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Isaiah 56 Bible study: A house of prayer for all peoples
Jesus gave Isaiah 56:7 in the temple, and of the three Gospels that tell it, only Mark has "for all" (Mark 11:17). In 56:1 what is right and my righteousness are one Hebrew word, tsedaqah. And the eunuch's "memorial and a name" (56:5) is yad vashem: memorial is the word for hand.
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“I will bring these to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”
Try it · Did you catch it?
“In Mark 11:17, Jesus says, "My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations."”
Is that in Isaiah 56, or not? Make your call.
What's really going on
What is right, and my righteousness
The chapter opens with the LORD's words: "Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is near and my righteousness will soon be revealed" (56:1). Here is what almost everyone misses: what is right and my righteousness are one Hebrew word, tsedaqah (tap righteousness). The people are told to do tsedaqah, and the reason given is that the LORD's own tsedaqah is about to be revealed. Chapter 51 has the same two Hebrew words, my salvation and my righteousness, together twice (Isaiah 51:6, 51:8), and chapter 46 closed on the same English pair: "I bring my righteousness near. It is not far off, and my salvation will not wait" (Isaiah 46:13). Then the blessing: "Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast; who keeps the Sabbath without profaning it and keeps his hand from doing any evil" (56:2) (tap keeps, Sabbath).
Where it leads to Jesus
A house of prayer for all the nations
Isaiah 56:7leads toMark 11:17
The LORD says, "for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples" (Isaiah 56:7). In Mark, "They came to Jerusalem, and Jesus entered into the temple and began to throw out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and overthrew the money changers’ tables and the seats of those who sold the doves" (Mark 11:15). "He would not allow anyone to carry a container through the temple" (Mark 11:16). "He taught, saying to them" (Mark 11:17), "Isn’t it written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’?" (Mark 11:17). Jesus doesn't name Isaiah; the words he says are written are the words of Isaiah 56:7, where the WEB has for all peoples and Mark for all the nations. He went on, "But you have made it a den of robbers!" (Mark 11:17), words Jeremiah 7:11 also has. Mark tells what Jesus said and did that day in the temple (Mark 11:15-17), and these notes apply it to no one today.
Honest questions
Questions people ask about Isaiah 56
That was a taste
The rest of Isaiah 56 is waiting in Favor
- Two who might say they were shut out
- The house of my prayer
- His watchmen are blind
- The foreigner in Solomon's prayer
- Where Isaiah says "my holy mountain"
- 9 questions as you read
- 13 more Hebrew words
- A short check at the end
- Your notes, saved as you go
Favor reads the Bible in order, so you'll reach Isaiah 56 with everything before it in view. First week free, then $10 a month per person.
The Hebrew word behind it
תְּפִלָּהtefillahsay te-fil-LAH
Brown-Driver-Briggs: "prayer". Strong's: "intercession, supplication". "I will bring these to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer" (56:7), and "for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples" (56:7). In the first, my is on prayer: beveit tefillati. Isaiah has the word five times, in four verses: "Yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear" (Isaiah 1:15), "Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left" (Isaiah 37:4), "I have heard your prayer" (Isaiah 38:5), and twice in 56:7. Jesus gave 56:7's words in the temple (Mark 11:17).
For your group
Isaiah 56 Bible study questions
- 1The foreigner might say, "The LORD will surely separate me from his people" (56:3). What helps someone who feels on the outside to know they are welcome among God's people?
- 2Jesus asked in the temple, "Isn’t it written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’?" (Mark 11:17). What does it mean to you that the LORD calls his house a house of prayer?
- 3"Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is near" (56:1). How might knowing that the LORD's salvation is near shape what you do this week?
Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads Isaiah 56 during the week and answers these questions privately. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together, and you can print the week's sheet.
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Questions
What is Favor?
Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.
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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home