King James Version

What Does Isaiah 1:14 Mean?

Isaiah 1:14 in the King James Version says “Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.” — study this verse from Isaiah chapter 1 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.”

Isaiah 1:14 · KJV

Context

12

When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? to appear: Heb. to be seen

13

Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. iniquity: or, grief

14

Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.

15

And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. make: Heb. multiply prayer blood: Heb. bloods

16

Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

Read Isaiah 1 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. This shocking statement expresses God's intense displeasure with Israel's religious observances. The Hebrew sane (שָׂנֵא, "hateth") is strong language denoting not mere disappointment but active hatred. "My soul" (nafshi, נַפְשִׁי) indicates God's deepest being—His entire person rejects their worship.

"New moons and appointed feasts" (chodesh mo'ed, חֹדֶשׁ מוֹעֵד) refers to the religious calendar God Himself instituted in the Mosaic law (Leviticus 23, Numbers 28-29). These included Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles, and monthly celebrations. The tragedy is that observances designed to facilitate communion with God had become "a trouble" (torach, טֹרַח)—a burden He found wearisome.

The threefold expression—"hateth," "trouble," "weary"—emphasizes divine revulsion. The phrase "weary to bear" uses la'et (לָאֵתִי), suggesting exhaustion from carrying a heavy load. How could worship exhaust the infinite God? The answer lies in context (vv. 11-17): their worship was divorced from justice and righteousness. Formal religious observance while practicing oppression, violence, and injustice created an unbearable contradiction. This passage anticipates Jesus's denunciation of Pharisaical hypocrisy (Matthew 23:23-28) and establishes that God desires mercy and knowledge of Him more than sacrifice (Hosea 6:6, Micah 6:6-8).

KJV Study — Public Domain

Historical & Cultural Context

Isaiah prophesied in Judah during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (740-681 BCE), a period of political turmoil and spiritual decline. Despite periods of reform (particularly under Hezekiah), Judah maintained external religious practice while tolerating injustice, idolatry, and moral corruption. The people assumed that performing prescribed rituals guaranteed divine favor regardless of their ethical conduct.

This attitude reflected a fundamental misunderstanding of the covenant. God established the sacrificial system and festivals not as ends in themselves but as means to relationship with Him and expressions of covenant faithfulness. The sacrifices pointed forward to ultimate atonement through Christ, while the ethical commands revealed God's character and required communal holiness. Israel separated ritual from righteousness, creating a religious veneer over corrupt hearts.

The historical context included widespread economic exploitation (Isaiah 1:23, 3:14-15, 5:8-10), judicial corruption, and religious syncretism. The wealthy oppressed the poor while scrupulously maintaining temple worship. Isaiah's indictment shattered any notion that ritual compliance could substitute for covenant obedience. This same pattern appears throughout biblical history and church history—God consistently rejects worship divorced from justice, mercy, and humility (1 Samuel 15:22, Amos 5:21-24, James 1:27).

Reflection Questions

  1. How might modern religious practices become burdensome to God when divorced from genuine heart transformation?
  2. What does this passage reveal about the relationship between worship and justice in God's eyes?
  3. In what ways can we examine whether our religious observances please God or merely maintain external forms?
  4. How does God's hatred of hypocritical worship challenge comfortable cultural Christianity?
  5. What steps can we take to ensure our worship flows from hearts committed to justice and righteousness?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 9 words
חָדְשֵׁיכֶ֤ם1 of 9

“Your new moons”

H2320

the new moon; by implication, a month

וּמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם֙2 of 9

“and your appointed feasts”

H4150

properly, an appointment, i.e., a fixed time or season; specifically, a festival; conventionally a year; by implication, an assembly (as convened for

שָׂנְאָ֣ה3 of 9

“hateth”

H8130

to hate (personally)

נַפְשִׁ֔י4 of 9

“my soul”

H5315

properly, a breathing creature, i.e., animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or ment

הָי֥וּ5 of 9
H1961

to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)

עָלַ֖י6 of 9
H5921

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

לָטֹ֑רַח7 of 9

“they are a trouble”

H2960

a burden

נִלְאֵ֖יתִי8 of 9

“unto me I am weary”

H3811

to tire; (figuratively) to be (or make) disgusted

נְשֹֽׂא׃9 of 9

“to bear”

H5375

to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Isaiah. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Isaiah 1:14 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Isaiah 1:14 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Amos 5:21Isaiah 43:24Isaiah 61:8Isaiah 7:13Zechariah 11:8Amos 2:13

Test Your Knowledge

Isaiah 1 QuizTest your knowledge of this chapterIsaiah Book QuizComprehensive quiz for the entire book

Continue Your Study

Read Isaiah 1 with CommentaryAll Isaiah ChaptersComplete Isaiah QuizBible CharactersNave's Topical BibleAll Bible Quizzes