Isaiah – Chapter 58

Old Testament14 Verses

Chapter Summary

"Cry, cease not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their wicked doings, and the house of Jacob their sins." — so begins Isaiah 58. Jacob stands at the center of this chapter. Across its 14 verses, two threads run through the text: justice and care for the poor and sin and divine judgment. Taken as a whole, the chapter forms one movement in the account, preparing what follows and completing what came before.

1Cry, cease not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their wicked doings, and the house of Jacob their sins.

2For they seek me from day to day, and desire to know my ways, as a nation that hath done justice, and hath not forsaken the judgment of their God: they ask of me the judgments of justice: they are willing to approach to God.

3Why have we fasted, and thou hast not regarded: have we humbled our souls, and thou hast not taken notice? Behold in the day of your fast your own will is found, and you exact of all your debtors.

4Behold you fast for debates and strife, and strike with the fist wickedly. Do not fast as you have done until this day, to make your cry to be heard on high.

5Is this such a fast as I have chosen: for a man to afflict his soul for a day? is this it, to wind his head about like a circle, and to spread sackcloth and ashes? wilt thou call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord?

6Is 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.

7Deal thy bread to the hungry, and bring the needy and the harbourless into thy house: when thou shalt see one naked, cover him, and despise not thy own flesh.

8Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health shall speedily arise, and thy justice shall go before thy face, and the glory of the Lord shall gather thee up.

9Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall hear: thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou wilt take away the chain out of the midst of thee, and cease to stretch out the finger, and to speak that which profiteth not.

10When thou shalt pour out thy soul to the hungry, and shalt satisfy the afflicted soul, then shall thy light rise up in darkness, and thy darkness shall be as the noonday.

11And the Lord will give thee rest continually, and will fill thy soul with brightness, and deliver thy bones, and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a fountain of water whose waters shall not fail.

12And the places that have been desolate for ages shall be built in thee: thou shalt raise up the foundation of generation and generation: and thou shalt be called the repairer of the fences, turning the paths into rest.

13If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy own will in my holy day, and call the sabbath delightful, and the holy of the Lord glorious, and glorify him, while thou dost not thy own ways, and thy own will is not found, to speak a word:

14Then shalt thou be delighted in the Lord, and I will lift thee up above the high places of the earth, and will feed thee with the inheritance of Jacob thy father. For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Important Verses in Isaiah 58

Cry, cease not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their wicked doings, and the house of Jacob their sins.

Isaiah 58:1

Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health shall speedily arise, and thy justice shall go before thy face, and the glory of the Lord shall gather thee up.

Isaiah 58:8

And the Lord will give thee rest continually, and will fill thy soul with brightness, and deliver thy bones, and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a fountain of water whose waters shall not fail.

Isaiah 58:11

Then shalt thou be delighted in the Lord, and I will lift thee up above the high places of the earth, and will feed thee with the inheritance of Jacob thy father. For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Isaiah 58:14

Historical Context

As a Old Testament book, Isaiah was written with judah in crisis, the exiles in Babylon, and all who await the Messiah in view. Chapter 58 of 66 moves toward the climax of the book as earlier promises and conflicts converge. It is a legal and cultic instruction given to Israel regarding worship, holiness, and daily life with 14 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. Jacob appear at the center of the events recorded here. It opens with the line: "Cry, cease not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their wicked doings, and the house of Jacob their…" It concludes: "Then shalt thou be delighted in the Lord, and I will lift thee up above the high places of the earth, and will feed…" The wider setting of Isaiah is this: Isaiah prophesied in Jerusalem during the Assyrian crisis, calling kings to trust God rather than alliances. Scholarly and ecclesial tradition places the composition of Isaiah around Isaiah's ministry about 740-700 BC; the book's later chapters address the exile and return (6th century BC).

Who Wrote It

The prophet Isaiah of Jerusalem; chapters 40-66 continue his message through inspired disciples

When It Was Written

Isaiah's ministry about 740-700 BC; the book's later chapters address the exile and return (6th century BC)

Catholic Commentary

At the literal level, Isaiah 58 delivers commandments and ritual instructions given under the old covenant. A pivotal line is verse 1: "Cry, cease not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their wicked doings, and the house of Jacob their sins." The passage repeatedly touches on justice and care for the poor.

The Church teaches that every passage of Scripture must be read in light of Christ and the Magisterium (CIC 26). Here, Isaiah's prophecies are fulfilled in Christ, especially the Suffering Servant (CIC 601). The spiritual sense invites believers to recognize justice and care for the poor as part of God's pedagogy of salvation.

Applied to the life of faith, the passage supports the Church's conviction that God's salvation reaches to the ends of the earth. Whether read privately or heard in the liturgy, Isaiah 58 calls for a response of faith, repentance, and charity.

Main Teachings

  • God defends the poor and the oppressed, and calls His people to act with justice.
  • Sin has real consequences, but God's judgment always aims at conversion and restoration.
  • Worship is the heart of the covenant: giving God the praise and adoration that are His due.

People in This Chapter

Jacob2 mentions

Reflection for Today

Isaiah Chapter 58 belongs to the Old Testament and forms part of the Catholic canon proclaimed in the liturgy of the Word.

Through typology, the Church often reads Old Testament passages as preparing for Christ, while New Testament passages reveal Him explicitly. Isaiah's prophecies are fulfilled in Christ, especially the Suffering Servant (CIC 601). Here the believer is invited to ponder worship as the heart of the Christian life.

Let Isaiah Chapter 58 deepen your love for the Eucharist, where the Word made flesh continues to feed His people. The same Christ who speaks in Scripture offers Himself sacramentally on the altar.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Isaiah Chapter 58 about?

Isaiah 58 contains 14 verses. It opens with "Cry, cease not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their wicked doings, and the house of Jacob their…" and closes with "Then shalt thou be delighted in the Lord, and I will lift thee up above the high places of the earth, and will feed…". The book as a whole is prophetic oracles and poetry.

What is a key verse in Isaiah 58?

One of the most significant verses is verse 1: "Cry, cease not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their wicked doings, and the house of Jacob their sins." It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who appears in Isaiah Chapter 58?

This chapter mentions Jacob.

Who wrote Isaiah and when?

The prophet Isaiah of Jerusalem; chapters 40-66 continue his message through inspired disciples. Isaiah's ministry about 740-700 BC; the book's later chapters address the exile and return (6th century BC).

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