Focused Passage

Isaiah 56:3-8

The LORD Welcomes the Faithful Outsider and Rebukes Blind Shepherds

From the call to maintain justice because salvation is near, to blessing on those who keep Sabbath and covenant, to the inclusion of foreigners and eunuchs in the LORD’s worshiping community, to the declaration that God’s house is for all nations, to a severe rebuke of blind watchmen and greedy shepherds.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

3 Let 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.”

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

5 I 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.

6 And 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—

7 I 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.”

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

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 3

Original words

Let no וְאַל־ H408 Conjunctive waw | Adverb foreigner בֶּן־ H1121 Noun - masculine singular construct . . . הַנֵּכָ֗ר H5236 Article | Noun - masculine singular who has joined himself הַנִּלְוָ֤ה H3867 Article | Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition the LORD יְהוָה֙ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular say יֹאמַ֣ר H559 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular לֵאמֹ֔ר לֵאמֹ֔ר H559 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct The LORD יְהוָ֖ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular will utterly exclude me הַבְדֵּ֧ל H914 Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute . . . יַבְדִּילַ֛נִי H914 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular from מֵעַ֣ל H5921 Preposition-m His people עַמּ֑וֹ H5971 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular And let the eunuch הַסָּרִ֔יס H5631 Article | Noun - masculine singular not וְאַל־ H408 Conjunctive waw | Adverb say יֹאמַר֙ H559 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular I אֲנִ֖י H589 Pronoun - first person common singular am but הֵ֥ן H2005 Interjection a dry יָבֵֽשׁ׃ס H3002 Adjective - masculine singular tree עֵ֥ץ H6086 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 4

Original words

For כִּי־ H3588 Conjunction this is what כֹ֣ה׀ H3541 Adverb the LORD יְהוָ֗ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular says אָמַ֣ר H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular To the eunuchs לַסָּֽרִיסִים֙ H5631 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine plural who אֲשֶׁ֤ר H834 Pronoun - relative keep יִשְׁמְרוּ֙ H8104 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker My Sabbaths שַׁבְּתוֹתַ֔י H7676 Noun - common plural construct | first person common singular who choose וּבָֽחֲר֖וּ H977 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural what בַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר H834 Preposition-b | Pronoun - relative pleases Me חָפָ֑צְתִּי H2654 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular and hold fast וּמַחֲזִיקִ֖ים H2388 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural to My covenant בִּבְרִיתִֽי׃ H1285 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Verse 5

Original words

I will give וְנָתַתִּ֨י H5414 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular them לָהֶ֜ם Preposition | third person masculine plural in My house בְּבֵיתִ֤י H1004 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular and within My walls וּבְחֽוֹמֹתַי֙ H2346 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct | first person common singular a memorial יָ֣ד H3027 Noun - feminine singular and a name וָשֵׁ֔ם H8034 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct better than ט֖וֹב H2896 Adjective - masculine singular that of sons מִבָּנִ֣ים H1121 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural and daughters וּמִבָּנ֑וֹת H1323 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - feminine plural I will give אֶתֶּן־ H5414 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular them ל֔וֹ Preposition | third person masculine singular an everlasting עוֹלָם֙ H5769 Noun - masculine singular name שֵׁ֤ם H8034 Noun - masculine singular construct that אֲשֶׁ֖ר H834 Pronoun - relative will not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle be cut off יִכָּרֵֽת׃ס H3772 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Verse 6

Original words

And the foreigners וּבְנֵ֣י H1121 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct . . . הַנֵּכָ֗ר H5236 Article | Noun - masculine singular who join הַנִּלְוִ֤ים H3867 Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural themselves to עַל־ H5921 Preposition the LORD יְהוָה֙ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular to minister to Him לְשָׁ֣רְת֔וֹ H8334 Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular to love וּֽלְאַהֲבָה֙ H157 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the name שֵׁ֣ם H8034 Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָ֔ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular and to be לִהְי֥וֹת H1961 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct His ל֖וֹ Preposition | third person masculine singular servants לַעֲבָדִ֑ים H5650 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct who keep שֹׁמֵ֤ר H8104 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular the Sabbath שַׁבָּת֙ H7676 Noun - common singular without profaning it מֵֽחַלְּל֔וֹ H2490 Preposition-m | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular and who hold fast וּמַחֲזִיקִ֖ים H2388 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural to My covenant בִּבְרִיתִֽי׃ H1285 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Verse 7

Original words

I will bring them וַהֲבִיאוֹתִ֞ים H935 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural to אֶל־ H413 Preposition My holy קָדְשִׁ֗י H6944 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular mountain הַ֣ר H2022 Noun - masculine singular construct and make them joyful וְשִׂמַּחְתִּים֙ H8055 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural in My house בְּבֵ֣ית H1004 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of prayer תְּפִלָּתִ֔י H8605 Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular Their burnt offerings עוֹלֹתֵיהֶ֧ם H5930 Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural and sacrifices וְזִבְחֵיהֶ֛ם H2077 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural will be accepted לְרָצ֖וֹן H7522 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular on עַֽל־ H5921 Preposition My altar מִזְבְּחִ֑י H4196 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular for כִּ֣י H3588 Conjunction My house בֵיתִ֔י H1004 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular will be called יִקָּרֵ֖א H7121 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular a house בֵּית־ H1004 Noun - masculine singular construct of prayer תְּפִלָּ֥ה H8605 Noun - feminine singular for all לְכָל־ H3605 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct the nations הָעַמִּֽים׃ H5971 Article | Noun - masculine plural

BSB notes

  • Cited in Matthew 21:13, Mark 11:17, and Luke 19:46
Verse 8

Original words

Thus declares נְאֻם֙ H5002 Noun - masculine singular construct the Lord אֲדֹנָ֣י H136 Noun - proper - masculine singular GOD יְהוִ֔ה H3069 Noun - proper - masculine singular who gathers מְקַבֵּ֖ץ H6908 Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular the dispersed נִדְחֵ֣י H5080 Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural construct of Israel יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular I will gather אֲקַבֵּ֥ץ H6908 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular to them עָלָ֖יו H5921 Preposition | third person masculine singular still others ע֛וֹד H5750 Adverb besides those already gathered לְנִקְבָּצָֽיו׃ H6908 Preposition-l | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.