Isaiah 58:2
New International Version
For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them.

New Living Translation
Yet they act so pious! They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to learn all about me. They act like a righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God. They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me.

English Standard Version
Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God.

Berean Standard Bible
For day after day they seek Me and delight to know My ways, like a nation that does what is right and does not forsake the justice of their God. They ask Me for righteous judgments; they delight in the nearness of God.”

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Yet they seek Me daily, And delight to know My ways, As a nation that did righteousness, And did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; They take delight in approaching God.

New American Standard Bible
“Yet they seek Me day by day and delight to know My ways, As a nation that has done righteousness And has not forsaken the ordinance of their God. They ask Me for just decisions, They delight in the nearness of God.

NASB 1995
“Yet they seek Me day by day and delight to know My ways, As a nation that has done righteousness And has not forsaken the ordinance of their God. They ask Me for just decisions, They delight in the nearness of God.

NASB 1977
“Yet they seek Me day by day, and delight to know My ways, As a nation that has done righteousness, And has not forsaken the ordinance of their God. They ask Me for just decisions, They delight in the nearness of God.

Legacy Standard Bible
Yet they seek Me day by day and find pleasure in knowing My ways, As a nation that has done righteousness And has not forsaken the judgment of their God. They ask Me for righteous judgments; They find pleasure in the nearness of God.

Amplified Bible
“Yet they seek Me day by day and delight [superficially] to know My ways, As [if they were in reality] a nation that has done righteousness And has not abandoned (turned away from) the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me righteous judgments, They delight in the nearness of God.

Christian Standard Bible
They seek me day after day and delight to know my ways, like a nation that does what is right and does not abandon the justice of their God. They ask me for righteous judgments; they delight in the nearness of God.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They seek Me day after day and delight to know My ways, like a nation that does what is right and does not abandon the justice of their God. They ask Me for righteous judgments; they delight in the nearness of God."”

American Standard Version
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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And they seek for me every day, and they seek to know my ways, like a people that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of its God. They ask me for judgment and righteousness and they seek to be brought near to God

Brenton Septuagint Translation
They seek me day by day, and desire to know my ways, as a people that had done righteousness, and had not forsaken the judgment of their God: they now ask of me righteous judgment, and desire to draw nigh to God,

Contemporary English Version
Day after day, you worship him and seem eager to learn his teachings. You act like a nation that wants to do right by obeying his laws. You ask him about justice, and say you enjoy worshiping the LORD.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For they seek me from day to day, sad desire to know my ways, as a nation that hath done justice, and hath not forsaken the judgment of their God: they ask of me the judgments of justice: they are willing to approach to God.

English Revised Version
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 ordinances, they delight to draw near unto God.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They look for me every day and want to know my ways. They act as if they were a nation that has done what is right and as if they haven't disregarded God's judgment [on them]. They ask me for just decrees. They want God to be near them.

Good News Translation
They worship me every day, claiming that they are eager to know my ways and obey my laws. They say they want me to give them just laws and that they take pleasure in worshiping me."

International Standard Version
They seek me day after day, and are eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practices righteousness and has not forsaken the justice of their God. "They ask me to reveal just decisions; they are eager to draw near to God.

JPS Tanakh 1917
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 ordinances, They delight to draw near unto God.

Literal Standard Version
They seek Me day by day, | And they desire the knowledge of My ways, | As a nation that has done righteousness, | And has not forsaken the judgment of its God, | They ask of Me judgments of righteousness, | They desire the drawing near of God:

Majority Standard Bible
For day after day they seek Me and delight to know My ways, like a nation that does what is right and does not forsake the justice of their God. They ask Me for righteous judgments; they delight in the nearness of God.”

New American Bible
They seek me day after day, and desire to know my ways, Like a nation that has done what is just and not abandoned the judgment of their God; They ask of me just judgments, they desire to draw near to God.

NET Bible
They seek me day after day; they want to know my requirements, like a nation that does what is right and does not reject the law of their God. They ask me for just decrees; they want to be near God.

New Revised Standard Version
Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God.

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

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways. As a nation that did righteousness, and didn’t forsake the ordinance of their God, they ask of me righteous judgments. They delight to draw near to God.

Young's Literal Translation
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:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
True Fasts and Sabbaths
1“Cry aloud, do not hold back! Raise your voice like a ram’s horn. Declare to My people their transgression and to the house of Jacob their sins. 2For day after day they seek Me and delight to know My ways, like a nation that does what is right and does not forsake the justice of their God. They ask Me for righteous judgments; they delight in the nearness of God.” 3“Why have we fasted, and You have not seen? Why have we humbled ourselves, and You have not noticed?” “Behold, on the day of your fast, you do as you please, and you oppress all your workers.…

Cross References
Titus 1:16
They profess to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.

James 4:8
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Psalm 119:15
I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways.

Psalm 119:87
They almost wiped me from the earth, but I have not forsaken Your precepts.

Psalm 119:151
You are near, O LORD, and all Your commandments are true.

Isaiah 1:4
Alas, O sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children of depravity! They have forsaken the LORD; they have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him.

Isaiah 1:11
"What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?" says the LORD. "I am full from the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I take no delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.


Treasury of Scripture

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.

they seek

Isaiah 1:11-15
To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats…

Isaiah 29:13
Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

Isaiah 48:1,2
Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness…

they ask

Jeremiah 42:2,20
And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:) …

Mark 12:14
And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?

James 1:21,22
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls…

Jump to Previous
Approaching Daily Decisions Delight Draw Eager Forsake Forsaken Forsook Judgments Justice Nation Ordinance Ordinances Prayer Right Righteous Righteousness Seek Seem Ways
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Approaching Daily Decisions Delight Draw Eager Forsake Forsaken Forsook Judgments Justice Nation Ordinance Ordinances Prayer Right Righteous Righteousness Seek Seem Ways
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














(2) Yet they seek me daily . . .--The "seeking" is that of those who come, like the elders in Ezekiel 20:1, to "enquire" of Jehovah, and looking for an oracle from Him. The words point to the incongruous union, possible in the reign of Manasseh, but hardly possible after the exile, of this formal recognition of Jehovah with an apostate life. Every phrase rings in the tone of an incisive irony,, describing each element of a true devotion which the people did not possess.

Verse 2. - They seek me daily, and delight to know my ways (compare the picture drawn in Isaiah 1:11-15). We have there exactly the same representation of a people honouring God with their lips, but whose hearts are far from him - zealous in all the outward forms of religion, even making "many prayers" (Isaiah 1:15), but yet altogether an offence to God. They are not conscious hypocrites - quite the reverse; they are bent on "doing righteousness," on not forsaking God's ordinance, on continually "approaching" him; but they are wholly without a proper sense of what religion is - they make it a matter of outward observance, and do not understand that it consists in the devotion of the heart. That did righteousness, and forsook not; rather, that hath done righteousness, and hath not forsaken. The righteousness is, of course, forensic legal righteousness-the offering of the appointed sacrifices, the abstaining from unclean meats, the avoidance of external defilement, the payment of vows, the observance of the one appointed fast, and the like. They ask of me the ordinances of justice. Either "they claim at God's hands righteous judgments on their enemies" (Delitzsch); or "they demand of God a fidelity to his covenant engagements correspondent to their own (assumed) fidelity to theirs." They take delight in approaching to God. So the LXX., the Vulgate, Calvin, Vitringa, and Kay. Others prefer to render, "they desire the approach of God" (Knobel, Delitzsch, Cheyne); i.e. they desire that he will come to help them against their foes.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
For
וְאוֹתִ֗י (wə·’ō·w·ṯî)
Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker | first person common singular
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

day
י֥וֹם (yō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

after day
יוֹם֙ (yō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

they seek Me
יִדְרֹשׁ֔וּן (yiḏ·rō·šūn)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun
Strong's 1875: To tread, frequent, to follow, to seek, ask, to worship

and delight
יֶחְפָּצ֑וּן (yeḥ·pā·ṣūn)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun
Strong's 2654: To incline to, to bend, to be pleased with, desire

to know
וְדַ֥עַת (wə·ḏa·‘aṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 1847: Knowledge

My ways,
דְּרָכַ֖י (də·rā·ḵay)
Noun - common plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

like a nation
כְּג֞וֹי (kə·ḡō·w)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts

that
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

does
עָשָׂ֗ה (‘ā·śāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

what is right
צְדָקָ֣ה (ṣə·ḏā·qāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6666: Rightness, subjectively, objectively

and does not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

forsake
עָזָ֔ב (‘ā·zāḇ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5800: To loosen, relinquish, permit

the justice
וּמִשְׁפַּ֤ט (ū·miš·paṭ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style

of their God.
אֱלֹהָיו֙ (’ĕ·lō·hāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

They ask
יִשְׁאָל֙וּנִי֙ (yiš·’ā·lū·nî)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | first person common singular
Strong's 7592: To inquire, to request, to demand

Me for righteous
צֶ֔דֶק (ṣe·ḏeq)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6664: The right, equity, prosperity

judgments;
מִשְׁפְּטֵי־ (miš·pə·ṭê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style

they delight
יֶחְפָּצֽוּן׃ (yeḥ·pā·ṣūn)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun
Strong's 2654: To incline to, to bend, to be pleased with, desire

in the nearness
קִרְבַ֥ת (qir·ḇaṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 7132: An approach

of God.�
אֱלֹהִ֖ים (’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 58:2 Yet they seek me daily and delight (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 58:1
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