Isaiah 40:16

40:16 Not even Lebanon could supply enough firewood for a sacrifice; ¹ 

its wild animals would not provide enough burnt offerings. ² 

Isaiah 1:11

1:11 “Of what importance to me are your many sacrifices?” ³ 

says the Lord.

“I am stuffed with ⁴  burnt sacrifices

of rams and the fat from steers.

The blood of bulls, lambs, and goats

I do not want. ⁵ 

Isaiah 43:23

43:23 You did not bring me lambs for your burnt offerings;

you did not honor me with your sacrifices.

I did not burden you with offerings;

I did not make you weary by demanding ⁶  incense.

Isaiah 61:8

61:8 For I, the Lord, love justice

and hate robbery and sin.

I will repay them because of my faithfulness; ⁷ 

I will make a permanent covenant with them.

Isaiah 56:7

56:7 I will bring them to my holy mountain;

I will make them happy in the temple where people pray to me. ⁸ 

Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar,

for my temple will be known as a temple where all nations may pray.” ⁹ 

[40:16]  ¹ tn The words “for a sacrifice” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[40:16]  ² sn The point is that not even the Lebanon forest could supply enough wood and animals for an adequate sacrifice to the Lord.

[1:11]  ³ tn Heb “Why to me the multitude of your sacrifices?” The sarcastic rhetorical question suggests that their many sacrifices are of no importance to the Lord. This phrase answers the possible objection that an Israelite could raise in response to God’s indictment: “But we are offering the sacrifices you commanded!”

[1:11]  ⁴ tn The verb שָׂבַע (sava’, “be satisfied, full”) is often used of eating and/or drinking one’s fill. See BDB 959 s.v. שָׂבַע. Here sacrifices are viewed, in typical ancient Near Eastern fashion, as food for the deity. God here declares that he has eaten and drunk, as it were, his fill.

[1:11]  ⁵ sn In the chiastic structure of the verse, the verbs at the beginning and end highlight God’s displeasure, while the heaping up of references to animals, fat, and blood in the middle lines hints at why God wants no more of their sacrifices. They have, as it were, piled the food on his table and he needs no more.

[43:23]  ⁵ tn Heb “with.” The words “by demanding” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[61:8]  ⁷ tn Heb “in faithfulness”; NASB, NRSV, NLT “faithfully.”

[56:7]  ⁹ tn Heb “in the house of my prayer.”

[56:7]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.”