Verse

Isaiah 2:6

ESV For you have rejected your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of things from the east and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners.
NIV You, Lord, have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob. They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines and embrace pagan customs.
NASB For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with influences from the east, And they are soothsayers like the Philistines. They also strike bargains with the children of foreigners.
CSB For you have abandoned your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of divination from the East and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines. They are in league with foreigners.
NLT For the Lord has rejected his people, the descendants of Jacob, because they have filled their land with practices from the East and with sorcerers, as the Philistines do. They have made alliances with pagans.
KJV Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.
NKJV For You have forsaken Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with eastern ways; They are soothsayers like the Philistines, And they are pleased with the children of foreigners.

What does Isaiah 2:6 mean?

In Israel's distant future, when all the peoples of the earth will worship the God of Jacob, the world will live at peace with each other under the rule of the Lord (Isaiah 2:1–4). Though that is the final fate of Israel, Isaiah has called on his people not to wait. They should seek God now and live under His will (Isaiah 2:5). Instead, the people of Judah are seeking the light of the false gods of the nations around them.

That is why the Lord has "abandoned" His own people for this moment. This is not a permanent casting-aside of the nation of Israel. What Isaiah depicts for the end times will still occur. Until then, God is willing to stand by and let the people suffer the consequences of their own choices.

In Isaiah's time, God's people were full of beliefs and superstitions from the east, perhaps the false gods of the Assyrians or of the Babylonians. The Israelites are fascinated with fortune tellers, as the nearby Philistines are, looking for insight from soothsayers who practice divination to learn about future events from demons and spirits. These things were forbidden for Israel (Leviticus 19:26; Deuteronomy 18:9–14). In addition, the Israelites were said to "strike hands" with foreigners, perhaps meaning they were making deals to make themselves wealthier, as described in Isaiah 2:7.
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