Isaiah 5:12
And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.
Original Language Analysis
וְהָיָ֨ה
H1961
וְהָיָ֨ה
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
1 of 16
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
וָנֶ֗בֶל
and the viol
H5035
וָנֶ֗בֶל
and the viol
Strong's:
H5035
Word #:
3 of 16
a skin-bag for liquids (from collapsing when empty); also a lyre (as having a body of like form)
מִשְׁתֵּיהֶ֑ם
are in their feasts
H4960
מִשְׁתֵּיהֶ֑ם
are in their feasts
Strong's:
H4960
Word #:
7 of 16
drink, by implication, drinking (the act); also (by implication) a banquet or (generally) feast
וְאֵ֨ת
H853
וְאֵ֨ת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
8 of 16
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
יְהוָה֙
of the LORD
H3068
יְהוָה֙
of the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
10 of 16
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
לֹ֣א
H3808
לֹ֣א
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
11 of 16
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
יַבִּ֔יטוּ
but they regard
H5027
יַבִּ֔יטוּ
but they regard
Strong's:
H5027
Word #:
12 of 16
to scan, i.e., look intently at; by implication, to regard with pleasure, favor or care
וּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה
the operation
H4639
וּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה
the operation
Strong's:
H4639
Word #:
13 of 16
an action (good or bad); generally, a transaction; abstractly, activity; by implication, a product (specifically, a poem) or (generally) property
יָדָ֖יו
of his hands
H3027
יָדָ֖יו
of his hands
Strong's:
H3027
Word #:
14 of 16
a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from h3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great v
Cross References
Psalms 28:5Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.Job 34:27Because they turned back from him, and would not consider any of his ways:Daniel 5:23But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:Jude 1:12These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
Historical Context
Judah's prosperity enabled leisure and entertainment, yet spiritual sensitivity atrophied. Failure to discern God's hand in contemporary events left them unprepared for Assyrian threat.
Questions for Reflection
- How do legitimate pleasures and entertainments sometimes blind us to God's 'work' in our generation?
- What 'operation of his hands' are we failing to regard due to cultural distraction?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The indictment of feasting with musical instruments while disregarding 'the work of the LORD' and 'the operation of his hands' critiques spiritual complacency masked by religious festivities. Music and wine aren't inherently wrong, but when they distract from perceiving God's providential working and impending judgment, they become occasions for hardening. This anticipates Amos 6:1-7's woe against the complacent and Jesus' parable of the wedding feast where invitees made light of the invitation (Matthew 22:5).