Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 43:23
Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honored me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense.
23. The absence of sacrifice has not impaired the bond between Jehovah and His people. The thought presents a striking contrast to ch. Isa 1:10 ff., a passage which was probably in the writer’s mind.
the small cattle ] The Heb. word serves as the noun of unity to the word for “flock” (i.e. sheep and goats). On burnt-offerings, sacrifices and offering, see on ch. Isa 1:11; Isa 1:13.
I have not caused thee to serve ] “have not treated thee as a slave,” by exacting tribute. The statement might no doubt be understood absolutely, according to Jer 7:21 ff.; but it is perhaps sufficient to take it of the Exile, when the non-essential character of sacrifice was revealed by its enforced discontinuance (cf. Psa 51:16).
incense ] See ch. Isa 60:6; Jer 6:20. In both these passages incense is described as coming from Arabia, which agrees with the statement of Pliny, that it was collected in the chief city of Hadramaut and thence conveyed to Syria. The Heb. word ( lbn h), which is preserved in the Gr. , , is quite different from that found in ch. Isa 1:13.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Thou hast not brought me – As a people you have witcheld from me the sacrifices which were commanded. They had not maintained and observed his worship as he had required.
The small cattle – Margin, Lambs, or kids. The Hebrew word ( s’eh) denotes properly one of a flock – a sheep or a goat. It should have been so rendered here. These animals were used for burnt-offerings, and the Jews were required to offer them daily to God.
Of thy burnt-offerings – (Compare Exo 29:38; Num 28:3). The burnt-offering was wholly consumed on the altar.
With thy sacrifices – Bloody offerings. There is little difference between this word and that rendered burnt-offerings. If there is any, it is that the word rendered sacrifice ( zebach) is of wider signification, and expresses sacrifice in general; the word rendered burnt-offering ( olah), denotes that which is consumed, or which ascends as an offering. The holocaust refers to its being burned; the sacrifice to the offering, however made.
I have not caused thee to serve with an offering – I have not made a slave of thee; I have not exacted such a service as would be oppressive and intolerable – such as is imposed on a slave. The word used here ( abad), is often used in such a sense, and with such a reference Lev 25:39; Thou shalt not compel him to serve the service of a bondman Exo 1:14; Jer 22:13; Jer 25:14; Jer 30:8. The sense is, that the laws of God on the subject, were not grievous and oppressive.
With an offering – The word used here ( minchah) denotes properly a bloodless oblation, and is thus distinguished from those mentioned before. It consisted of flour mingled with salt, oil, and incense; or of the fruits of the earth, etc. (see the notes at Isa 1:11; compare Lev 2:2; Num 28:5.
Nor wearied thee – By exacting incense. I have not so exacted it as to make it burdensome and wearisome to you.
With incense – (See the note at Isa 1:13). The word lebonah (Greek libanos) denotes properly frankincense, a substance so called from its white color, from laban, to be white. It is found in Arabia Isa 60:6; Jer 6:20, and in Palestine Son 4:6, Son 4:14, and was obtained by making incisions in the bark of trees. It was much used in worship among the Jews as well as by other nations. It was burned in order to produce an agreeable fragrance Exo 30:8; Exo 37:29; Lev 16:13.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Isa 43:23-24
Thou hast not brought Me the small cattle
Failure in religious details
Failure in religious details may we not ask whether some emphasis may not be laid upon the designation the small cattle?
Do not many men fail in religious details? They are emphatic in their stupendous word-creed, but they do not bless some little child on the road to church, or bring some wandering soul to the Church home. We do certain great or conspicuous things, and we forget the small cattle, the little offerings and tributes. Every omission is noticed (Isa 43:24). Does God care for our sweet cane? Does He like to see us spending a trifle upon some cane stick that we may take it and offer it as if it were a flower? He hath no need of any service of the kind; yet it pleases Him that we should with some small piece of money buy sweet cane. Observe how He notes the omissions! This might be the very voice of Christ, who said to Simon the Pharisee, I entered into thine house, thou gavest Me no water for My feet; but she hath washed My feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest Me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss My feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed My feet with ointment. What an eye is the eye of Omniscience! It notices every slip and flaw and omission. That would, indeed, be a miserable declaration to make if it stood alone; but it only leads to the fuller declaration that it notices every cup of cold water, every widows gift, every childs service. God is not unrighteous to forget your work of faith and labour of love. (J. Parker, D. D.)
God and His people a contrast
In one of those antithetical clauses, or balances of words, so frequent in Isaiah, He thus contrasts His own and His peoples doings (verse 23): I have not burdened thee in exacting oblations; I have not wearied thee in demanding incense.. . . But thou hast burdened Me with thy sins; thou hast wearied Me with thine iniquities (verse 24). (J. R. Macduff, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; either,
1. Because thou didst not offer thy sacrifices to me, but to idols. Or rather,
2. Because what thou didst offer was not done to me, not for my sake, not from a principle of love and obedience to me, not to please and honour me with it; but merely for thine own ends: which interpretation seems to be favoured by the following clause, and by comparing this with Zec 7:5,6, Did ye fast unto me, even to me? And when ye did eatdid ye not eat for yourselves?
Neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices, because thou didst either neglect this work of sacrificing to me; or didst perform it merely out of custom or ill design, and not with a purpose to please and glorify me; or didst dishonour me, and pollute thy sacrifices by thy wicked course of life.
I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense: so the sense may be this, I did not require these wearisome services of thee, to wit, upon these terms, or to be offered in such a manner, as God speaks, Isa 1:11-13. But the words may very well be rendered, although I did not cause thee to serve with offerings, nor weary thee with incense; the particle although being here understood, as it is in many other places, as hath been formerly noted. And so this is an aggravation of their former sin, of being weary of and negligent in his service; although God hath not laid such heavy burdens upon them, nor required such hard services or costly offerings from them, as might give them cause to be weary, nor such as idolaters did freely and greedily perform in the service of their idols.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
23. small cattlerather, the”lamb” or “kid,” required by the law to be dailyoffered to God (Exo 29:38;Num 28:3).
sacrificesoffered anyway; whereas the Hebrew for “holocaust,” or “burntoffering,” denotes that which ascends as an offeringconsumed by fire.
I have not caused thee toservethat is, to render the the service of a slave(Mat 11:30; Rom 8:15;1Jn 4:18; 1Jn 5:3).
offeringbloodless(Lev 2:1; Lev 2:2).
weariedantithetical toIsa 43:22, “Thouhast been weary of Me.” Though God in the law required suchofferings, yet not so as to “weary” the worshipper, or toexact them in cases where, as in the Babylonish captivity, they werephysically unable to render them; God did not require them, save insubordination to the higher moral duties (Psa 50:8-14;Psa 51:16; Psa 51:17;Mic 6:3; Mic 6:6-8).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings,…. The kids and the lambs, which, according to the law, should have been brought for burnt offerings daily, morning and evening; and much less did they bring the larger cattle of burnt offerings, as oxen and bullocks. The Targum and Vulgate Latin render it, “the rams of thy burnt offerings”; the Septuagint version, “the sheep”; and the Syriac and Arabic versions, “the lambs”; and these were not brought to him, but to their idols; or, however, were not brought in a right way and manner, and from right principles, and with right views. Kimchi thinks this refers to the times of Ahaz, when the service of God ceased in the temple, and idolatry was practised at Jerusalem but it seems to respect later times, nearer the times of Christ; see Mal 1:13:
neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices; what sacrifices they did offer were not offered to God, but to their idols; or they were such as were not according to the law of God; or they were not offered up in the faith of the Messiah, nor with a true spirit of devotion, and with a sincere view to the glory of God, and in the exercise of repentance for sins; but rather as an atonement for them, and that they might go on in them with ease of mind; see Isa 1:11:
I have not caused thee to serve with an offering; the “minchah”, a meat offering or bread offering, which was a freewill offering, and they were not obliged to it; it was at their own option whether they would bring it or not, and which was not very chargeable to them:
nor wearied thee with incense; or frankincense, which was put upon the meat or bread offering; see Le 2:1. Some understand this of all offerings in general, that they were not so many that were commanded them, as to be a burden to them; nor so expensive but that they were able to bear the charge of them, considering the fruitfulness of the land of Canaan, and especially the numerous and costly sacrifices of Heathen idolaters: and others think it has reference to the time of Israel’s coming out of Egypt, and the covenant of God with them, when no mention was made of sacrifices, nor were they enjoined them, Jer 7:21.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
23. Theft hast not brought to me. A question arises, “Why does the Prophet bring this reproach against the Jews, who, it is evident, were very careful to offer sacrifices according to the injunction of the Law?” Some refer this to the time of the captivity, when they could not have offered sacrifices to God though they had been willing to do so; for it was not lawful for them to offer sacrifices in any other place than Jerusalem, and therefore they could not appease God by sacrifices. (Deu 12:13.) But I rather think that it is a general reproach; for at the very time when the people were sacrificing, they could not boast of their merits or personal worth, as if they had laid God under obligations in this manner; for they were wanting in the sacrifices which God chiefly approves, that is, faith and obedience, without which nothing can be acceptable to God. There was no integrity of heart, “their hands were full of blood,” (Isa 1:15😉 everything was filled with fraud and robbery, and there was no room for justice or equity. Although, therefore, they daily brought beasts to the temple, and sacrificed them, yet he justly affirms that they offered nothing to him. Sacrifices could not be accepted by God when they were separated kern truth, and were offered to another rather than to God; for he did not demand them in themselves, but so far as the people treated them as exercises of faith and obedience, Hence we infer that the Prophet says nothing new, but continues to exhibit the same doctrine, namely, that God rejects all services that are rendered in a slavish spirit, or in any other respect are defective.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(23) I have not caused thee to serve . . .The words practically imply the suspension of sacrifices during the exile. Jehovah had not imposed that bond service on themhad not wearied them with demanding incense when they were far away from the Temple to whose ritual it belonged.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 43:23 Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense.
Ver. 23. Thou hast not brought me, &c. ] Not me, but a god of thine own framing, a Such a one as would take up with external heartless services, formal courtings and compliments.
a Non Mihi sed deo fictitio.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Thou hast not brought Me, &c. These verses are quite opposed to the alleged indifference of the prophets to the Divine ritual.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
hast not: Amo 5:25, Mal 1:13, Mal 1:14, Mal 3:8
small cattle: Heb. lambs, or kids
honoured: Isa 1:11-15, Isa 66:3, Pro 15:8, Pro 21:27, Amo 5:21, Amo 5:22, Zec 7:5, Zec 7:6, Mat 11:30
Reciprocal: Psa 50:9 – General Jer 2:5 – What Jer 6:20 – sweet cane Mic 6:3 – wherein Act 7:42 – have ye
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
43:23 Thou {z} hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense.
(z) Meaning, in true faith and obedience.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The people had brought few sacrifices and offerings to the Lord, even though His requirements of them in this regard were not excessive, and even what they had brought had not touched Him. Sweet cane (calamus) was an ingredient in the anointing oil (cf. Exo 30:23; Jer 6:20). What they had brought to Him in abundance was sin and iniquity. He was wearier of their worship than they were.