Verse
Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. – Isaiah 56:2
Meaning of Isaiah 56:2
The verse Isaiah 56:2 is similar to the verses from Psalm 1:1, Jeremiah 17:7, Proverbs 8:34, and similar verses. Here the prophet Isaiah is encouraging the listeners and the readers to use their good conscience and follow the commandments. The verse ‘Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil’ can be split for understanding it clearly. Hence, Isaiah 56:2 means that a person will gain God’s favor by following the commandments, which includes not working on the Sabbath day and striving to do good in all areas of their lives.
Interpretations of Isaiah 56:2
Isaiah 56:2 are exhortatory words spoken by the prophet Isaiah to Judeans in Jerusalem. A few interpretations are as follows.
Interpretation #1 God’s love has conditions to bless the believers
In this interpretation, the readers understand that God always has ‘If conditions’ to bless the believers. The phrase ‘Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil’ in another simplified version mentions ‘I will bless those who always observe the Sabbath and do not misuse it. I will bless those who do nothing evil.’ The person who considers this version as the verse’s core message is bitter or an agnostic who believes in God’s existence but claims that He is not as benevolent as the Bible describes. Additionally, in a few sermons, a priest tries to encourage Christians to be obedient by quoting, ‘if you keep God’s commandments, He will bless you’.
Interpretation #2 No work should be done on the Sabbath
This version of Isaiah 56:2 and the part of this verse is strongly believed by both Jews and Christians. Hence, it is known as Judeo-Christian belief. The phrase ‘Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it’ emphasizes that anyone who believes in God, whether converted Christian or a Jew, must not do any hard labor on the Sabbath day. While there is an unsettled argument about Sabbath falls on Saturday or Sunday, both religions try their best to avoid working on that day. Unlike ancient Jewish custom, where buying and selling wasn’t allowed, Christianity allows believers to do kind deeds, attend church and carry on with their day.
Interpretation #3 Breaking commandments is polluting the entire religion
According to this interpretation, the reader believes that not keeping the commandment, observing Sabbath, and doing bad things will corrupt their faith. He or she also understands that the verse ‘Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil’ is a condition to be a faithful believer. Hence, by breaking the mentioned commandment to follow Sabbath and not to do any evil deeds, a person is also breaking the most important practices or ethics of religion. The church also uses the verse as a reminder, making it part of the commandments to ensure they strive to be good Christians at church as well as in society.
Interpretation #4 The verse was a promise to the captives outside Israel
In this interpretation, the reader understands that the verse is spoken by Isaiah to the people of Israel who were in captive outside their lands. The same verse is also applicable to Christians throughout the world who have accepted Christianity despite coming from various faith and ethnicity. Here ‘Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil’ means that he or she has assurance from God for safety and provision, if they follow the commandments, keep the Sabbath holy by avoid labor and also stay away any evil activities. In other words, God wants His children to be obedient in order to inherit the promised blessings.
Historical background of Isaiah 56:2
The book of Isaiah was likely written during the early establishment of the Persian empire around 520-400 B.C. Isaiah, called as Yeshaʿyahu in Hebrew, was a prophet in Jerusalem for about 40 years. He was known to serve under kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, and Manasseh of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The chapters Isaiah 56-66 reflect the period in Israel’s history when it lived under Persian rule, and he addresses all the Jews, especially the people in captive or outside Israel. The message is about keeping the traditions that started from the time of Moses in order to live a good and blessed life. The verse Isaiah 56:2 especially is a call to keep Sabbath or the 7th day holy by not working on that day.
Literary Devices of Isaiah 56:2
The verse Isaiah 562 has rich literary devices, and a few are given below.
Theme – The major themes of Isaiah 56:2 are obedience, invitation, holiness, condition, and self-control.
Alliteration – The verse has used repeated consonant sounds at the beginning of the words with a few quick successions. For example, the sound of /th/ and the sound of /h/ in ‘Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.’
Assonance – The verse also has used vowel sounds rich in repetition, and few are in quick succession. For example, the sound of /a/, the sound of /i/, the sound of /e/, and the sound of /ee/ in ‘Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.’
Consonance – The verse also has a repeated consonant sound throughout the phrases and a few in quick succession. For example, the sound of /s/, the sound of /n/, the sound of /t/, and the sound of /th/ in ‘Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.’
Exhortation – The verse Isaiah 56:2 is also a good example of exhortation as the prophet Isaiah speaks these words to exhort the people in his time to come to God and keep his commandments to receive protection and blessings in return.
Extended Metaphor – The phrase ‘and the son of man that layeth hold on it’ from Isaiah 56:2 is also an extended metaphor for obedience.
