Isaiah 66:5

You who tremble at His word, hear the word of the LORD: “Your brothers who hate you and exclude you because of My name have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified that we may see your joy!’ But they will be put to shame.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The Lord addresses the faithful who tremble at His word, speaking during a period of intense communal conflict where self-proclaimed believers actively persecute the remnant. This declaration follows a pronouncement of judgment on the disobedient and precedes a vivid description of divine retribution against God's enemies.

The words — The Hebrew שִׁמְעוּ (shim.'U) issues a direct command to "hear," while אֲחֵי/כֶם ('a.chei./Khem) literally denotes "your brothers/relatives," highlighting the intimate nature of the betrayal. These terms ground the passage in an urgent auditory summons and a stark revelation of covenantal rupture.

The thread — The pattern of outsiders opposing God's people appears in John 15:18 and Matthew 5:10, where hostility is presented as an inevitable result of alignment with divine authority. The motif of false claimants demanding divine glory before facing shame aligns with the broader biblical theme of reversed fortunes found in Isaiah 66:2.

Why it lands — The text requires the reader to accept persecution as a direct consequence of faithfulness, demanding endurance rather than retaliation. It compels a clear-eyed reliance on divine justice, recognizing that human exclusion cannot override God's ultimate vindication.

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

שִׁמְעוּ֙shim.'Uhear דְּבַר־de.var-[the] word of יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahweh הַחֲרֵדִ֖יםha./cha.re.DimO/ [people] trembling אֶל־'el-to דְּבָר֑וֹde.va.R/oword/ his אָמְרוּ֩'a.me.Ruthey have said אֲחֵיכֶ֨ם'a.chei./Khemrelatives/ your שֹׂנְאֵיכֶ֜םso.ne.'ei./Khem[who] hate/ you מְנַדֵּיכֶ֗םme.na.dei./Khem[who] exclude/ you לְמַ֤עַןle.Ma.'anfor [the] sake of שְׁמִי֙she.M/iname/ my יִכְבַּ֣דyikh.Bad<he> will be honored יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahweh וְנִרְאֶ֥הve./nir.'Ehso/ we may look בְשִׂמְחַתְכֶ֖םve./sim.chat./Khemon/ joy/ your וְהֵ֥םve./Hemand/ they יֵבֹֽשׁוּ׃ye.Vo.shuthey will be ashamed

King James Version

Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.

Cross-references

Isaiah 66:2 Has not My hand made all these things? And so they came into being,” declares the LORD. “This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word.
John 15:18 If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first.
Matthew 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Psalms 38:20 Those who repay my good with evil attack me for pursuing the good.
Matthew 10:22 You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.
Song of Solomon 1:6 Do not stare because I am dark, for the sun has gazed upon me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me a keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have neglected.
Isaiah 5:19 to those who say, “Let Him hurry and hasten His work so that we may see it! Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come so that we may know it!”
Jeremiah 36:16 When they had heard all these words, they turned to one another in fear and said to Baruch, “Surely we must report all these words to the king.”
Luke 6:22 Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man.
John 9:34 They replied, “You were born in utter sin, and you are instructing us?” And they threw him out.