King James Version

What Does Isaiah 1:15 Mean?

Isaiah 1:15 in the King James Version says “And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: yo... — study this verse from Isaiah chapter 1 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

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

Isaiah 1:15 · KJV


Context

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;

17

Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. relieve: or, righten


Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
The shocking imagery of God hiding His eyes and refusing to hear prayers indicts hands 'full of blood'—metaphorical for violence and oppression (cf. Isaiah 59:3). Prayer without repentance is futile; God's holiness cannot fellowship with unconfessed sin. This echoes Psalm 66:18 and foreshadows James 4:3. The Reformed doctrine of God's immutability affirms that He consistently responds to genuine faith but resists the proud and unrepentant.

KJV Study — Public Domain

Historical & Cultural Context

Judah's leaders perpetrated judicial violence, exploiting widows and orphans (Isaiah 1:23). Their bloodguilt rendered religious exercises offensive, demonstrating that social injustice nullifies ceremonial piety.

Reflection Questions

  1. What 'blood' on our hands might hinder our prayers today—exploitation, indifference to injustice, complicity in systemic evil?
  2. How does this verse correct misconceptions that God mechanically answers prayer regardless of moral condition?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 14 words
וּבְפָרִשְׂכֶ֣ם1 of 14

And when ye spread forth

H6566

to break apart, disperse, etc

כַּפֵּיכֶ֗ם2 of 14

your hands

H3709

the hollow hand or palm (so of the paw of an animal, of the sole, and even of the bowl of a dish or sling, the handle of a bolt, the leaves of a palm-

אַעְלִ֤ים3 of 14

I will hide

H5956

to veil from sight, i.e., conceal (literally or figuratively)

עֵינַי֙4 of 14

mine eyes

H5869

an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)

מִכֶּ֔ם5 of 14
H4480

properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses

גַּ֛ם6 of 14
H1571

properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...and

כִּֽי7 of 14
H3588

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

תַרְבּ֥וּ8 of 14

from you yea when ye make many

H7235

to increase (in whatever respect)

תְפִלָּ֖ה9 of 14

prayers

H8605

intercession, supplication; by implication, a hymn

אֵינֶ֣נִּי10 of 14
H369

a nonentity; generally used as a negative particle

שֹׁמֵ֑עַ11 of 14

I will not hear

H8085

to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)

יְדֵיכֶ֖ם12 of 14

your hands

H3027

a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from h3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great v

דָּמִ֥ים13 of 14

of blood

H1818

blood (as that which when shed causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshe

מָלֵֽאוּ׃14 of 14

are full

H4390

to fill or (intransitively) be full of, in a wide application (literally and figuratively)


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 1:15 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 1:15 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

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