT: Nor speak let a son of the stranger, Who is joined unto Jehovah, saying: 'Jehovah doth certainly separate me from His people.' Nor say let the eunuch, 'Lo, I am a tree dried up,'

Darby: And let not the son of the alien, that hath joined himself to Jehovah, speak saying, Jehovah hath entirely separated me from his people; neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree;

ASV: Neither let the foreigner, that hath joined himself to Jehovah, speak, saying, Jehovah will surely separate me from his people; neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Neither let the son  of the stranger,  that hath joined  himself to the LORD,  speak,  saying,  The LORD  hath utterly  separated  me from his people:  neither let the eunuch  say,  Behold, I [am] a dry  tree. 

What does Isaiah 56:3 Mean?

Verse Meaning

In view of the priority of heartfelt obedience over mere ritual observance of the Law, the foreigner and eunuch, for example, should not feel hopeless, i.e, considering themselves lifeless or fruitless. All who genuinely seek the Lord ( Isaiah 55:6) would find acceptance by Him, even though they might not qualify for participation in the cultic worship of Israel (cf. Exodus 12:48-49).
God"s exclusion of foreigners and eunuchs from Israel"s public worship ( Deuteronomy 23:1-8) was not because these types of people were intrinsically evil and therefore unacceptable to Him. God excluded foreigners because He wanted to teach His people that opposition to His will and His people has abiding consequences. He excluded eunuchs because He wanted His people to learn that the destruction of sexual organs that He created has consequences. These consequences affected their worship of the Holy One of Israel, as well as their public life and their private life. Ruth and the Ethiopian eunuch are the proof that God accepts people on the basis of their faith in Him-in spite of their ancestry or personal history. Non-Israelites and disabled Israelites could enjoy the blessings of God"s salvation (personal salvation and millennial blessings) along with normal believing Israelites. This passage helps us understand the qualifications for elders and deacons in the New Testament. While the office may be closed to a particular individual because of acts he committed previously that have continuing consequences, he is fully acceptable to God and capable of serving Him in equally significant ministries.

Context Summary

Isaiah 56:1-12 - The Blessedness Of Sabbath-Keeping
The bright array of Messianic promises, which occupied the preceding chapters, is now followed by a portion of less interest, seeing that our attention is not now fastened on Christ, but on Israel. Birk calls this sermon "The Middle Ages of Delay," and says: "This new section of advice and warning belongs to this whole period from Isaiah to Christ. The like message applies now to the Church of Christ and its prospect of the Second Advent."
Special emphasis is laid on Sabbath-keeping because it was the special sign of God's connection with Israel. See Exodus 31:13-17; Ezekiel 20:12. It was also a type and pledge of the redemption rest, soon to be brought in and perfected by Christ's finished work, Hebrews 4:9-10.
What an ideal is presented here for character and conduct! To keep God's rest in our heart-the rest of faith; to cease from ourselves; to be joined to the Lord by one Spirit; to minister to Him; to love His name; to be His servants! What more could we imagine as characteristic of the Christian soul! Let us ask God to bring us to His "holy mountain" and to make us "joyful" in His "house of prayer." [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 56

1  The prophet exhorts to sanctification
3  He promises it shall be general, without respect of persons
9  He protests against blind watchmen

What do the individual words in Isaiah 56:3 mean?

And do not let speak the son of the foreigner who has joined himself to Yahweh saying utterly has separated me Yahweh from His people Nor let say the eunuch Here I [am] a tree dry -
וְאַל־ יֹאמַ֣ר בֶּן־ הַנֵּכָ֗ר הַנִּלְוָ֤ה אֶל־ יְהוָה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הַבְדֵּ֧ל יַבְדִּילַ֛נִי יְהוָ֖ה מֵעַ֣ל עַמּ֑וֹ וְאַל־ יֹאמַר֙ הַסָּרִ֔יס הֵ֥ן אֲנִ֖י עֵ֥ץ יָבֵֽשׁ ס

וְאַל־  And  do  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
יֹאמַ֣ר  let  speak 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
בֶּן־  the  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
הַנֵּכָ֗ר  of  the  foreigner 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֵכָר  
Sense: foreign, alien, foreignness, that which is foreign.
הַנִּלְוָ֤ה  who  has  joined  himself 
Parse: Article, Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: לָוָה 
Sense: to join, be joined.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לֵאמֹ֔ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הַבְדֵּ֧ל  utterly 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: בָּדַל  
Sense: to divide, separate.
יַבְדִּילַ֛נִי  has  separated  me 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: בָּדַל  
Sense: to divide, separate.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
עַמּ֑וֹ  His  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
וְאַל־  Nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
יֹאמַר֙  let  say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הַסָּרִ֔יס  the  eunuch 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סָרִיס  
Sense: official, eunuch.
הֵ֥ן  Here 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
אֲנִ֖י  I  [am] 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
עֵ֥ץ  a  tree 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
יָבֵֽשׁ  dry 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: יָבֵשׁ  
Sense: dry.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation