“For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name.”
My Notes
What Does Isaiah 48:2 Mean?
Isaiah exposes a painful hypocrisy: the people "call themselves of the holy city" and "stay themselves upon the God of Israel," but the reality behind the religious identity is hollow. They claim the name of Jerusalem's citizens and profess reliance on Israel's God, but their behavior contradicts both claims. The identity is right. The devotion is wrong.
The phrase "stay themselves upon" (samak) means to lean on, to support oneself with. They use God's name as a structural support for their identity and their security. But leaning on God and obeying God are not the same thing. You can claim God as your foundation while building on that foundation in ways that contradict everything He stands for.
The declaration "The LORD of hosts is his name" at the verse's end contrasts the people's false claims with God's true identity. They call themselves by the holy city. But God's name—the LORD of hosts—isn't something they can claim just because they live in the right zip code. Divine identity is earned by relationship, not geography.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Does your religious identity match your spiritual reality? Where is the gap between what you claim and how you live?
- 2.Are you 'staying yourself upon' God—using His name for security—without obeying Him? Where might that be happening?
- 3.What's the difference between claiming God's name and living under His authority?
- 4.If your community evaluated you not by your label but by your life, what would they conclude about your relationship with God?
Devotional
They call themselves citizens of the holy city. They lean on the God of Israel. They have the right name, the right label, the right religious identity. And it's hollow. The name is right but the reality is wrong. They're using God as a brand while contradicting Him with their lives.
This is one of the most uncomfortable verses in Isaiah because it describes a condition that's extremely common: the person who has the correct religious identity but not the corresponding spiritual reality. The right church membership. The right vocabulary. The right social media bio. But the life behind the label doesn't match. They "call themselves" but don't "live as though they are."
"Staying themselves upon the God of Israel" is particularly convicting. They lean on God—they use His name for security, they invoke His protection, they claim His promises. But leaning on God isn't the same as obeying God. Using God as a safety net while ignoring His commands is the spiritual equivalent of wearing a seatbelt while driving off a cliff. The safety mechanism only works when it's connected to the right behavior.
If you identify as a Christian—if you "call yourself" by the holy name—this verse asks: does the label match the life? Not perfectly (no one's does), but directionally? Are you moving toward the God whose name you claim, or are you using His name as a brand while living by a different standard?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
For they call themselves of the holy city,.... The city Jerusalem, so called because the temple, the place of divine…
For they call themselves of the holy city - Of Jerusalem (see Isa 52:1; Neh 11:1; Mat 4:5; Mat 27:53; Rev. 21:2-27). The…
We may observe here,
I. The hypocritical profession which many of the Jews made of religion and relation to God. To…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture