“He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.”
My Notes
What Does Isaiah 66:3 Mean?
Isaiah declares that corrupt worship is as offensive as the worst abominations: he that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.
He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man — the proper sacrifice (an ox) is equated with murder. The ritual is correct. The heart is wrong. And the wrong heart transforms the right ritual into the worst possible offense. Killing an ox in sacrifice was commanded by God. But when offered by unrepentant, self-willed worshippers, the sacrifice becomes as repulsive to God as homicide.
He that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck — a lamb sacrifice equated with the most disgusting possible offering. Dogs were unclean animals in Israelite law. Cutting off a dog's neck for sacrifice would be an abomination. Yet the lamb sacrifice — prescribed, proper, sanctioned — becomes that abominable when the heart behind it delights in evil.
He that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood — the grain offering equated with pig's blood. The swine was the most unclean animal in Israelite consciousness. Offering its blood would be the ultimate defilement of the altar. Yet the grain offering — the simplest, humblest offering in the system — becomes as defiling as pig's blood when offered by people who have chosen their own ways.
He that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol — incense burning equated with idol worship. The incense that was supposed to symbolize prayer ascending to God is no different from blessing a false god when the worshipper's heart is devoted to abominations.
Yea, they have chosen their own ways — the root cause. Chosen (bachar — deliberately selected). Their own ways — self-determined, not God-determined. The corruption of worship traces to the corruption of the will: they chose their own path instead of God's.
And their soul delighteth in their abominations — the delight (chaphets — takes pleasure in, desires) is internal. The abominations are not reluctant compromises. They are delights — enjoyed, desired, chosen with pleasure. The soul that delights in abominations cannot sanctify its sacrifices. The inward delight in evil makes the outward ritual an offense.
Reflection Questions
- 1.How does correct ritual from a corrupt heart become 'as if' murder, dog sacrifice, pig's blood, and idol worship?
- 2.What does 'they have chosen their own ways' identify as the root cause of worship that God finds abominable?
- 3.How does the soul 'delighting in abominations' make even proper sacrifices offensive — and what does this teach about the relationship between heart and ritual?
- 4.Where might your worship be ritually correct but internally compromised — and what does God see that others do not?
Devotional
He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man. The sacrifice is correct. The animal is right. The ritual follows the law. And God says: it is as offensive as murder. Because the heart behind the sacrifice is corrupted. The hands that bring the ox to the altar are the same hands that delight in abominations. And the correct offering from a corrupt heart is not worship. It is desecration.
As if he cut off a dog's neck. As if he offered swine's blood. As if he blessed an idol. Every comparison escalates the horror: the proper sacrifice equated with the most disgusting possible act. The lamb becomes a dog. The grain becomes pig's blood. The incense becomes idol worship. God is not evaluating the sacrifice. He is evaluating the worshipper. And the worshipper who delights in abominations pollutes everything he touches — even the most sacred rituals.
They have chosen their own ways. Chosen. The corruption is not accidental. It is deliberate — a willful selection of self-determined paths over God-revealed ones. The people chose their own ways and then brought their sacrifices to God as though the choosing did not matter. As though you could walk your own path all week and sanctify it with a sacrifice on the sabbath.
Their soul delighteth in their abominations. The abominations are not reluctant sins. They are delights — enjoyed, desired, chosen with pleasure. The soul that takes pleasure in evil cannot produce worship that God receives with pleasure. The delight in the abomination and the delight in the sacrifice cannot coexist. One corrupts the other. And in this case, the abomination corrupts the sacrifice — transforming the lamb into a dog and the incense into idol worship.
The verse is the most devastating critique of religion without transformation. You can perform every ritual correctly and still be as offensive to God as someone slaughtering a human being — if your heart delights in what God calls abominable. The sacrifice does not sanctify the heart. The heart sanctifies — or desecrates — the sacrifice.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
He that killeth an ox, is as if he slew a man,.... Not that killed the ox of his neighbour, which, according to law, he…
He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man - Lowth and Noyes render this, ‘He that slayeth an ox, killeth a man.’ This…
He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man "He that slayeth an ox killeth a man" - These are instances of wickedness…
Here, I. The temple is slighted in comparison with a gracious soul, Isa 66:1, Isa 66:2. The Jews in the prophet's time,…
The first part of the verse runs literally thus: "The slaughterer of the ox, a slayer of a man; the sacrificer of the…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture