Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
aloud.
Isaiah 56:10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
Psalm 40:9,10 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest…
Jeremiah 1:7-10,17-19 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak…
lift up
Isaiah 40:9,10 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! …
like
Isaiah 27:13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.
Hosea 8:1 Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law.
Revelation 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
Raise your voice like a ram’s horn.
The ram's horn, or shofar, was used in ancient Israel for various purposes, including calling people to worship, signaling the start of festivals, or warning of impending danger. Its sound was loud and unmistakable, symbolizing the need for the message to be heard clearly by all. This imagery underscores the urgency and importance of the message, akin to the call to repentance and preparation for the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:24).
Declare to My people their transgression
The term "My people" indicates a covenant relationship between God and Israel. The focus on "transgression" highlights the breach of this covenant, where the people have strayed from God's laws and commands. This call to declare their transgressions is a common prophetic theme, seen in the ministries of prophets like Jeremiah and Amos, who were tasked with calling Israel back to faithfulness (Jeremiah 2:19, Amos 3:2).
and to the house of Jacob their sins.
The "house of Jacob" refers to the descendants of Jacob, or Israel, emphasizing their identity as God's chosen people. The mention of "sins" points to specific acts of disobedience and moral failings. This phrase serves as a reminder of the historical and spiritual heritage of the Israelites, who are called to live in accordance with God's statutes. The dual mention of "transgression" and "sins" underscores the comprehensive nature of their wrongdoing, necessitating a call to repentance similar to that found in the messages of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ (Matthew 3:2, Mark 1:15).
• God orders His messenger to let the words burst forth, not whispered but broadcast.
• Prophets have always been summoned to speak up even when the audience resists (Jeremiah 1:17: “But you, dress yourself for work; stand up and tell them everything I command you.”).
• Like a town crier, the servant’s volume itself is part of the message: God is serious and near (Joel 2:1).
• Silence in the face of sin is disobedience.
• Ezekiel 2:7 reminds: “But you must speak My words to them, whether they listen or refuse to listen.”
• Paul modeled the same courage: “I did not shrink back from proclaiming to you the whole will of God” (Acts 20:27).
• The charge removes every excuse to soften, edit, or delay the truth.
• The shofar blasted on feast days, battles, and calls to repentance (Leviticus 25:9; Joshua 6:5).
• Its piercing tone signaled urgency—no one could ignore it.
• Likewise the prophet’s proclamation is to cut through distraction and summon people to decision (Joel 2:15).
• The audience is “My people”—those in covenant, not outsiders.
• Amos 3:2: “You alone have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” Greater privilege brings greater accountability.
• Faithful love tells the family the hard truth so restoration can follow (Revelation 3:19).
• “House of Jacob” recalls their identity as descendants of the patriarch, tying present rebellion to a storied heritage.
• God singles out concrete wrongs, not vague shortcomings. Isaiah will list fasting without justice, worship without obedience (vv. 2–7).
• Judgment begins with God’s household (1 Peter 4:17), yet so does the hope of renewal when sin is confessed (1 John 1:9).
Isaiah 58:1 pictures God commissioning His spokesman to trumpet an unvarnished message: speak loudly, hold nothing back, sound the alarm, name the offenses of God’s own people. The verse underscores that loving faithfulness confronts sin openly so that sincere repentance and covenant blessing can follow.
LVIII.(1) Cry aloud . . .--Literally, with the throat, i.e., with no faint whisper as from stammering lips, but with full strength of voice. The work of the preacher of repentance is not to be done slightly or by speaking smooth things (comp. Ezekiel 13:10-15). The "trumpet" of the next clause emphasises the thought yet further.
Verses 1-12. - FORMALISM REBUKED AND INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN WITH RESPECT TO FASTING. As in the last section, so here, the prophet's eye seems to rest upon his contemporaries rather than upon the exiles; and to note the vices of the time, which have a general resemblance to those rebuked in ch. 1. The whole Law seems to be in force, and the People to make a show of keeping it, and to complain that they are not properly rewarded for their religiousness. God tears the mask from their face, and shows the difference between true religion and the pretence of it. Verse 1. - Cry aloud; literally, cry from the throat; "a plein gosier," as Calvin says. The command is addressed to the prophet by Jehovah, who will have him warn the people in such sort as to compel their attention. Lift up thy voice like a trumpet (comp. Hosea 8:1; Joel 2:1). The trumpet gives a note of alarm. Show my people their transgression; i.e. "show them how they are especially offending me at this time" (see Micah 3:8).