The Meaning of Isaiah 58:1 Explained

Isaiah 58:1

KJV: Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.

YLT: Call with the throat, restrain not, As a trumpet lift up thy voice, And declare to My people their transgression, And to the house of Jacob their sins;

Darby: Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and declare unto my people their transgression, and to the house of Jacob their sins.

ASV: Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and declare unto my people their transgression, and to the house of Jacob their sins.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Cry  aloud,  spare  not, lift  up thy voice  like a trumpet,  and shew  my people  their transgression,  and the house  of Jacob  their sins. 

What does Isaiah 58:1 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The transgressions and sins that the Lord called Isaiah to proclaim to His people were so serious that the prophet needed to grab their attention with loud announcements. The name "the house of Jacob" calls attention to the Jacob-like quality of the nation that God would expose, namely: the people"s attempts to manipulate God.

Context Summary

Isaiah 58:1-14 - The Fast That God Has Chosen
The divorce between outward rites and inward piety has been the curse of every age. When the Pharisees were plotting our Lord's death, they refused to enter Pilate's hall. Not the bowed head, but the broken heart; not the sackcloth and ashes of the flesh, but the contrition of the soul!
Notice the three paragraphs descriptive of the experiences of the devout and consecrated soul: (1.) The conditions of blessedness, Isaiah 58:6-7. (2.) The successive items which go to make a blessed life, Isaiah 58:8-12. (3.) The true Sabbath-keeping, Isaiah 58:13-14. Primarily, it is inward, not outward. Let us be on our watch against the entrance into our hearts of all thoughts that would break the holy inward calm. Remember to imitate Nehemiah's instructions: Nehemiah 13:16-22. Let the divine peace rule within and be as a sentinel keeping the outward gate, Colossians 3:15; Philippians 4:7. Cease to follow your own ways, or find your own pleasures, or speak your own words. Delight yourself in God; so shall you sit with Christ in heavenly places and feed at the heavenly table. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 58

1  The prophet, being sent to reprove hypocrisy,
3  shows the difference between a counterfeit fast and a true
8  He declares what promises are due unto godliness
13  And to the keeping of the Sabbath

What do the individual words in Isaiah 58:1 mean?

Cry aloud not spare like a trumpet Lift up your voice and Tell My people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins
קְרָ֤א בְגָרוֹן֙ אַל־ תַּחְשֹׂ֔ךְ כַּשּׁוֹפָ֖ר הָרֵ֣ם קוֹלֶ֑ךָ וְהַגֵּ֤ד לְעַמִּי֙ פִּשְׁעָ֔ם וּלְבֵ֥ית יַעֲקֹ֖ב חַטֹּאתָֽם

קְרָ֤א  Cry 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
בְגָרוֹן֙  aloud 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גָּרֹון  
Sense: neck, throat.
תַּחְשֹׂ֔ךְ  spare 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: חָשַׂךְ  
Sense: to withhold, restrain, hold back, keep in check, refrain.
כַּשּׁוֹפָ֖ר  like  a  trumpet 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֹׁופָר  
Sense: horn, ram’s horn.
הָרֵ֣ם  Lift  up 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: יָרוּם 
Sense: to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted.
קוֹלֶ֑ךָ  your  voice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
וְהַגֵּ֤ד  and  Tell 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
לְעַמִּי֙  My  people 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
פִּשְׁעָ֔ם  their  transgression 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: פֶּשַׁע  
Sense: transgression, rebellion.
וּלְבֵ֥ית  and  the  house 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יַעֲקֹ֖ב  of  Jacob 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעֲקֹב  
Sense: son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and father of the 2 patriarchs of the tribes of Israel.
חַטֹּאתָֽם  their  sins 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: חַטָּאָה 
Sense: sin, sinful.