Isaiah 2:6
New International Version
You, LORD, have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob. They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines and embrace pagan customs.

New Living Translation
For the LORD has rejected his people, the descendants of Jacob, because they have filled their land with practices from the East and with sorcerers, as the Philistines do. They have made alliances with pagans.

English Standard Version
For you have rejected your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of things from the east and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners.

Berean Standard Bible
For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled with influences from the east; they are soothsayers like the Philistines; they strike hands with the children of foreigners.

King James Bible
Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.

New King James Version
For You have forsaken Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with eastern ways; They are soothsayers like the Philistines, And they are pleased with the children of foreigners.

New American Standard Bible
For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with influences from the east, And they are soothsayers like the Philistines. They also strike bargains with the children of foreigners.

NASB 1995
For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with influences from the east, And they are soothsayers like the Philistines, And they strike bargains with the children of foreigners.

NASB 1977
For Thou hast abandoned Thy people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with influences from the east, And they are soothsayers like the Philistines, And they strike bargains with the children of foreigners.

Legacy Standard Bible
For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with influences from the east, And they are soothsayers like the Philistines, And they strike bargains with the children of foreigners.

Amplified Bible
Most certainly [LORD] You have abandoned your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with influences from the east, And they are soothsayers [who foretell] like the Philistines; Also they strike bargains with the children of foreigners (pagans).

Christian Standard Bible
For you have abandoned your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of divination from the East and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines. They are in league with foreigners.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of divination from the East and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines. They are in league with foreigners.

American Standard Version
For thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they are filled with customs from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners.

Contemporary English Version
Our LORD, you have deserted your people, Israel, because they follow customs of nations from the east. They worship Philistine gods and are close friends of foreigners.

English Revised Version
For thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be filled with customs from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of strangers.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
LORD, you have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob, because they are filled with Eastern influences. They are fortunetellers like the Philistines, and they make deals with foreigners.

Good News Translation
O God, you have forsaken your people, the descendants of Jacob! The land is full of magic practices from the East and from Philistia. The people follow foreign customs.

International Standard Version
For you have rejected your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled with practices learned from the East and they are fortune-tellers like the Philistines. They cut deals with foreigners.

Majority Standard Bible
For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled with influences from the east; they are soothsayers like the Philistines; they strike hands with the children of foreigners.

NET Bible
Indeed, O LORD, you have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob. For diviners from the east are everywhere; they consult omen readers like the Philistines do. Plenty of foreigners are around.

New Heart English Bible
For you have forsaken your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled from the east, with those who practice divination like the Philistines, and they clasp hands with the children of foreigners.

Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they are replenished from the east, and are sooth-sayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.

World English Bible
For you have forsaken your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled from the east, with those who practice divination like the Philistines, and they clasp hands with the children of foreigners.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
For You have left Your people, the house of Jacob. For they have been filled from the east, "" And [are] sorcerers like the Philistines, "" And strike hands with the children of strangers.

Young's Literal Translation
For Thou hast left Thy people, the house of Jacob. For they have been filled from the east, And are sorcerers like the Philistines, And with the children of strangers strike hands.

Smith's Literal Translation
For thou didst cast out thy people the house of Jacob, for they were filled from the east, and practicing magic as the rovers, and they will strike hands with the children of strangers.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For thou hast cast off thy people, the house of Jacob: because they are filled as in times past, and have had soothsayers as the Philistines, and have adhered to strange children.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For you have cast aside your people, the house of Jacob, because they have been filled up, as in past times, and because they have had soothsayers as the Philistines have, and because they have joined themselves to foreign servants.

New American Bible
You have abandoned your people, the house of Jacob! Because they are filled with diviners, and soothsayers, like the Philistines; with foreigners they clasp hands.

New Revised Standard Version
For you have forsaken the ways of your people, O house of Jacob. Indeed they are full of diviners from the east and of soothsayers like the Philistines, and they clasp hands with foreigners.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they are self-satisfied as in the olden days, and they practice augury like the Philistines, and they have reared many alien children.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because you have forsaken your people of the house of Yaqob, because they were full like that of former time, and they practice divination like the Philistines, and they have raised a multitude of estranged children
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
For Thou hast forsaken Thy people the house of Jacob; For they are replenished from the east, And with soothsayers like the Philistines, And they please themselves in the brood of aliens.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For he has forsaken his people the house of Israel, because their land is filled as at the beginning with divinations, as the land of the Philistines, and many strange children were born to them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Day of Reckoning
5Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD. 6For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled with influences from the east; they are soothsayers like the Philistines; they strike hands with the children of foreigners. 7Their land is full of silver and gold, with no limit to their treasures; their land is full of horses, with no limit to their chariots.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 18:9-14
When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. / Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery, / casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead. ...

2 Kings 17:8-17
and walked in the customs of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites, as well as in the practices introduced by the kings of Israel. / The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city, they built high places in all their cities. / They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree. ...

2 Chronicles 33:2-9
And he did evil in the sight of the LORD by following the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. / For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had torn down, and he raised up altars for the Baals and made Asherah poles. And he worshiped and served all the host of heaven. / Manasseh also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever.” ...

Jeremiah 10:2-3
This is what the LORD says: “Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by the signs in the heavens, though the nations themselves are terrified by them. / For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman.

Micah 5:12-14
I will cut the sorceries from your hand, and you will have no fortune-tellers. / I will also cut off the carved images and sacred pillars from among you, so that you will no longer bow down to the work of your own hands. / I will root out the Asherah poles from your midst and demolish your cities.

Leviticus 19:31
You must not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out, or you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.

1 Kings 14:24
There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land. They imitated all the abominations of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.

2 Kings 16:3
Instead, he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.

2 Kings 21:6
He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.

2 Chronicles 28:3
Moreover, Ahaz burned incense in the Valley of Ben-hinnom and sacrificed his sons in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.

2 Chronicles 33:6
He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Ben-hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.

Acts 19:19
And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books and burned them in front of everyone. When the value of the books was calculated, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.

Galatians 5:19-21
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; / idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, / and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 5:11-12
Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. / For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.

Colossians 2:8
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.


Treasury of Scripture

Therefore you have forsaken your people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.

therefore

Deuteronomy 31:16,17
And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them…

2 Chronicles 15:2
And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.

2 Chronicles 24:20
And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.

from the east.

Numbers 23:7
And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.

and are

Isaiah 8:19
And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?

Isaiah 47:12,13
Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail…

Exodus 22:18
Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.

and they

Exodus 34:16
And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods.

Numbers 25:1,2
And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab…

Deuteronomy 21:11-13
And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife; …

please themselves in.

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Abandoned Aliens Ally Arts Auguries Brood Cast Children Clasp Countries Customs Divination Diviners East Evil Family Filled Foreigners Forsaken Friends Full Hands House Influences Jacob Philistines Please Practice Rejected Replenished Secret Soothsayers Sooth-Sayers Strange Strangers Strike Themselves Use Ways
Isaiah 2
1. Isaiah prophesies the coming of Christ's kingdom
6. Wickedness is the cause of God's forsaking
10. He exhorts to fear, because of the powerful effects of God's majesty














For You have rejected Your people
This phrase indicates a divine action taken by God against His chosen people, Israel. The Hebrew word for "rejected" is "נָטַשׁ" (natash), which conveys a sense of abandonment or forsaking. Historically, this reflects a period when Israel's disobedience and idolatry led to God's withdrawal of His protective presence. Theologically, it serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of turning away from God, emphasizing His holiness and justice.

the house of Jacob
"House of Jacob" refers to the descendants of Jacob, also known as Israel. This phrase underscores the covenant relationship between God and the Israelites, who are expected to live according to His laws. The use of "house" implies a familial and communal identity, highlighting the collective responsibility of the nation to uphold their covenant with God.

because they are full of divination from the East
The term "divination" comes from the Hebrew "קֶסֶם" (qesem), which involves seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown through supernatural means. "From the East" suggests influences from neighboring cultures, such as Babylon or Assyria, known for their practices in astrology and divination. This indicates a departure from reliance on God for guidance, turning instead to pagan practices.

and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines
"Fortune-tellers" translates from the Hebrew "עֹנֵן" (onen), referring to those who claim to predict the future. The Philistines, ancient enemies of Israel, were known for their reliance on such practices. This comparison highlights Israel's assimilation of pagan customs, which is seen as a betrayal of their unique identity as God's people.

they clasp hands with the children of foreigners
The phrase "clasp hands" suggests forming alliances or agreements. In the context of ancient Israel, this often meant political or social alliances that led to the adoption of foreign religious practices. "Children of foreigners" refers to non-Israelite nations, whose influence led Israel away from their covenantal obligations. This serves as a warning against compromising faithfulness to God through unholy alliances.

(6) Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people . . .--Better, For Thou hast . . . This was the sad, dark present, in contrast with the bright future. Jehovah "went not forth" with the armies of Judah (Psalm 68:7); and the Syrians, Edomites, and Philistines, possibly the Assyrians also (2Kings 16:9; 2Chronicles 28:17-20), were laying the lands waste.

Because they be replenished from the east.--The disasters of the time are viewed as chastisements for sin, and the sin consisted in casting off their national allegiance to Jehovah. The "east," from which they were replenished, with which they filled their thoughts and life, was Syria and Mesopotamia, to whose influence they had yielded, and whose cultus Ahaz had adopted (2Kings 16:10-12).

And are soothsayers like the Philistines.--Literally, cloud-diviners. The word points to the claim of being "storm-raisers," which has been in all ages one of the boasts of sorcerers. The conquests of Uzziah (2Chronicles 26:6) had brought Judah into contact with the Philistines, and the oracles at Ekron and elsewhere (2Kings 1:2) attracted the people of Judah. There was, as it were, a mania for divination, and the "diviners" of Philistia (1Samuel 6:2) found imitators among the people of Jehovah. . . .

Verse 6. - Therefore; rather, for. The prophet, in calling upon Israel to "walk in the light of the Lord," implies that they are not so walking. He then proceeds to give the reasons of this. They are not, "for God has forsaken them, or, cast them off." The first reason is because they be replenished from the east (Revised Version, "they be filled with customs from the east); i.e. they have adopted a number of Syrian, Assyrian, and Ammonite superstitions; e.g. high places, images, and "groves," the burning of their children in honor of Moloch, the use of divination and enchantment, etc. (2 Kings 15:4; 2 Kings 16:3, 4; 2 Kings 17:10-12, 16, 17, etc.). Most of these practices reached the Israelites from Syria, though many had their origin either in Assyria or Babylonia. Soothsayers, like the Philistines. The "diviners" of the Philistines are mentioned in 1 Samuel 6:2. By the word here employed, it would seem that they foretold the future from observations on the clouds and the general appearance of the sky. During the reign of Uzziah, the Israelites had been brought into closer contact with the Philistines than usual, through his conquest of several of their cities (2 Chronicles 26:6). They please themselves in the children of strangers; literally, strike hands with the children of strangers (comp. Job 27:23). This is thought to refer to striking hands upon a bargain (Cheyne), and to be an allusion to the commercial activity of the reigns of Uzziah and Jotham (2 Kings 14:22; 2 Kings 16:6). But perhaps it does not mean more than familiarity.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
For
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

You have abandoned
נָטַ֗שְׁתָּה (nā·ṭaš·tāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5203: To pound, smite, to disperse, to thrust off, down, out, upon

Your people,
עַמְּךָ֙ (‘am·mə·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

the house
בֵּ֣ית (bêṯ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

of Jacob,
יַעֲקֹ֔ב (ya·‘ă·qōḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3290: Jacob -- a son of Isaac, also his desc

because
כִּ֤י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

they are filled
מָלְאוּ֙ (mā·lə·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 4390: To fill, be full of

[with influences] from the east;
מִקֶּ֔דֶם (miq·qe·ḏem)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6924: The front, of place, time

they are soothsayers
וְעֹֽנְנִ֖ים (wə·‘ō·nə·nîm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 6049: To act covertly, practise magic

like the Philistines;
כַּפְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים (kap·pə·liš·tîm)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 6430: Philistines -- inhabitants of Philistia

they strike [hands]
יַשְׂפִּֽיקוּ׃ (yaś·pî·qū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5606: To clap the hands, of satisfaction, to be enough, of excess, to vomit

with the children
וּבְיַלְדֵ֥י (ū·ḇə·yal·ḏê)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 3206: Something born, a lad, offspring

of foreigners.
נָכְרִ֖ים (nā·ḵə·rîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 5237: Foreign, alien


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 2:6 For you have forsaken your people (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 2:5
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