Keraia
Isaiah 56

Isaiah 56:3

Salvation for Foreigners · Isaiah 56:1–8
Read Isaiah 56

Translations

Modern
Let no foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, “The LORD will utterly exclude me from His people.” And let the eunuch not say, “I am but a dry tree.”
Traditional
Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.
Literal
Let no son of the foreigner who has joined himself to YHWH speak, saying, “YHWH will surely separate me from His people.” And let the eunuch not say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.”
Latin
Et non dicat filius advenæ qui adhæret Domino, dicens: Separatione dividet me Dominus a populo suo; et non dicat eunuchus: Ecce ego lignum aridum.

Original

Hebrew
English
Let no foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, “The LORD will utterly exclude me from His people.” And let the eunuch not say, “I am but a dry tree.”

Notes

Isaiah 56:3

  • Foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord would become full members of his covenant community. In earlier times, their participation had strict limits (Deuteronomy 23:3, 7–8).

  • eunuch: In the past, a man who had been emasculated was not allowed to take part fully in the community (Deuteronomy 23:1). Both eunuchs and foreigners were seen as outside Israel’s holiness. They were considered on the edge of God’s people.

    But in the age to come, God would bring those on the margins to the center. Those who were once excluded would be welcomed and honored (Matthew 20:16).

Isaiah 56:3–7

The blessing (56:2) would extend to eunuchs and to the Gentiles.

Isaiah 56:1–8

This section summarizes chapters 1–55 with an invitation to the outcasts to participate in God’s redemption.

Theme notes and profiles

Isaiah God’s Servant Salvation in Isaiah

Events

Glossary

Eunuch Isaiah, Book of Jehoiachin New Creation, New Creature Proselyte

Topics

Being Gay Bisexuals Church: Prophecies Concerning Prosperity of Eunuch: Prohibited from Certain Privileges of the Congregation Eunuchs Gentiles: Prophecies of the Conversion of Isaiah: Prophecies, Reproofs, and Exhortations of Exhorts to Sanctification Jesus, the Christ: Prophecies Concerning Universality of the Kingdom of Proselytes were Entitled to all Privileges Proselytes: Described Righteous: Promises To, Expressed or Implied Trees: (Dry) of Useless Persons