who sit in tombs, and spend the night in secret places; who eat pig’s flesh, and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels;
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse isn't just listing forbidden practices; it's painting a picture of people actively seeking supernatural connection outside of God. Their rituals—lodging in tombs and eating forbidden foods—weren't mere cultural deviations but attempts to commune with the dead or appease spirits, aiming for power and knowledge not found in obedience.
who sit in tombs, and spend the night in secret places; who eat pig’s flesh, and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels;
English Standard Version (ESV)
Isaiah is confronting the people of Judah with their deep-seated spiritual corruption, contrasting their idolatrous practices with God's desire for genuine worship. The preceding verses lament God's outstretched hand being rejected by a disobedient people, and this passage details the specific abominations—like dwelling in tombs and eating forbidden foods—that mark their departure from God and their embrace of pagan rituals. This sets the stage for God's promised judgment and his eventual creation of a renewed people who will truly seek Him.
Why would people spend the night in tombs or hidden places? This verse points to ancient practices of trying to connect with the spirit world for answers.
Seeking Answers in the Wrong Places
The first part of Isaiah 65:4 describes people who 'sit in tombs, and spend the night in secret places.' This wasn't just about finding shelter; it points to practices like necromancy—attempting to communicate with the dead to gain knowledge, especially about the future.
Eating pig's flesh was forbidden, but what does it signify beyond a dietary rule? This action reveals a broader rebellion against God's covenant.
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More Than Just a Meal
The verse continues by mentioning that these people 'eat pig’s flesh, and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels.' This wasn't a minor infraction; it represented a significant spiritual rebellion.
Understand the original words
chazir · Hebrew Noun
The Mosaic Law identified swine as ceremonially unclean; eating pig’s flesh was a direct violation of covenant purity laws, serving as a sign of deliberate rejection of God's holiness.
This verse paints a stark picture of religious syncretism and forbidden practices occurring during or after the Babylonian exile. The people are engaging in necromancy (consulting the dead) and eating ritually unclean foods like pork, directly violating Mosaic Law and alienating themselves from God.
c. 750-650 BC
Josiah's Reforms
King Josiah of Judah implemented sweeping religious reforms aimed at eradicating idolatry and centralizing worship in Jerusalem. These reforms likely intensified the distinction between true Israelite worship and surrounding pagan practices.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and deports a portion of the population, including royalty and skilled workers, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Babylonian forces destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, with the remaining population exiled to Babylon. This catastrophic event deeply impacted Jewish identity and religious practice, leading to increased adherence to the Law but also, for some, a desperate turning to forbidden practices.
c. 539 BC
Cyrus's Decree and Return from Exile
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon and issues a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Judah and rebuild their Temple. While many returned, some remained in Babylon, and the experience of exile continued to shape their religious outlook.
This passage directly prohibits the eating of pork, establishing the Mosaic Law's stance against this practice that the people in Isaiah's time were violating.
Deuteronomy 18:10-12This text warns against divination and consulting the dead, directly correlating with the 'sitting in tombs' and 'spending the night in secret places' described in Isaiah, which were associated with necromancy and forbidden practices.
1 Samuel 15:22This verse highlights that obedience is more pleasing to God than sacrifice, underscoring the spiritual failure of the people who were engaging in forbidden rituals and practices instead of heeding God's commands.
Ezekiel 8:10-12This passage also describes idolatrous and forbidden practices occurring within Jerusalem, including divination and secret worship, mirroring the spiritual decay and syncretism evident in Isaiah 65:4.
Matthew 8:28This New Testament account of the demon-possessed men living among the tombs shows a continued association of tombs with dark spiritual influences and those on the fringes of society, echoing the setting described in Isaiah.
barnesIsaiah 65:4: "Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;"
Which remain among the graves - That is, evidently for purposes of necromancy and divination. They do it to appear to hold converse with the dead, and to receive communications from them. The idea in necromancy was, that departed spirits must be acquainted with future events, or at least with the secret things of the invisible world where they dw…
gillIsaiah 65:4: "Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;"
Which remain among the graves,.... In order to practise necromancy, to consult the dead, where they imagined demons and departed spirits haunted, and of whom they fancied they might get knowledge of future things: and lodge in the monuments: whole nights for the same purposes. The Vulgate Latin version is, "that sleep in the temples of idols"; af…
The verse isn't just listing forbidden practices; it's painting a picture of people actively seeking supernatural connection outside of God. Their rituals—lodging in tombs and eating forbidden foods—weren't mere cultural deviations but attempts to commune with the dead or appease spirits, aiming for power and knowledge not found in obedience.
Isaiah is confronting the people of Judah with their deep-seated spiritual corruption, contrasting their idolatrous practices with God's desire for genuine worship. The preceding verses lament God's outstretched hand being rejected by a disobedient people, and this passage details the specific abominations—like dwelling in tombs and eating forbidden foods—that mark their departure from God and their embrace of pagan rituals. This sets the stage for God's promised judgment and his eventual creation of a renewed people who will truly seek Him.
Isaiah is confronting the people of Judah with their deep-seated spiritual corruption, contrasting their idolatrous practices with God's desire for genuine worship. The preceding verses lament God's outstretched hand being rejected by a disobedient people, and this passage details the specific abominations—like dwelling in tombs and eating forbidden foods—that mark their departure from God and their embrace of pagan rituals. This sets the stage for God's promised judgment and his eventual creation of a renewed people who will truly seek Him.
"who sit in tombs, and spend the night in secret places; who eat pig’s flesh, and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels;" — The verse isn't just listing forbidden practices; it's painting a picture of people actively seeking supernatural connection outside of God. Their rituals—lodging in tombs and eating forbidden foods—…
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Last reviewed October 2026