Isaiah 43:22-24
“Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob; but you have been weary of me, O Israel! You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings, or honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, or wearied you with frankincense. You have not bought me sweet cane with money, or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
God's accusation here isn't just that Israel failed to call on Him, but that they grew weary of Him personally. This highlights a deeply relational failure: they found God Himself a burden, not just a duty they neglected.
The prophet Isaiah addresses Israel, recounting God's faithfulness and power despite Israel's persistent neglect and weariness of divine service. The context highlights Israel's failure to call on God or honor Him with offerings, contrasting this with God's unwavering commitment to them. This sets the stage for God's powerful declaration of His saving power and ongoing commitment, even in the face of their unfaithfulness.
God expresses disappointment not just in His people's silence, but in their growing fatigue with Him. What does it mean to be 'weary' of the Divine?
Isaiah 43:22 reveals a profound spiritual apathy in Israel. The phrase 'called upon me' signifies active prayer and seeking God's presence, a duty they neglected. Even more striking is the idea of being 'weary of me.' This isn't about being tired from serving God, but about finding His presence, His commands, and His relationship a burden. It's a disinterest that views God's service not as a privilege, but as an obligation or even a hardship.
This weariness often stems from prioritizing other things or becoming accustomed to God's presence without cherishing it. The commentary notes that Israel saw God's service as 'a burden and bondage,' a far cry from the joyful communion God intended. This spiritual fatigue can lead to a lack of genuine prayer and a disconnect from the source of life and strength.
Despite Israel's weariness and neglect, God's pursuit of them remained steadfast. What does this reveal about His unwavering faithfulness?
The verse doesn't just point out Israel's failings; it sets the stage for God's persistent faithfulness. The commentaries highlight that God's actions in calling and redeeming Israel are not a response to their merit or faithfulness, but an act of His own sovereign grace. Even when Israel was 'weary of Him' and had 'not called upon' Him, God declares, 'I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.'
This demonstrates God's unwavering commitment. He doesn't give up on His people, even when they grow apathetic or distant. His initiative in calling and redeeming them showcases a love that predates their response and continues despite their shortcomings. This is the foundation of His covenant and His unchangeable character.
Understand the original words
olah · Hebrew Noun
A burnt offering was a voluntary or prescribed sacrifice that was entirely consumed by fire, symbolizing the total dedication of the offerer to God and the necessity of atonement.
zebach · Hebrew Noun
In the Old Testament, sacrifice refers to the act of offering an animal or produce to God, primarily for the purposes of atonement, thanksgiving, or fellowship, illustrating the costliness of sin and the requirement of shedding blood for the forgiveness of sins.
lebonah · Hebrew Noun
Frankincense was a fragrant resin used in the temple service, particularly in the incense offering, representing the sweet-smelling aroma of prayer and worship ascending to God.
chatta'ah · Hebrew Noun
The verse reflects the deep spiritual weariness and neglect of God that characterized Judah leading up to and during the Babylonian Exile. Despite God's repeated acts of deliverance and faithfulness, the people had grown complacent and burdensome in their worship, making their eventual punishment and subsequent redemption all the more poignant.
c. 701 BC
Hezekiah's Assyrian Crisis
Jerusalem is miraculously saved from the Assyrian siege led by Sennacherib, a pivotal moment of divine deliverance that shaped Israel's understanding of God's protection.
640-609 BC
Reign of Josiah
King Josiah institutes a religious reformation after the discovery of the Book of the Law, leading to a period of renewed covenant faithfulness.
609 BC
Battle of Megiddo
King Josiah is killed in battle against Pharaoh Necho of Egypt, a devastating blow that marked the end of a period of spiritual reform and led to political instability.
598 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deports Jehoiachin and a significant portion of the Judean elite, including Ezekiel, to Babylon, marking the beginning of the Babylonian Exile.
This passage echoes the sentiment of Isaiah 43:22 by lamenting that God's people have been 'weary' of Him and have not called upon His name, highlighting a recurring theme of spiritual apathy in Israel's history.
Malachi 1:13Malachi also confronts the people with their weariness in serving God, comparing their perceived burdensome worship to the ease with which they would labor for worldly gain, mirroring the 'weariness' mentioned in Isaiah.
Psalm 77:9-10This psalm expresses a deep sense of God's apparent absence and a questioning of His faithfulness, reflecting a state of spiritual weariness and a lack of calling upon God in times of distress, similar to the accusations in Isaiah.
Hebrews 12:5The author of Hebrews quotes Proverbs 3:11 to warn against despising or becoming weary of the Lord's discipline, directly linking the concept of weariness with God's chastening, a theme present in Isaiah's accusation against Israel.
Matthew 11:29-30Jesus contrasts the heavy burdens of religious legalism with His own 'easy' and 'light' yoke, offering a solution to the weariness and burden that His people often felt, a weariness Isaiah confronts.
bensonIsaiah 43:22: "But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel."
Isaiah 43:22-24 . But thou hast not called upon me — Thou hast grossly neglected, or very negligently and hypocritically performed the duties of my worship. Thou hast been weary of me — Thou hast not esteemed my service to be a privilege, as in truth it is, but as a burden and a bondage. “The connection is: But thou, Israel, whom I have chosen, whom I have formed for myself, to be my witness aga…
pulpitIsaiah 43:22: "But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel."
Verses 22-28. - A REPROACH ADDRESSED TO CAPTIVE ISRAEL FOR ITS PAST OMISSIONS AND SINS. The thought of Israel in the future, redeemed, restored, and "telling out God's praise" (ver. 21), raises naturally the con-trusted thought of Israel in the present and the past, disobedient, full of shortcomings (vers. 22-24), too often guilty of overt acts of sin (vers. 24-28). While reproaching his people,…
God's accusation here isn't just that Israel failed to call on Him, but that they grew weary of Him personally. This highlights a deeply relational failure: they found God Himself a burden, not just a duty they neglected.
The prophet Isaiah addresses Israel, recounting God's faithfulness and power despite Israel's persistent neglect and weariness of divine service. The context highlights Israel's failure to call on God or honor Him with offerings, contrasting this with God's unwavering commitment to them. This sets the stage for God's powerful declaration of His saving power and ongoing commitment, even in the face of their unfaithfulness.
The prophet Isaiah addresses Israel, recounting God's faithfulness and power despite Israel's persistent neglect and weariness of divine service. The context highlights Israel's failure to call on God or honor Him with offerings, contrasting this with God's unwavering commitment to them. This sets the stage for God's powerful declaration of His saving power and ongoing commitment, even in the face of their unfaithfulness.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Isaiah 43:22-24 is available in the Sola app.
Sin, or 'chatta'ah' in Hebrew, denotes 'missing the mark,' representing any action, thought, or attitude that deviates from God’s holy standard and results in separation from Him.
avon · Hebrew Noun
Iniquity refers to 'avon,' signifying twistedness, perversity, or guilt; it encompasses both the act of rebellion and the resulting burden of moral corruption before God.
587/586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Second Deportation
Jerusalem is destroyed, the Temple is desecrated, and the remaining population is largely deported to Babylon, marking the complete fulfillment of the exile.
c. 550 BC
Rise of Cyrus the Great
Cyrus the Great begins his rise to power, eventually conquering Babylon and allowing the Jewish exiles to return to their homeland.
"“Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob; but you have been weary of me, O Israel! You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings, or honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings,…" — God's accusation here isn't just that Israel failed to call on Him, but that they grew weary of Him personally. This highlights a deeply relational failure: they found God Himself a burden, not j…
