Hear the word of the LORD, you that tremble at his word; Your brothers that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.
he that
Isaiah 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
Proverbs 13:13 Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.
Jeremiah 36:16,23-25 Now it came to pass, when they had heard all the words, they were afraid both one and other, and said unto Baruch, We will surely tell the king of all these words…
yours
Psalm 38:20 They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.
Song of Solomon 1:6 Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.
Matthew 5:10-12 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven…
let
Isaiah 5:19 That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!
but
Acts 2:33-47 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear…
2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; …
Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
hear the word of the LORD:
This call to hear emphasizes the importance of listening to God's message. In the Hebrew tradition, hearing is closely linked to obedience, as seen in the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5), which calls Israel to hear and love the LORD with all their heart. The prophetic tradition often begins with a call to hear, underscoring the authority and urgency of the message. This phrase invites the faithful to pay attention to God's pronouncements, which often include both promises and warnings.
Your brothers who hate you and exclude you because of My name
This part of the verse highlights the persecution faced by the faithful remnant from their own community. Historically, the Jewish people have experienced internal divisions, especially between those who remained faithful to God's covenant and those who did not. Jesus speaks of similar divisions in Matthew 10:21-22, where He warns that following Him may lead to familial and social rejection. This persecution is not just a social or personal issue but is directly tied to the name of the LORD, indicating that the faithful are suffering for their allegiance to God.
have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified that we may see your joy!’
This statement is likely sarcastic, as those who persecute the faithful mock their devotion. The persecutors challenge the faithful to prove God's presence and blessing in their lives, reminiscent of the taunts faced by Jesus on the cross (Matthew 27:42-43). The irony is that the persecutors claim to seek God's glory, yet their actions reveal a lack of true understanding and reverence for Him. This reflects a broader biblical theme where the wicked misunderstand or misrepresent God's purposes.
But they will be put to shame.
This phrase promises divine vindication for the faithful. Throughout scripture, God assures His people that those who oppose Him and His followers will ultimately face shame and judgment. This is seen in passages like Psalm 25:3, where those who wait on the LORD are promised that they will not be put to shame. The ultimate fulfillment of this promise is found in the eschatological hope of God's final judgment, where the righteous are vindicated, and the wicked are judged, as depicted in Revelation 20:11-15. This assurance encourages believers to remain steadfast in their faith despite persecution.
God begins by addressing a specific audience—those who approach His revelation with awe.
• Isaiah 66:2 reminds us, “But to this one will I look: to him who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word.” The Lord’s gaze settles on believers who reverence Him rather than on the proud.
• This posture echoes throughout Scripture: “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling” (Psalm 2:11); “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).
• Such trembling is not terror but deep respect, the attitude that positions us to receive comfort and correction from God.
A command follows the identification: listen attentively.
• The prophets repeatedly cry, “Hear the word of the LORD” (Jeremiah 7:2), underscoring that obedience begins with open ears.
• Jesus echoes the same urgency: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 11:15).
• Romans 10:17 teaches, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Our faith is fortified when we submit to God’s voice over every competing sound.
The Lord exposes hostility within the covenant community itself.
• “A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household” (Micah 7:6; cf. Matthew 10:36). Spiritual opposition often arises from those who share our heritage but not our heart for God.
• Jesus declares, “If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first” (John 15:18). Loyalty to God’s name can provoke exclusion even from “brothers.”
• Luke 6:22 captures this dynamic: “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man.”
Here is religious mockery masquerading as piety.
• Similar scorn appears in Isaiah 5:19: “Let Him hurry; let Him speed His work so we may see it.” Scoffers demand God to prove Himself on their terms.
• At Calvary, the mockers taunted, “Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” (Mark 15:32).
• Second Peter 3:4 predicts such attitudes: “Where is the promise of His coming?” The unbelieving heart turns divine promises into sarcastic challenges.
God settles the score; vindication is certain.
• “All who rage against Him will come to Him and be put to shame” (Isaiah 45:24). The Lord’s justice flips the script on the scoffers.
• Psalm 25:3 assures, “No one who hopes in You will be put to shame; but shame will come to those who are treacherous.”
• Revelation 3:9 offers a future glimpse: persecutors “will come and bow down at your feet and know that I have loved you.” The faithful will see the tables turned by God Himself.
Isaiah 66:5 speaks directly to believers who honor God’s word with reverent hearts. Though they may endure ridicule and exclusion—even from those who claim spiritual kinship—the Lord calls them to keep listening. Scoffers cloak contempt in religious language, but God promises to expose their deception and vindicate His faithful ones. In every age, the pattern holds: humble listeners are honored, mockers are humbled, and the Lord’s glory is revealed in the joy of His people.
(5) Hear the word of the Lord . . .--The prophet turns from the hypocrites to the persecuted remnant. The self-righteous, self-exalting Pharisee (comp. Isaiah 65:5) repudiates, and, as it were, excommunicates, the true worshippers, and taunts them with their devotion to a God who does not help them. In words which find an echo in Matthew 27:42, they said, "Let Jehovah glorify Himself, that we may look on your joy." The prophet adds the doom that shall fall upon the mockers: "They, and not those whom they deride, shall be put to shame."Verses 5-14. - THE GODLY EXILES ENCOURAGED. The scoffs which have long greeted those who believed God's promises and expected the restoration of Zion, will be put to shame. The silence in which Zion has lain will be broken; she will be once more a city "full of stirs, a tumultuous city" (Isaiah 22:2). Suddenly, without any pains of travail, she will bring forth; and her offspring will be "a nation born at once" (ver. 8). The godly exiles are called upon to rejoice at the prospect (ver. 10), and promised peace and comfort in the restored city (vers. 11-14). Verse 5. - Hear... ye that tremble. The godly are addressed - those that have a reverent fear of God's word (comp. ver. 2, ad fin.; and see also Ezra 9:4; Ezra 10:3). Your brethren that... cast you out; rather. that put you away (Cheyne), or thrust you from them (Delitzsch). The verb used came in later times to designate formal excommunication; but here it points merely to a practical renunciation of fellowship. Said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy; rather, said, Let Jehovah glorify himself, that ice may see your joy; i.e. "said sarcastically, May the prophecies be fulfilled, and God humble Babylon, and release Israel, and restore her, that we may witness your rejoicing. We should gladly see all this; but we do not in the least expect it." And they shall be ashamed; rather, but as for them (i.e. those who so speak) they shall be ashamed. The event shall shame them.