The Meaning of Isaiah 58:2 Explained

Isaiah 58:2

KJV: Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.

YLT: Seeing -- Me day by day they seek, And the knowledge of My ways they desire, As a nation that righteousness hath done, And the judgment of its God hath not forsaken, They ask of me judgments of righteousness, The drawing near of God they desire:

Darby: Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that doeth righteousness, and hath not forsaken the ordinance of their God; they ask of me the ordinances of righteousness, they take delight in approaching to God:

ASV: Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways: as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God, they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near unto God.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Yet they seek  me daily,  and delight  to know  my ways,  as a nation  that did  righteousness,  and forsook  not the ordinance  of their God:  they ask  of me the ordinances  of justice;  they take delight  in approaching  to God. 

What does Isaiah 58:2 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Even though the Israelites sinned, they sought the Lord constantly and inquired concerning His ways. They claimed to be a righteous people who had observed the Mosaic Law carefully. They asked God for justice, and they delighted in the thought that He was near them.

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 58:2 mean?

And yet Me day by day they seek and to know My ways delight as a nation that righteousness did and the ordinance of their God Not did forsake they ask of Me the ordinances of justice in approaching God they take delight
וְאוֹתִ֗י י֥וֹם יוֹם֙ יִדְרֹשׁ֔וּן וְדַ֥עַת דְּרָכַ֖י יֶחְפָּצ֑וּן כְּג֞וֹי אֲשֶׁר־ צְדָקָ֣ה עָשָׂ֗ה וּמִשְׁפַּ֤ט אֱלֹהָיו֙ לֹ֣א עָזָ֔ב יִשְׁאָל֙וּנִי֙ מִשְׁפְּטֵי־ צֶ֔דֶק קִרְבַ֥ת אֱלֹהִ֖ים יֶחְפָּצֽוּן

וְאוֹתִ֗י  And  yet  Me 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, 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.
י֥וֹם  day 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
יוֹם֙  by  day 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
יִדְרֹשׁ֔וּן  they  seek 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: דַּרְיׄושׁ 
Sense: to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require.
וְדַ֥עַת  and  to  know 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: דַּעַת 
Sense: knowledge.
דְּרָכַ֖י  My  ways 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, first person common singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
יֶחְפָּצ֑וּן  delight 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: חָפֵץ 
Sense: to delight in, take pleasure in, desire, be pleased with.
כְּג֞וֹי  as  a  nation 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
צְדָקָ֣ה  righteousness 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: צְדָקָה  
Sense: justice, righteousness.
וּמִשְׁפַּ֤ט  and  the  ordinance 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
אֱלֹהָיו֙  of  their  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
עָזָ֔ב  did  forsake 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָזַב 
Sense: to leave, loose, forsake.
יִשְׁאָל֙וּנִי֙  they  ask  of  Me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, first person common singular
Root: שָׁאַל 
Sense: to ask, enquire, borrow, beg.
מִשְׁפְּטֵי־  the  ordinances 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
צֶ֔דֶק  of  justice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: צֶדֶק  
Sense: justice, rightness, righteousness.
קִרְבַ֥ת  in  approaching 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: קִרְבָה  
Sense: an approach, a drawing near.
אֱלֹהִ֖ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
יֶחְפָּצֽוּן  they  take  delight 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: חָפֵץ 
Sense: to delight in, take pleasure in, desire, be pleased with.