But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; So He turned Himself against them as an enemy, And He fought against them.
Parallel translations
- WEB But they rebelled, and grieved his holy Spirit. Therefore he turned and became their enemy, and he himself fought against them.
- KJV But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.
- BSB But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So He turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them.
- NASB But they rebelled And grieved His Holy Spirit; Therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy, He fought against them.
- NLT But they rebelled against him and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he became their enemy and fought against them.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The people rebelled and grieved God's Holy Spirit, so He turned against them. It matters because persistent sin grieves God and brings His discipline.
Overview
Despite God's love, Israel rebelled, and their sin is described as grieving 'his holy Spirit,' one of the Old Testament's clearest references to the Spirit's personal presence. Paul echoes this language in warning believers not to 'grieve the Holy Spirit of God' (Ephesians 4:30). The verse soberly shows that the God who carried His people also opposes their rebellion.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 36
- Acts 7:51“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so you do.
- Eph 4:30Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
- Ps 78:56Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, and didn’t keep his testimonies;
- Ps 78:40How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and grieved him in the desert!
- Jer 21:5I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation.
- Neh 9:16–17“But they and our fathers behaved proudly, hardened their neck, didn’t listen to your commandments,
- Ezek 20:8“‘“But they rebelled against me, and would not listen to me. They didn’t all throw away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the middle of the land of Egypt.
- Ps 51:11Don’t throw me from your presence, and don’t take your holy Spirit from me.
- Deut 9:7Remember, and don’t forget, how you provoked Yahweh your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day that you left the land of Egypt, until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against Yahweh.
- Neh 9:29and testified against them, that you might bring them again to your law. Yet they were arrogant, and didn’t listen to your commandments, but sinned against your ordinances (which if a man does, he shall live in them), turned their backs, stiffened their neck, and would not hear.
- Exod 15:24The people murmured against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”
- Ps 78:8and might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that didn’t make their hearts loyal, whose spirit was not steadfast with God.
- Ezek 2:7You shall speak my words to them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear; for they are most rebellious.
- Ps 95:9–11when your fathers tempted me, tested me, and saw my work.
- Deut 32:19–25Yahweh saw and abhorred, because of the provocation of his sons and his daughters.
- Ezek 20:21“‘“But the children rebelled against me. They didn’t walk in my statutes, neither kept my ordinances to do them, which if a man do, he shall live in them. They profaned my Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.
- Exod 16:8Moses said, “Now Yahweh shall give you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to satisfy you; because Yahweh hears your murmurings which you murmur against him. And who are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against Yahweh.”
- Ezek 6:9Those of you that escape will remember me among the nations where they are carried captive, how I have been broken with their lewd heart, which has departed from me, and with their eyes, which play the prostitute after their idols. Then they will loathe themselves in their own sight for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.
- Exod 23:21Pay attention to him, and listen to his voice. Don’t provoke him, for he will not pardon your disobedience, for my name is in him.
- Ps 78:49He threw on them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, and a band of angels of evil.
- Ezek 20:13“‘“But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They didn’t walk in my statutes, and they rejected my ordinances, which if a man keeps, he shall live in them. They greatly profaned my Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them in the wilderness, to consume them.
- Lam 1:18“Yahweh is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment. Please hear all you peoples, and see my sorrow. My virgins and my young men have gone into captivity.
- Num 16:1–35Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took some men.
- Matt 22:7When the king heard that, he was angry, and sent his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
- Neh 9:26“Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against you, cast your law behind their back, killed your prophets that testified against them to turn them again to you, and they committed awful blasphemies.
- Isa 65:2I have spread out my hands all day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts;
- Lev 26:17–46I will set my face against you, and you will be struck before your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you; and you will flee when no one pursues you.
- Lam 2:4–5He has bent his bow like an enemy, he has stood with his right hand as an adversary, Has killed all that were pleasant to the eye: In the tent of the daughter of Zion he has poured out his wrath like fire.
- Exod 32:8They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it, and have sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’”
- Num 14:9–11Only don’t rebel against Yahweh, neither fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us. Their defense is removed from over them, and Yahweh is with us. Don’t fear them.”
- Isa 1:2Hear, heavens, and listen, earth; for Yahweh has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
- Deut 28:15–68But it shall come to pass, if you will not listen to Yahweh your God’s voice, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come on you, and overtake you.
- Ezek 2:3He said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the children of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me even to this very day.
- Lam 1:20“See, Yahweh; for I am in distress. My heart is troubled. My heart is turned within me, for I have grievously rebelled. Abroad the sword bereaves. At home it is like death.
- Jer 30:14All your lovers have forgotten you. They don’t seek you: for I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the greatness of your iniquity, because your sins were increased.
- Deut 9:22–24At Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibroth Hattaavah, you provoked Yahweh to wrath.
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Christ at the center
Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).
How Isaiah 63:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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