Isaiah 58:6
New International Version
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

New Living Translation
“No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people.

English Standard Version
“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?

Berean Standard Bible
Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to break the chains of wickedness, to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and tear off every yoke?

King James Bible
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

New King James Version
Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?

New American Standard Bible
“Is this not the fast that I choose: To release the bonds of wickedness, To undo the ropes of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free, And break every yoke?

NASB 1995
“Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke?

NASB 1977
“Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free, And break every yoke?

Legacy Standard Bible
Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To release the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke?

Amplified Bible
“[Rather] is this not the fast which I choose, To undo the bonds of wickedness, To tear to pieces the ropes of the yoke, To let the oppressed go free And break apart every [enslaving] yoke?

Christian Standard Bible
Isn’t this the fast I choose: To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Isn’t the fast I choose: To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke?

American Standard Version
Is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
This is the fasting that I have chosen: you will release the bonds of evil and you shall cut off the burdens of deceit, and you shall release the oppressed to liberty, and you shall cut off all burdens

Brenton Septuagint Translation
I have not chosen such a fast, saith the Lord; but do thou loose every burden of iniquity, do thou untie the knots of hard bargains, set the bruised free, and cancel every unjust account.

Contemporary English Version
I'll tell you what it really means to worship the LORD. Remove the chains of prisoners who are bound unjustly. Free those who are abused!

Douay-Rheims Bible
Is not this rather the fast that I have chosen? loose the bands of wickedness, undo the bundles that oppress, let them that are broken go free, and break asunder every burden.

English Revised Version
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
This is the kind of fasting I have chosen: Loosen the chains of wickedness, untie the straps of the yoke, let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke.

Good News Translation
"The kind of fasting I want is this: Remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free.

International Standard Version
Isn't this the fast that I have been choosing: to loose the bonds of injustice, and to untie the cords of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?

JPS Tanakh 1917
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the fetters of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free, And that ye break every yoke?

Literal Standard Version
Is this not the fast that I chose—To loose the bands of wickedness, | To shake off the burdens of the yoke, | And to send out the oppressed free, | And draw off every yoke?

Majority Standard Bible
Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to break the chains of wickedness, to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and tear off every yoke?

New American Bible
Is this not, rather, the fast that I choose: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking off every yoke?

NET Bible
No, this is the kind of fast I want. I want you to remove the sinful chains, to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke, to set free the oppressed, and to break every burdensome yoke.

New Revised Standard Version
Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?

New Heart English Bible
"Isn't this the fast that I have chosen: to release the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?

Webster's Bible Translation
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

World English Bible
“Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to release the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?

Young's Literal Translation
Is not this the fast that I chose -- To loose the bands of wickedness, To shake off the burdens of the yoke, And to send out the oppressed free, And every yoke ye draw off?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
True Fasts and Sabbaths
5Is this the fast I have chosen: a day for a man to deny himself, to bow his head like a reed, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast and a day acceptable to the LORD? 6Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to break the chains of wickedness, to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and tear off every yoke? 7Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your home, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?…

Cross References
Acts 8:23
For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and captive to iniquity."

Nehemiah 5:10
I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending the people money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury.

Proverbs 24:11
Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter.

Isaiah 1:17
Learn to do right; seek justice and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow."

Isaiah 33:15
He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, who refuses gain from extortion, whose hand never takes a bribe, who stops his ears against murderous plots and shuts his eyes tightly against evil--

Isaiah 55:7
Let the wicked man forsake his own way and the unrighteous man his own thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.

Isaiah 58:9
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry out, and He will say, 'Here I am.' If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and malicious talk,


Treasury of Scripture

Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?

to loose

Nehemiah 5:10-12
I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury…

Jeremiah 34:8-11
This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them; …

Micah 3:2-4
Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones; …

heavy burdens.

1 Timothy 6:1
Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.

Jump to Previous
Bands Bonds Break Broken Burdens Chains Choose Chose Chosen Cords Crushed Fast Fasting Fetters Free Heavy Holy Injustice Kind Loose Oppressed Orders Prisoners Shake Thongs Undo Untie Wickedness Wrongly Yoke
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Bands Bonds Break Broken Burdens Chains Choose Chose Chosen Cords Crushed Fast Fasting Fetters Free Heavy Holy Injustice Kind Loose Oppressed Orders Prisoners Shake Thongs Undo Untie Wickedness Wrongly Yoke
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














(6) To loose the bands of wickedness.--The words do not exclude abstinence from food as an act of discipline and victory over self-indulgence, but declare its insufficiency by itself. So in the practice of the ancient Church fasting and almsgiving were closely connected, as indeed they are in Matthew 6:1; Matthew 6:16. The history of the emancipation of the slaves and of their subsequent return to bondage presents a curious illustration of the prophet's words (Jeremiah 34:8-22). The truth which he proclaimed was recognised in the hour of danger and forgotten in that of safety. Comp. Joel 2:13.

To undo the heavy burdens.--Literally, the thongs of the yoke, the leather straps which fastened the yoke on the head of the oxen as they ploughed. Again we trace an echo of the thought and almost of the phraseology in our Lord's teaching (Matthew 11:29-30; Matthew 23:4). The Pharisees who fasted laid heavy burdens on men's shoulders. He, who was thought not to fast, relieved them of their two-fold yoke of evil selfishness and ceremonial formalism. . . .

Verse 6. - Is not this the fast that I have chosen? This passage, as Dr. Kay observes, "stands like a homily for the Day of Atonement." Such homilies are found in the uninspired Jewish writings ('Taanith,' 2:1; 'Nedarim babli,' p. 10, a, etc.), and are conceived very much in the same spirit. The Jews call the true fast "the fasting of the heart." To loose the bands of wickedness. To set free those whom wicked persons have wrongfully imprisoned or entangled. To undo the heavy burdens; literally, to untie the thongs of the yoke. The liberation of a man's slaves, or of Jews captive among the heathen (Nehemiah 5:8), is probably intended. To let the oppressed (literally, the bruised) go free. Remission of debts and restoration of pledges (Nehemiah 10:31; Ezekiel 18:7) are, perhaps, the acts pointed at.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Is not
הֲל֣וֹא (hă·lō·w)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

the
זֶה֮ (zeh)
Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

fast
צ֣וֹם (ṣō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6685: Fasting, a fast

I have chosen
אֶבְחָרֵהוּ֒ (’eḇ·ḥā·rê·hū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 977: To try, select

to break
פַּתֵּ֙חַ֙ (pat·tê·aḥ)
Verb - Piel - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 6605: To open wide, to loosen, begin, plough, carve

the chains
חַרְצֻבּ֣וֹת (ḥar·ṣub·bō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 2784: Bond, fetter, pang

of wickedness,
רֶ֔שַׁע (re·ša‘)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7562: Wickedness

to untie
הַתֵּ֖ר (hat·têr)
Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 5425: To jump, be violently agitated, to terrify, shake off, untie

the cords
אֲגֻדּ֣וֹת (’ă·ḡud·dō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 92: A band, bundle, knot, arch

of the yoke,
מוֹטָ֑ה (mō·w·ṭāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4133: A pole, an ox-bow, a yoke

to set
וְשַׁלַּ֤ח (wə·šal·laḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

the oppressed
רְצוּצִים֙ (rə·ṣū·ṣîm)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural
Strong's 7533: To crack in pieces

free,
חָפְשִׁ֔ים (ḥā·p̄ə·šîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 2670: Exempt

and tear off
תְּנַתֵּֽקוּ׃ (tə·nat·tê·qū)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 5423: To pull, draw, or tear away, apart, or off

every
וְכָל־ (wə·ḵāl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

yoke?
מוֹטָ֖ה (mō·w·ṭāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4133: A pole, an ox-bow, a yoke


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 58:6 Isn't this the fast that I have (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 58:5
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