Isaiah 56: Verse-by-Verse Commentary (with Videos)

12 verses · 4 video commentaries from 3 courses · Berean Standard Bible

¹This is what the LORD says: “Maintain justice and do what is right, for My salvation is coming soon, and My righteousness will be revealed.

²Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without profaning it and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”

³Let no foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, “The LORD will utterly exclude me from His people.” And let the eunuch not say, “I am but a dry tree.”

⁴For this is what the LORD says: “To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, who choose what pleases Me and hold fast to My covenant—

⁵I will give them, in My house and within My walls, a memorial and a name better than that of sons and daughters. I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off.

⁶And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD to minister to Him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be His servants—all who keep the Sabbath without profaning it and who hold fast to My covenant—

⁷I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar, for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.”

⁸Thus declares the Lord GOD, who gathers the dispersed of Israel: “I will gather to them still others besides those already gathered.”

⁹Come, all you beasts of the field; eat greedily, all you beasts of the forest.

¹⁰Israel’s watchmen are blind, they are all oblivious; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they are dreamers lying around, loving to slumber.

¹¹Like ravenous dogs, they are never satisfied. They are shepherds with no discernment; they all turn to their own way, each one seeking his own gain:

¹²“Come, let me get the wine, let us imbibe the strong drink, and tomorrow will be like today, only far better!”

Isaiah 56 Section and Chapter Commentary

Isa 56:1-12

The shift between Isaiah 55 and 56: salvation moves back into the future

Joel Baden says there is a shift between Isaiah 55 and 56 that you only notice once you understand Second Isaiah's message. Isaiah 56 opens with a call to do what is right because salvation is soon to come, blesses the one who keeps the Sabbath, and welcomes foreigners and eunuchs into the sanctuary alongside those already gathered home, language he says is not found in chapters 40 through 55, where the restoration itself was the salvation. He reads the condemnations in Isaiah 57, foreign gods worshiped under every green tree and a people who pay God no heed, as a prophet looking forward in time: even the exile did not change Israel's behavior.

Summarized by AI · The Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Literature of Ancient Israel · Lecture 17: Isaiah | In Three Acts · watch the clip

Isaiah 56 Verse Notes

Isa 56:1-2

Third Isaiah's Disillusionment with the Restoration

The final chapters of Isaiah, attributed to 'Third Isaiah,' express deep disappointment that the post-exilic restoration did not bring about the expected moral and spiritual transformation of Israel. This prophet observes continued wickedness, idolatry, and a lack of fear for God among the returned exiles, suggesting that the people failed to grasp the message of the restoration and necessitating an even stronger call for obedience and justice.

Summarized by AI · The Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Literature of Ancient Israel · Lecture 17: Isaiah | In Three Acts · watch the clip

Isa 56:2-5

Inclusion of Foreigners and Eunuchs in Isaiah 56

In contrast to exclusionary views, Isaiah 56 advocates for the inclusion of foreigners and eunuchs who join themselves to the Lord, keep the Sabbath, and hold fast to His covenant. It promises them a 'monument and a name' within God's house, better than sons and daughters, and an everlasting name that will not be cut off. This vision promotes a more expansive understanding of God's people, welcoming those typically excluded by stricter interpretations of the law.

Summarized by AI · Judaism Before Jesus · Lecture 1: Out of the Ashes | Restoration After the Exile · watch the clip

Isa 56:4-5

Importance of a lasting name and descendants

Isaiah 56:4-5 highlights the importance of a 'memorial and a name better than sons and daughters' for temple eunuchs, reflecting a concern similar to Mesopotamian sources about having descendants to remember and care for one's spirit after death. This emphasizes the cultural value placed on remembrance and legacy.

Summarized by AI · Before the Bible: Mesopotamia and the Myths that Shaped Scripture · Lecture 2: From Gilgamesh to Genesis · watch the clip