Isaiah 1 · Verse 2

Isaiah 1:2

Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

Isaiah 1:2, King James Version

Isaiah 1:2 in other translations

BSB	Listen, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the LORD has spoken: “I have raised children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against Me.
WEB	Hear, heavens, and listen, earth; for the LORD has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me.
ASV	Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for Jehovah hath spoken: I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
YLT	Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, For Jehovah hath spoken: Sons I have nourished and brought up, And they--they transgressed against Me.
DARBY	Hear, ye heavens, and give ear, thou earth! for Jehovah hath spoken: I have nourished and brought up children; and they have rebelled against me.
BBE	Give ear, O heavens, and you, O earth, to the word which the Lord has said: I have taken care of my children till they became men, but their hearts have been turned away from me.
Webster	Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

What does Isaiah 1:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

2. The very words of Moses (De 32:1); this implies that the law was the charter and basis of all prophecy (Is 8:20). Lord--Jehovah; in Hebrew, "the self-existing and promise-fulfilling, unchangeable One." The Jews never pronounced this holy name, but substituted Adonai. The English Version, Lord in capitals, marks the Hebrew "Jehovah," though Lord is rather equivalent to "Adonai" than "Jehovah." children--(Ex 4:22). rebelled--as sons (De 21:18) and as subjects, God being king in the theocracy (Is 63:10). "Brought up," literally, "elevated," namely, to peculiar privileges (Jr 2:6-8; Ro 9:4, 5).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 2 Hear, O heavens "Hear, O ye heavens" - God is introduced as entering into a public action, or pleading, before the whole world, against his disobedient people. The prophet, as herald or officer to proclaim the summons to the court, calls upon all created beings, celestial and terrestrial, to attend and bear witness to the truth of his plea and the justice of his cause. The same scene is more fully displayed in the noble exordium of Psa 1:1-6, where God summons all mankind, from east to west, to be present to hear his appeal; and the solemnity is held on Sion, where he is attended with the same terrible pomp that accompanied him on Mount Sinai: - "A consuming fire goes before him And round him rages a violent tempest: He calleth the heavens from above. And the earth, that he may contend in judgment with his people." Psa 50:3, Psa 50:4. By the same bold figure, Micah calls upon the mountains, that is, the whole country of Judea, to attend to him, Isa 6:1, Isa 6:2 : - "Arise, plead thou before the mountains, And let the hills hear thy voice. Hear, O ye mountains, the controversy of Jehovah; And ye, O ye strong foundations of the earth: For Jehovah hath a controversy with his people, And he will plead his cause against Israel." With the like invocation, Moses introduces his sublime song, the design of which was the same as that of this prophecy, "to testify as a witness, against the Israelites," for their disobedience, Deu 31:21 : - "Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; And let the earth hear the words of my mouth." Deu 32:1. This, in the simple yet strong oratorical style of Moses, is, "I call heaven and earth to witness against thee this day; life and death have I set before thee; the blessing and the curse: choose now life, that thou mayest live, thou and thy seed." Deu 30:19. The poetical style, by an apostrophe, sets the personification in a much stronger light. Hath spoken "That speaketh" - I render it in the present time, pointing it דבר dober. There seems to be an impropriety in demanding attention to a speech already delivered. But the present reading may stand, as the prophet may be here understood to declare to the people what the Lord had first spoken to him. I have nourished - The Septuagint have εγεννησα, "I have begotten." Instead of גדלתי giddalti, they read ילדתי yaladti; the word little differing from the other, and perhaps more proper; which the Chaldee likewise seems to favor; "vocavi eos filios." See Exo 4:22; Jer 31:9.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 1:1-9

The corruptions prevailing among the Jews. (Is. 1:1-9) Severe censures. (Is. 1:10-15) Exhortations to repentance. (Is. 1:16-20) The state of Judah is lamented; with gracious promises of the gospel times. (Is. 1:21-31) Verses 1-9 Isaiah signifies, "The salvation of the Lord;" a very suitable name for this prophet, who prophesies so much of Jesus the Saviour, and his salvation. God's professing people did not know or…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 1:1-9 →

Isaiah 1:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

שִׁמְע֤וּshim.'UhearH8085

שָׁמַ֙יִם֙sha.Ma.yimO heavensH8064

וְהַאֲזִ֣ינִיve.ha.'a.Zi.niand give earH238

אֶ֔רֶץ'E.retzO earthH776

כִּ֥יkiforH3588

יְהוָ֖הYah.wehYahwehH3068

דִּבֵּ֑רdi.Berhe has spokenH1696

בָּנִים֙ba.NimchildrenH1121

גִּדַּ֣לְתִּיgi.Dal.tiI have brought upH1431

וְרוֹמַ֔מְתִּיve.ro.Mam.tiand I have raisedH7311

וְהֵ֖םve.Hemand theyH1992

פָּ֥שְׁעוּPa.she.'uthey have rebelledH6586

בִֽי\׃Viagainst me

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 1:2

Deuteronomy 32:1
Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
Deuteronomy 30:19
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
Micah 1:2
Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord God be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.
Deuteronomy 4:26
I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.
Psalms 50:4
He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.
Malachi 1:6
A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?
Micah 6:1-2
Hear ye now what the Lord saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord’s controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the Lord hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.
Amos 3:1
Hear this word that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying,
Micah 3:8
But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.
Isaiah 63:9-10
In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.
Ezekiel 36:4
Therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God; Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes, and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen that are round about;
Isaiah 30:9
That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Hear.
De 4:26; 30:19; 32:1; Ps 50:4; Jer 2:12; 6:19; 22:29; Eze 36:4
Mic 1:2; 6:1,2
for the Lord.
Jer 13:15; Am 3:1; Mic 3:8; Ac 4:20
I have.
5:1,2; 46:3,4; De 1:31; 4:7,8; Jer 31:9; Eze 16:6-14; 20:5-32
Ro 3:1,2; 9:4,5
they have.
63:9,10; De 9:22-24; Jer 2:5-13; Mal 1:6

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Isaiah 1:1
The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
Isaiah 1:2
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
Isaiah 1:3
The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

Read all of Isaiah 1

Isaiah 1:2 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Oid, cielos, y escucha tú, tierra; porque habla Jehová: Crié hijos, y engrandecílos, y ellos se rebelaron contra mí.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Écoutez, cieux, et prête l’oreille, terre! car l’ Éternel a parlé: J’ai nourri et élevé des fils, et ils se sont rebellés contre moi.
German Elberfelder 1871	Höret, ihr Himmel, und horche auf, du Erde! Denn Jehova hat geredet: Ich habe Kinder großgezogen und auferzogen, und sie sind von mir abgefallen.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Audite, cæli, et auribus percipe, terra, quoniam Dominus locutus est. Filios enutrivi, et exaltavi; ipsi autem spreverunt me.