This verse isn't just about outward idolatry; it highlights a deeper spiritual bankruptcy where the people are "filled" with practices from pagan cultures ("the east") and consult fortune-tellers, signifying a turn away from God's wisdom to human superstition. Their willingness to "strike hands" with foreigners implies alliances and associations that compromise their distinct identity and devotion to God.
For you have rejected your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of things from the east and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners. Their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures; their land is filled with horses, and there is no end to their chariots. Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet Isaiah, after painting a glorious picture of a future time when all nations will worship God in Jerusalem, contrasts this vision with the sad reality of Judah's present state. He explains that God has turned away from his people because they have adopted the superstitious and idolatrous practices of surrounding nations, including divination and foreign alliances, which has led to their spiritual and national decline.
The verse laments Israel being 'replenished from the east.' What does this 'east' represent, and why is it a sign of spiritual decay?
The 'east' in Isaiah's prophecy isn't just a geographical direction; it symbolizes foreign influences and corrupt spiritual practices. The house of Jacob had become 'filled' – not with God's wisdom or presence, but with customs and beliefs originating from surrounding pagan nations, particularly those in Syria and Mesopotamia.
A Pervasive Corruption
The verse speaks of Israel delighting 'in the children of strangers.' What does this deep connection reveal about their spiritual state?
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The phrase 'children of strangers' doesn't just mean foreigners; it points to anything or anyone outside of a right relationship with God. Israel's 'delighting' in them signifies a dangerous familiarity and comfort found in things that are contrary to God's ways.
From Alliance to Affiliation
Understand the original words
ya‘aqov · Hebrew Proper Noun
A term describing the covenantal people of Israel, descending from the patriarch Jacob, chosen by God to be a light to the nations and the vehicle of redemptive history.
‘onenim · Hebrew Noun
Those who practice occult arts, divination, or spiritism to ascertain the future or gain forbidden knowledge, strictly forbidden in Old Testament law as an affront to God’s sovereignty.
yaspiqu · Hebrew Verb
A traditional legal or covenantal gesture signifying a binding agreement, alliance, or partnership, often condemned in Scripture when it implies compromising religious loyalty to God.
elilim · Hebrew Noun
Physical representations of deities or created things that are worshiped instead of or alongside the one true God, representing a form of spiritual adultery or rebellion against the first commandment.
This prophecy is deeply rooted in the historical context of Israel's struggle with idolatry and syncretism, particularly during the periods of Assyrian and Babylonian influence. The verse highlights the ongoing tension between faithfulness to Yahweh and the seductive allure of foreign religious practices and alliances, which prophets like Isaiah vehemently condemned as the cause of national distress and divine judgment.
c. 8th Century BC
Josiah's Religious Reforms
King Josiah initiated a sweeping religious reform, purging the land of idolatry and centralizing worship in Jerusalem. This era saw a strong push against foreign religious practices and syncretism.
c. 740 BC— this verse
Assyrian Expansion and Influence
The Neo-Assyrian Empire exerted significant pressure on the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. This led to increased interaction, trade, and the adoption of foreign customs and religious practices by some Israelites, much to the dismay of prophets like Isaiah.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Assyrians conquered the northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its inhabitants. This event served as a stark warning to Judah about the consequences of disobedience and foreign alliances.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon began deporting prominent Judeans, including members of the royal family and skilled workers. This marked the start of the Babylonian exile, a period of national crisis.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and its sacred Temple, ending the Davidic monarchy and scattering the remaining population into exile. This was the nadir of the nation's history.
This passage directly prohibits the practices mentioned in Isaiah 2:6, such as soothsaying and consulting mediums, highlighting God's displeasure with these 'foreign' practices.
Nehemiah 13:23-27Nehemiah confronts the people for intermarrying with foreigners and adopting their customs, mirroring Isaiah's complaint about striking hands with 'children of strangers' and adopting foreign ways.
1 Samuel 6:2This passage shows the Philistines, a people known for divination and consulting their gods, interacting with the Israelites, directly paralleling Isaiah's description of Israel becoming like the Philistines in their practices.
Jeremiah 10:1-5Jeremiah condemns the use of idols and foreign customs, drawing a parallel to Isaiah's indictment of Israel for being 'replenished from the east' and adopting idolatrous practices.
Romans 1:21-23Paul describes people who, though they knew God, became futile in their thinking and exchanged the truth about God for a lie, worshiping created things – a spiritual parallel to Israel adopting foreign practices and idols instead of God.
gillIsaiah 2:6: "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."
Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people, the house of Jacob,.... These words contain a reason of the divine conduct, in calling the Gentiles, and rejecting the Jews, because of the sins of the latter hereafter mentioned; though some, as the Targum and R. Moses, refer this to the Isr…
jfbIsaiah 2:6: "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."
- Therefore—rather, "For": reasons why there is the more need of the exhortation in Isa 2:5.thou—transition to Jehovah: such rapid transitions are natural, when the mind is full of a subject.replenished—rather, filled, namely, with the superstitions of the East, Syria, and Chaldea.…
This verse isn't just about outward idolatry; it highlights a deeper spiritual bankruptcy where the people are "filled" with practices from pagan cultures ("the east") and consult fortune-tellers, signifying a turn away from God's wisdom to human superstition. Their willingness to "strike hands" with foreigners implies alliances and associations that compromise their distinct identity and devotion to God.
The prophet Isaiah, after painting a glorious picture of a future time when all nations will worship God in Jerusalem, contrasts this vision with the sad reality of Judah's present state. He explains that God has turned away from his people because they have adopted the superstitious and idolatrous practices of surrounding nations, including divination and foreign alliances, which has led to their spiritual and national decline.
The prophet Isaiah, after painting a glorious picture of a future time when all nations will worship God in Jerusalem, contrasts this vision with the sad reality of Judah's present state. He explains that God has turned away from his people because they have adopted the superstitious and idolatrous practices of surrounding nations, including divination and foreign alliances, which has led to their spiritual and national decline.
"For you have rejected your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of things from the east and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners. Their land…" — This verse isn't just about outward idolatry; it highlights a deeper spiritual bankruptcy where the people are "filled" with practices from pagan cultures ("the east") and consult fortune-tellers, si…
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Last reviewed October 2026
