Isaiah 29:13

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

The Lord says: 'These people come near to me with their mouths and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their reverence for me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.'

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲדֹנָ֗י יַ֚עַן כִּ֤י נִגַּשׁ֙ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה בְּפִ֤יו וּבִשְׂפָתָיו֙ כִּבְּד֔וּנִי וְלִבּ֖וֹ רִחַ֣ק מִמֶּ֑נִּי וַתְּהִ֤י יִרְאָתָם֙ אֹתִ֔י מִצְוַ֥ת אֲנָשִׁ֖ים מְלֻמָּדָֽה

Transliteration

And-wayyōʾmer ʾădōnāy because that niggaš hā-ʿām ha-zzeh with-mouth-his and-with-lips-his kibbĕdûnî and-libbô riḥaq from-me wa-tĕhî yirʾātām me miṣwat ʾănāšîm mĕlummādāh

Grammar Details

• *wayyōʾmer*: conjunction waw + verb, qal imperfect with waw consecutive, 3rd person masculine singular - and he said
• *ʾădōnāy*: noun, masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix - my Lord
• *yaʿan*: conjunction - because
• *kî*: conjunction - that
• *niggaš*: verb, niphal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular - draws near/approaches
• *hā-ʿām*: definite article + noun, masculine singular - the people
• *ha-zzeh*: definite article + demonstrative pronoun - this
• *bĕ-p̱îw*: preposition beth + noun, masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix - with his mouth
• *ū-ḇi-śĕp̱ātāyw*: conjunction waw + preposition beth + noun, feminine dual with 3rd person masculine singular suffix - and with his lips
• *kibbĕdûnî*: verb, piel perfect, 3rd person masculine plural with 1st person singular suffix - they honor me
• *wĕ-libbô*: conjunction waw + noun, masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix - but his heart
• *riḥaq*: verb, piel perfect, 3rd person masculine singular - is far/removed
• *mimmennî*: preposition min + 1st person singular suffix - from me
• *wa-tĕhî*: conjunction waw + verb, qal imperfect with waw consecutive, 3rd person feminine singular - and has become
• *yirʾātām*: noun, feminine singular with 3rd person masculine plural suffix - their fear of
• *ʾōtî*: direct object marker with 1st person singular suffix - me
• *miṣwat*: noun, feminine singular construct - commandment of
• *ʾănāšîm*: noun, masculine plural - men
• *mĕlummādāh*: verb, pual participle, feminine singular - taught/learned

Word Meanings

• *ʾădōnāy*: my Lord/the Lord/sovereign
• *niggaš*: draws near/approaches/comes close
• *ʿām*: people/nation/folk
• *kibbĕdûnî*: they honor me/glorify me/pay homage to me
• *libbô*: his heart/mind/inner being
• *riḥaq*: is far/removed/distant
• *yirʾātām*: their fear/reverence/awe
• *miṣwat*: commandment/precept/rule
• *mĕlummādāh*: taught/learned/trained (by rote)

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  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:

• KJV1611 – Modern English

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

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  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:

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And the Lord{H136} said,{H559} Forasmuch{H3282} as this people{H5971} draw nigh{H5066} [unto me], and with their mouth{H6310} and with their lips{H8193} to honor{H3513} me, but have removed{H7368} their heart{H3820} far{H7368} from me, and their fear{H3374} of me is a commandment{H3925} of men{H582} which hath been taught{H3925} [them];

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  Wherefore the Lord{H136} said{H559}{(H8799)}, Forasmuch{H3282} as this people{H5971} draw near{H5066}{(H8738)} me with their mouth{H6310}, and with their lips{H8193} do honour{H3513}{(H8765)} me, but have removed{H7368} their heart{H3820} far{H7368}{(H8765)} from me, and their fear{H3374} toward me is taught{H3925}{(H8794)} by the precept{H4687} of men{H582}:

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Therfore thus sayeth the LORDE: For so moch as this people draweth nye me wt their mourh, and prayseth me highly with their lippes (where as there herte neuertheles is farre fro me, and the feare which they owe vnto me, that turne they to mens lawes and doctrynes)

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Therefore the Lord sayd, Because this people come neere vnto me with their mouth, and honour me with their lips, but haue remooued their heart farre from me, and their feare toward me was taught by the precept of men,

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Therfore thus hath the Lorde sayd: Forsomuche as this people when they be in trouble, do honour me with their mouth and with their lippes, but their heart is farre fro me, and the feare whiche they haue vnto me proceedeth of a commaundement that is taught of men:

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  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:

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  The Lord said, Because this people draw near [to me], and with their mouth and with their lips to honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which has been taught [them];

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And the Lord saith: Because drawn near hath this people, with its mouth, And with its lips they have honoured Me, And its heart it hath put far off from Me, And their fear of Me is -- A precept of men is taught!

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw nigh `unto me', and with their mouth and with their lips to honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which hath been taught `them';

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw nigh [unto me], and with their mouth and with their lips to honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which hath been taught [them] ;

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And the Lord said, because this people come near to me with their mouths, and give honour to me with their lips, but their heart is far from me, and their fear of me is false, a rule given them by the teaching of men;

• World English Bible (2000)

  The Lord said, "Because this people draws near with their mouth and with their lips to honor me, but they have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which has been taught;

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  The Lord says,“These people say they are loyal to me; they say wonderful things about me, but they are not really loyal to me. Their worship consists of nothing but man-made ritual.

Referenced Verses

• Jer 12:2 : 2 You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit. You are near to their lips but far from their hearts.
• Mark 7:2-9 : 2 They saw some of His disciples eating bread with unclean, that is, unwashed hands, and they criticized them. 3 For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands carefully, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4 And when they return from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. They also observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and dining couches. 5 So the Pharisees and the scribes questioned Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with unwashed hands?" 6 He answered them, "Isaiah rightly prophesied about you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.' 7 They worship Me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. 8 You have abandoned the commandment of God and hold onto human traditions, including the washing of pitchers and cups, and you do many other similar things." 9 He also said to them, "How skillfully you set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your own tradition. 10 For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.' 11 But you say, 'If anyone says to his father or mother, "Whatever help you might have received from me is Corban"' (that is, devoted to God), 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother. 13 You nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that."
• Ezek 33:31-33 : 31 They come to you as people come, and they sit before you as My people and hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express love, but their hearts pursue unjust gain. 32 Indeed, to them you are like someone who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays the instrument well. They listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. 33 When it happens—and behold, it will happen—they will know that a prophet was among them.
• Matt 15:2-9 : 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.” 3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.’ 5 But you say that if anyone declares to their father or mother, ‘What you would have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’ 6 they are not to honor their father or mother with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, saying, 8 ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’
• Jer 3:10 : 10 In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense, declares the LORD.
• Prov 30:6 : 6 Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
• Isa 58:2-3 : 2 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 justice of their God. They ask me for righteous judgments and delight in drawing near to God. 3 'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?' Yet on the day of your fasting, you pursue your own desires and oppress all your workers.
• Col 2:22 : 22 which all perish as they are used—based on human commands and teachings.
• Jer 42:20 : 20 For you have deceived yourselves when you sent me to the LORD your God, saying, 'Pray to the LORD our God for us, and whatever the LORD our God says, tell us and we will do it.'
• Jer 5:2 : 2 Even when they say, 'As surely as the Lord lives,' they swear falsely.
• Jer 42:2-4 : 2 They said to Jeremiah the prophet, "Please let our petition fall before you and pray to the LORD your God for us, for all this remnant. For we are few left from many, as your own eyes can see us. 3 May the LORD your God tell us the way we should walk and the thing we should do." 4 Jeremiah the prophet said to them, "I have heard you. I will indeed pray to the LORD your God according to your words, and every word the LORD answers you, I will tell you—I will not withhold a single word from you."
• 2 Chr 29:1-9 : 1 Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abijah, daughter of Zechariah. 2 He did what was right in the sight of the LORD, just as his ancestor David had done. 3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them. 4 He brought in the priests and the Levites, and he gathered them in the open square on the east. 5 He said to them, 'Listen to me, Levites! Now consecrate yourselves, and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your ancestors, and remove the impurity from the holy place.' 6 For our ancestors were unfaithful and did what was evil in the sight of the LORD our God. They abandoned Him, turned their backs on His dwelling place, and walked away. 7 They also shut the doors of the vestibule, extinguished the lamps, and did not burn incense or offer burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel. 8 Therefore, the wrath of the LORD fell upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He made them an object of horror, devastation, and scorn, as you can see with your own eyes. 9 This is why our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons, daughters, and wives are in captivity today. 10 Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, so that His fierce anger may turn away from us. 11 My sons, do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand in His presence, to serve Him, and to minister to Him, and to burn incense. 12 Then the Levites stood up: Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah, from the descendants of the Kohathites; and Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel, from the descendants of Merari; and Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah, from the descendants of the Gershonites. 13 From the sons of Elizaphan: Shimri and Jeiel; from the sons of Asaph: Zechariah and Mattaniah. 14 From the sons of Heman: Jehiel and Shimei; from the sons of Jeduthun: Shemaiah and Uzziel. 15 They gathered their fellow Levites, consecrated themselves, and went in as the king commanded, in accordance with the words of the LORD, to purify the house of the LORD. 16 The priests entered the inner part of the house of the LORD to cleanse it. They brought out all the unclean things they found in the temple of the LORD and carried them to the courtyard of the house of the LORD. The Levites then took them and carried them out to the Kidron Valley. 17 They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month, they reached the vestibule of the LORD. For eight days, they consecrated the house of the LORD, and on the sixteenth day of the first month, they completed their work. 18 Then they went to King Hezekiah and said, 'We have purified the entire house of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table for the bread of the Presence with all its utensils.' 19 Moreover, all the utensils that King Ahaz discarded during his reign in his unfaithfulness, we have prepared and consecrated, and they are now before the altar of the LORD. 20 Early in the morning, King Hezekiah gathered the city officials and went up to the house of the LORD. 21 They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, the sanctuary, and Judah, and he instructed the descendants of Aaron, the priests, to offer them on the altar of the LORD. 22 The bulls were slaughtered, and the priests collected the blood and splashed it against the altar. Then the rams were slaughtered, and their blood was splashed against the altar. Likewise, the lambs were slaughtered, and their blood was splashed against the altar. 23 Finally, the goats for the sin offering were brought before the king and the assembly, who laid their hands on them. 24 The priests slaughtered the animals, then took their blood and sprinkled it on the altar to make atonement for all Israel, as the king had commanded, for the burnt offering and the sin offering were for all Israel. 25 He stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres, according to the command of David, Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet; the command was from the LORD through His prophets. 26 The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests stood with the trumpets. 27 Hezekiah gave the order to offer the burnt offering on the altar. As the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD and the trumpets also began, accompanied by the instruments of David, king of Israel. 28 The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the singers sang and the trumpeters sounded, all until the burnt offering was completed. 29 When the offering was finished, the king and all who were present with him knelt down and worshiped. 30 King Hezekiah and the officials commanded the Levites to praise the LORD with the words of David and Asaph the seer. They sang praises with joy and bowed down in worship. 31 Then Hezekiah said, 'Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the LORD.' So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all who were willing brought burnt offerings.
• Isa 48:1-2 : 1 Hear this, house of Jacob, those who are called by the name of Israel and who have come out of Judah's lineage, who swear by the name of the LORD and invoke the God of Israel, but not in truth or righteousness. 2 For they are called from the holy city and rely on the God of Israel; the LORD of Hosts is His name.