“Thosewho sanctify themselves and purify themselves, To go to the gardens After an idol in the midst, Eating swine’s flesh and the abomination and the mouse, Shall be consumed together,” says the Lord.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves to go to the gardens, behind one in the middle, eating pig’s meat, abominable things, and the mouse, they shall come to an end together,” says Yahweh.
- KJV They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine’s flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.
- BSB “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to enter the groves—to follow one in the center of those who eat the flesh of swine and vermin and rats—will perish together,” declares the LORD.
- NASB “Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go to the gardens, Following one in the center, Who eat pig’s flesh, detestable things, and mice, Will come to an end altogether,” declares the Lord.
- NLT “Those who ‘consecrate’ and ‘purify’ themselves in a sacred garden with its idol in the center—feasting on pork and rats and other detestable meats—will come to a terrible end,” says the Lord.
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
Those who pursue defiling pagan rites and eat unclean things will perish together. It matters because it warns that self-styled, idolatrous worship ends in judgment.
Overview
God condemns those who ritually consecrate themselves for forbidden, idolatrous practices, eating what his law declares unclean. Their counterfeit holiness cannot shield them from judgment. The verse exposes the emptiness of false religion and points to the need for the true cleansing that only God provides in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Isa 65:3–4a people who provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens, and burning incense on bricks;
- Deut 14:3–8You shall not eat any abominable thing.
- Lev 11:2–8“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘These are the living things which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth.
- Isa 1:28–29But the destruction of transgressors and sinners shall be together, and those who forsake Yahweh shall be consumed.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 66:17 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.