Bible Strands
Isaiah 2:6
For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled with influences from the east; they are soothsayers like the Philistines; they strike hands with the children of foreigners.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The prophet addresses the house of Jacob, shifting from the call to walk in the Lord’s light to God’s declaration of abandonment due to their spiritual corruption.
The words — נָטַשְׁתָּה (natash'tah) translates literally as "you have abandoned," and מִקֶּדֶם (miqqedem) means "from the east," identifying the geographic and cultural source of the people’s adopted practices.
The thread — The text’s description of soothsaying and foreign alliances aligns with Deuteronomy 18:10’s condemnation of divination, while Romans 11:20 frames such breaking from covenant standing as a result of unbelief.
Why it lands — The passage requires a reader to verify whether their spiritual practices and alliances originate from divine instruction or from syncretic foreign influence before assuming continued covenant standing.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.
Cross-references
- Romans 11:20 That is correct: They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid.
- Deuteronomy 18:10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery,
- 2 Kings 1:2 Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers and instructed them: “Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this injury.”
- Exodus 22:18 You must not allow a sorceress to live.
- Exodus 34:16 And when you take some of their daughters as brides for your sons, their daughters will prostitute themselves to their gods and cause your sons to do the same.
- Leviticus 19:31 You must not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out, or you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
- Leviticus 20:6 Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists to prostitute himself with them, I will also set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.
- Numbers 23:7 And Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the mountains of the east. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘put a curse on Jacob for me; come and denounce Israel!’
- Numbers 25:1 While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab,
- Deuteronomy 21:11 if you see a beautiful woman among them, and you desire her and want to take her as your wife,