Bible Strands
Isaiah 48:2
who indeed call yourselves after the holy city and lean on the God of Israel; the LORD of Hosts is His name.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The prophet addresses the house of Jacob, specifically those descended from Judah who claim Israel's identity. This confrontation occurs as God contrasts their sworn oaths with their lack of truth and righteousness (Isaiah 48:1).
The words — נִקְרָ֔אוּ (nik.Ra.'u) means "they have called themselves," and נִסְמָ֑כוּ (nis.Ma.khu) means "they have supported themselves." These verbs record the people's self-asserted religious designation and their reliance on the God of Israel.
The thread — Hollow institutional trust is condemned in Micah 3:11, where leaders and priests exploit their offices for profit. The contrast between self-proclaimed holiness and true covenant faithfulness runs through Isaiah 10:20 and Isaiah 52:1.
Why it lands — The text demands a clear distinction between outward religious labels and inward covenant obedience. It requires readers to verify that their trust rests on God's actual character rather than on self-constructed religious security.
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
For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The Lord of hosts is his name.
Cross-references
- Micah 3:11 Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets practice divination for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD, saying, “Is not the LORD among us? No disaster can come upon us.”
- Isaiah 10:20 On that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer depend on him who struck them, but they will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.
- Isaiah 52:1 Awake, awake, clothe yourself with strength, O Zion! Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, holy city! For the uncircumcised and unclean will no longer enter you.
- Romans 2:17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God;
- Jeremiah 21:2 “Please inquire of the LORD on our behalf, since Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is waging war against us. Perhaps the LORD will perform for us something like all His past wonders, so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us.”
- Matthew 27:53 After Jesus’ resurrection, when they had come out of the tombs, they entered the holy city and appeared to many people.
- Judges 17:13 Then Micah said, “Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, because a Levite has become my priest.”
- 1 Samuel 4:3 When the troops returned to the camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why has the LORD brought defeat on us before the Philistines today? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Shiloh, so that it may go with us to save us from the hand of our enemies.”
- Nehemiah 11:1 Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in the holy city of Jerusalem, while the remaining nine were to dwell in their own towns.
- Nehemiah 11:18 The Levites in the holy city totaled 284.