Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense.

ISAIAH 43:23KJV
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Isaiah 43:23 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 43:23 mean?

Isaiah 43:23 presents God’s complaint that his people have failed to honor him with their offerings. At the same time, God says he has not imposed a wearisome burden of offerings and incense on them. Their failure cannot be explained as a response to demands that were too heavy.

God speaks to Israel, also called Jacob in the surrounding passage. The small cattle and sacrifices picture animals brought to God, while incense was a fragrant substance burned as an offering. After the complaint that Israel has grown weary of God in verse 22, verse 23 contrasts that weariness with God’s own treatment of his people.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 43:23

  • “small cattle” — שֶׂה (seh): This word refers to a sheep or a goat. The KJV phrase “small cattle” means animals from the flock, rather than cattle in the usual modern sense.
  • “burnt offerings” — עֹלָה (ʿolah): This word describes an offering burned on an altar. The animals named in the verse were intended for this kind of offering.
  • “offering” — מִנְחָה (minḥah): This word can mean a gift or an offering. Here it refers to an offering distinct from the animals named earlier in the verse.

Why Isaiah 43:23 matters

  • The complaint reaches beyond the missing animals to the honor they were meant to express. God says, “neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices.”
  • The contrast continues in verse 24, where God says that the people have instead burdened him with their sins. The passage turns the picture of weariness around: the people have grown weary of God, yet their own wrongdoing is described as a burden to him.

Where else these words appear

“incense” Hebrew H3828 · used in 21 verses

  • Exodus 30:34 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight:
  • Leviticus 6:15 And he shall take of it his handful, of the flour of the meat offering, and of the oil thereof, and all the frankincense which is upon the meat offering, and shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour, even the memorial of it, unto the LORD.
  • Song of Solomon 4:6 Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.

“wearied” Hebrew H3021 · used in 25 verses

  • Joshua 7:3 And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.
  • Isaiah 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
  • Isaiah 57:10 Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved.

“cattle” Hebrew H7716 · used in 39 verses

  • Genesis 22:7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
  • Exodus 34:20 But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.
  • 1 Samuel 14:34 And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, Bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and sin not against the LORD in eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there.

“honoured” Hebrew H3513 · used in 109 verses

  • Genesis 13:2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
  • 2 Samuel 6:22 And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour.
  • Proverbs 8:24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.