But you who forsake the LORD, who forget my holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse points to a deeply unsettling practice: setting a literal table for idols, complete with food and drink offerings. This wasn't just a symbolic gesture, but a physical mimicry of fellowship and worship, demonstrating how profoundly these people had abandoned the Lord for deceptive "fortune" and "destiny."
But you who forsake the LORD, who forget my holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet Isaiah is contrasting the faithfulness of God's remnant with the idolatry of the majority of his people. He has spoken of God's ongoing desire to gather them, but now he turns to address those who have actively rejected Him, turning their backs on His holy mountain and embracing pagan practices. This verse directly precedes God’s pronouncement of judgment upon these idolaters, highlighting their chosen path of forsaking Him for false gods.
What does it mean to 'forget God's holy mountain'? It’s more than just an absent mind – it's a deliberate turning away.
Isaiah calls out the people for forsaking and forgetting. "My holy mountain" refers to Mount Zion, the place of God's dwelling and worship. To forget it isn't just misplacing a memory; it's a rejection of God's presence, His covenant, and His appointed way of relating to Him. This forgetting leads them down a path of seeking favor from other sources.
They set a table for 'Fortune' and filled cups for 'Destiny.' What were these elusive gods, and why did they appeal?
The core of this verse's accusation lies in the specific acts of idolatry: preparing a table for 'Gad' and filling cups for 'Meni.' These weren't just abstract ideas; they represented ancient deities associated with luck, fate, and good fortune.
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
azab · Hebrew Verb
To abandon, reject, or turn away from a person or relationship, often used in Scripture to describe apostasy or the breaking of the covenant relationship with God.
Yahweh · Hebrew Noun
A designation for Yahweh, the covenant-keeping God of Israel, representing His self-existent nature and His relational commitment to His people.
har qodesh · Hebrew Noun phrase
Refers to Mount Zion or Jerusalem, the place where God chose to place His name and where the Temple stood, symbolizing God's presence and authority.
Gad · Hebrew Noun
A deity or demonic entity associated with luck or prosperity; here, it represents the idolatrous pursuit of material security over reliance on God.
Meni · Hebrew Noun
A deity associated with fate or destiny; in this context, it represents pagan trust in autonomous destiny rather than God’s sovereign providence.
This verse confronts a specific type of idolatry common in ancient Near Eastern cultures: the worship of 'Gad' (Fortune, often associated with planets like Jupiter) and 'Meni' (Destiny, possibly linked to Venus or the moon). The practice involved setting out meals and libations for these deities, a direct affront to loyalty to Yahweh and His holy mountain, Jerusalem.
c. 8th Century BC
Widespread Idolatry in Israel and Judah
During the period of the divided monarchy, both the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah engaged in syncretistic worship, blending Yahwistic practices with the worship of Canaanite deities like Baal and Asherah, and also astronomical cults.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its citizens. This event served as a stark warning to Judah about the consequences of idolatry and unfaithfulness to God.
c. 7th Century BC
Hezekiah and Josiah's Reforms
Kings Hezekiah and Josiah attempted to purge Judah of idolatrous practices, including the worship of celestial bodies and foreign gods, highlighting the ongoing struggle against these deviations.
c. 6th Century BC
Babylonian Exile Begins
The Neo-Babylonian Empire conquered Judah, initiating the Babylonian Exile. This catastrophic event, including the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple, profoundly impacted Jewish identity and religious practice.
c. 550-500 BC— this verse
Prophetic Ministry of Isaiah
This passage is part of the Book of Isaiah, which contains prophecies delivered over a long period, addressing the sins and future of Israel and Judah, including warnings against syncretism and idolatry.
This passage echoes Isaiah's accusation, detailing how the people prepared cakes for the 'queen of heaven' and poured out drink offerings to her, showing a similar pattern of idolatrous worship focused on celestial deities.
Jeremiah 44:17Similar to Isaiah 65:11, this verse directly confronts the practice of offering sacrifices and drink offerings to idols, specifically mentioning the 'queen of heaven,' highlighting the persistent nature of this forbidden worship.
1 Corinthians 10:20This New Testament passage draws a parallel between pagan sacrifice and demonic worship, suggesting that those who partake in idolatrous feasts are sharing with demons, a concept that resonates with Isaiah's condemnation of offering to 'Gad' and 'Meni'.
Deuteronomy 16:14This verse describes a festival of joy where the Israelites were to rejoice before the Lord, providing a stark contrast to the idolatrous feasts described in Isaiah, showing what true worship should look like versus the corrupted worship of false gods.
Joshua 11:17This verse mentions Baal-Gad at the foot of Mount Hermon, providing a geographical and historical link to the deity 'Gad' mentioned in Isaiah, suggesting the worship of fortune deities was present in the land.
barnesIsaiah 65:11: "But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number."
But ye are they that forsake the Lord - Or rather, 'Ye who forsake Yahweh, and who forget my holy mountain, I will number to the sword.' The design of this verse is to remind them of their idolatries, and to assure them that they should not escape unpunished. That forget my holy mountain - Mount Moriah, the sacred mountai…
clarkeIsaiah 65:11: "But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number."
That prepare a table for that troop "Who set in order a table for Gad" - The disquisitions and conjectures of the learned concerning Gad and Meni are infinite and uncertain: perhaps the most probable may be, that Gad means good fortune, and Meni the moon. "But why should we be solicitous about it?" says Schmidius. "It app…
The verse points to a deeply unsettling practice: setting a literal table for idols, complete with food and drink offerings. This wasn't just a symbolic gesture, but a physical mimicry of fellowship and worship, demonstrating how profoundly these people had abandoned the Lord for deceptive "fortune" and "destiny."
The prophet Isaiah is contrasting the faithfulness of God's remnant with the idolatry of the majority of his people. He has spoken of God's ongoing desire to gather them, but now he turns to address those who have actively rejected Him, turning their backs on His holy mountain and embracing pagan practices. This verse directly precedes God’s pronouncement of judgment upon these idolaters, highlighting their chosen path of forsaking Him for false gods.
The prophet Isaiah is contrasting the faithfulness of God's remnant with the idolatry of the majority of his people. He has spoken of God's ongoing desire to gather them, but now he turns to address those who have actively rejected Him, turning their backs on His holy mountain and embracing pagan practices. This verse directly precedes God’s pronouncement of judgment upon these idolaters, highlighting their chosen path of forsaking Him for false gods.
"But you who forsake the LORD, who forget my holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny," — The verse points to a deeply unsettling practice: setting a literal table for idols, complete with food and drink offerings. This wasn't just a symbolic gesture, but a physical mimicry of fellowship…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026