1 Crie aloude, spare not, lift vp thy voice like a trumpet, and shewe my people their transgression, & the house of Iacob their sins.
2 Yet they seeke mee daily, and delight to know my wayes, as a nation that did righteousnesse, and forsooke not the ordinance of their God: they aske of me the ordinances of iustice: they take delight in approching to God.
3 ¶ Wherefore haue wee fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore haue wee afflicted our soule, & thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
4 Behold, yee fast for strife and debate; and to smite with the fist of wickednesse, yee shall not fast as yee doe this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is it such a fast that I haue chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soule? Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackecloth and ashes vnder him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord ?
6 Is not this the fast that I haue chosen? to loose the bandes of wickednesse, to vndoe the heauie burdens, and to let the oppressed goe free, and that ye breake euery yoke?
7 Is it not, to deale thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poore that are cast out, to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou couer him, and that thou hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh?
8 ¶ Then shall thy light breake foorth as the morning, and thine health shall spring foorth speedily: and thy righteousnesse shall goe before thee, the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward.
9 Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answere; thou shalt cry, and he shal say, Here I am: if thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanitie:
10 And if thou draw out thy soule to the hungry, and satisfie the afflicted soule: then shall thy light rise in obscuritie, and thy darkenesse be as the noone day.
11 And the Lord shal guide thee continually, and satisfie thy soule in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters faile not.
12 And they that shall be of thee, shall builde the olde waste places: thou shalt raise vp the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in.
13 ¶ If thou turne away thy foote from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my Holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable, and shalt honour him, not doing thine owne wayes, nor finding thine owne pleasure, nor speaking thine owne wordes:
14 Then shalt thou delight thy selfe in the Lord, and I will cause thee to ride vpon the high places of the earth, and feede thee with the heritage of Iacob thy father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
Hypocrisy reproved. (1,2) A counterfeit and a true fast, with promises to real godliness, and, (3-12) to the keeping the sabbath. (13,14)1,2 The Holy Spirit had hypocrites of every age in view. Self-love and timid Christians may say, Spare thyself; dislike to the cross and other motives will say, "Spare the rich and powerful;" but God says, "Spare not:" and we must obey God, not men. We all need earnestly to pray for God's assistance in examining ourselves. Men may go far toward heaven, yet come short; and they may go to hell with a good reputation.
3-12 A fast is a day to afflict the soul; if it does not express true sorrow for sin, and does not promote the putting away of sin, it is not a fast. These professors had shown sorrow on stated or occasioned fasts. But they indulged pride, covetousness, and malignant passions. To be liberal and merciful is more acceptable to God than mere fasting, which, without them, is vain and hypocritical. Many who seem humble in God's house, are hard at home, and harass their families. But no man's faith justifies, which does not work by love. Yet persons, families, neighbourhoods, churches, or nations, show repentance and sorrow for sin, by keeping a fast sincerely, and, from right motives, repenting, and doing good works. The heavy yoke of sin and oppression must be removed. As sin and sorrow dry the bones and weaken the strongest human constitution; so the duties of kindness and charity strengthen and refresh both body and mind. Those who do justly and love mercy, shall have the comfort, even in this world. Good works will bring the blessing of God, provided they are done from love to God and man, and wrought in the soul by the Holy Spirit.
13,14 The sabbath is a sign between God and his professing people; his appointing it is a sign of his favour to them; and their observing it is a sign of their obedience to him. We must turn from travelling on that day; from doing our pleasure on that holy day, without the control and restraint of conscience; or from indulging in the pleasures of sense. On sabbath days we must not follow our callings, or our pleasures. In all we say and do, we must put a difference between this day and other days. Even in Old Testament times the sabbath was called the Lord's day, and is fitly called so still; and for a further reason, it is the Lord Christ's day, #Re 1:10|. If we thus remember the sabbath day to keep it holy, we shall have the comfort and profit of it, and have reason to say, It is good to draw near to God.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.