FASTING IN ISAIAH 58:1-12:
A Reexamination
Michael L. Barré
St. Patrick’s Seminary, Menlo Park,
n a recent issue of BTB Leslie J. Hoppe presented a
discussion of Isaiah 58 with specific attention to the
biblical author’s view of fasting in this passage (Hoppe,
1983). One of the main points he sought to make was
that to the Israelites idolatry was more than a matter of
simply bowing before an image of wood, stone, or metal.
&dquo;It meant forgetting that the God whom Israel wor-
shipped was a God who takes the side of the op-
pressed.... To worship Yahweh and to countenance
injustice was, in fact, idolatry&dquo; (Hoppe:44). This point,
which the author reiterates at the conclusion of his paper
(Hoppe:47), underscores an important aspect of OT
religion, one which has as much to say to believers today
(it seems to me) as it did in the times of Trito-Isaiah.
Hoppe goes on to maintain that the author of this sec-
tion of Trito-Isaiah sees fasting and cult in general as the
antithesis of &dquo;concrete acts of justice&dquo; (Hoppe:46). His
statement on pp. 45-46 is quite strong:
God demands justice for the po«r-not the practice of
fasting or any other cultic activity. God does not call for
a reform of one’s internal dispositions to accompany
external practices such as fasting. The message of Isa
58:1-12 is clear: God demands justice. Fasting, like other
cult-related practices, is usually criticized in prophetic
traditions because the prophets saw the cult as domes-
ticating Yahweh.
The Prophets’ View of
Israel’s Cult and Fasting
In all frankness it must be stated that this view of the
prophets as implacable opponents of all &dquo;cultic activity&dquo;
is not widely held by OT scholars today. B. D. Napier
has recently described such a view as characteristic of
the &dquo;scholarship of an earlier generation&dquo; (Napier:901).
He goes on to say: &dquo;Expressions of prophetic impatience
with or evenintolerance of the cultus are seen now as
castigation, of cult qua cult, not of cultic practice
not
per se, but of the cultus in its present guise&dquo; (902). A
number of scholars have reinforced this point, namely
that the prophets do not reject the Israelite cult on
principle (e.g., Vawter:230; Ahlstrom:117; Soggin :224-
28). It would go beyond the scope of this paper to discuss
94
CA 94025
the views of all OT prophetic material on the question
of cult and fasting. Therefore the basic question to be
asked is simply: Does the .author of Isa 58:1-12 reject
fasting as a religious practice inherently displeasing to
God or not? Hoppe answers &dquo;Yes&dquo; (hope:45/. I believe
that his conclusion is supported neither by the attitude
of the prophets in general toward the cult nor by the par-
ticulars of the passage under discussion. In what follows
I shall present my reasons for rejecting Hoppe’s
conclusion.
Before considering the text of Isaiah 58 we should first
take a closer look at the Israelite view of fasting. One
of the most serious charges against this practice as a
legitimate expression of Israelite piety is that, according
to Hoppe, &dquo;Israel tries to use fasting as a means ... to
control the divine will&dquo; (Hoppe:45). Elsewhere in his
article he favors the term &dquo;manipulate,&dquo; which he uses
seven times in slightly more than three pages. This is
clearly a loaded word. True, Israel did try to &dquo;impress
God&dquo; with fasting, as he notes (Hoppe:45). One of the
main purposes of the kind of fast Isaiah 58 describes was
&dquo;to excite the pity and compassion of God&dquo; (Guthrie:242).
It was not primarily an exercise in mortification or self-
discipline. Not eating or drinking was only one aspect
of this practice in ancient times. In Judaism (and in the
ancient Near East in general) it was a complex phenom-
enon, involving a varietyof behavior such as weeping
(Judg 20:26; 2 Sam 1:12-21; Joel 2:12, 17; Neh 1:4; 2 Macc
13:12), mourning (2 Sam 1:12; Neh 1:4; Esth 9:31?; Ps
35:14; Zech 7:5), tearing one’s clothes ( Kgs 21:27; Joel
2:23; 1 Macc 3:47), putting on sackcloth ( Kgs 21:27;
Neh 9:1; Pss 35:13; 69:11; Isa 58:5; Dan 9:3; Jonah 3:6;
1 Macc 3:47), sitting in ashes (Isa 58:5; Dan 9:3; Jonah
3:6), throwing dust/ashes on one’s head (Neh 9:1; 1 Macc
3:47), lying on the ground (2 Sam 12:16; 2 Macc 13:12),
refraining from sexual intercourse (Joel 2:16; Dan 6:18[?];
Cowley:#30:20), and going around with a long face ( Kgs
21:27; Ps 35:13-14; Isa 58:5). Those fasting would cry out
to God to deliver them from some present or threatened
disaster (Joel 2:17). All of this was common practice in
the ancient Near East.
But this is not the whole story. The miserable state
of the person fasting was also an expression of contri-
tion. The fact that he or she did not take food, was sad,
mourned, etc., served as an external expression of the

fact that the individual was truly sorry for having
wronged God. Obviously these two basic aspects of
fasting behavior were closely related. Fasting,sought ’ to
arouse God’s pity, yes. But it was not simply an &dquo;act.&dquo;
The actions were meant to speak to God in a vivid way
(in &dquo;body language&dquo; as well as in prayer and thought) of
the sincere repentance of the individual or community.
Finally, a number of OT texts show that those fasting
were aware of the fact that this activity did not abso-
lutely guarantee a favorable response from God (Wim-
mer :9). Note the words of David in reference to the death
of his child by Bathsheba: &dquo;While the child was alive, I
fasted and wept; for I said, ’Who knows whether the Lord
will be gracious to me, that the child may live?&dquo;’ (2 Sam
12:22). The same &dquo;Who knows?&dquo; appears in other texts
dealing with fasting: Joel 2:14 and Jonah 3:9. The fact
that a number of independent sources from different
periods give expression to God’s freedom with regard to
fasting shows that this idea was well-known in Israel.
Now should this be described as &dquo;manipulation,&dquo; to use
Hoppe’s term? We must admit that the cult and related
practices could be and undoubtedly were used on occa-
sion to bend God to a human will. In a discussion of Isa
1:10-17, one of the classic &dquo;anti-cultic&dquo; passages in
prophetic literature, H. Wildberger alludes to this danger
(Wildberger:49). But he concludes that the passage is &dquo;to
be understood as an instruction for a particular situation,
not as a general teaching on the objectionable character
of the cult&dquo; (48). Is fasting manipulative because it tries
to impress God, to influence him to respond in a certain
way? If it is, then so are a great many of the psalms and
other OT prayers. Many forms of Israelite prayer, espe-
cially the prayer of petition and the lament, seek to
&dquo;influence&dquo; God to grant the pray-er’s request. One who
is in need, or in great distress, cries out to God in order
to get him first to listen to the prayer and then to have
pity on him or her. The prayer often draws attention to
the wretched state of the supplicant and even under-
scores it in the hope that God would be moved to
compassion. Consider the following passages from the
.
psalter (TEV translation):
I am worn out, 0 Lord; have pity on me!
Give me strength, I am completely exhausted
and my whole being is deeply troubled (Ps 6:2-3).
Be merciful to me, 0 Lord!
See the sufferings my enemies cause me! (Ps 9:13).
Turn to me, Lord, and be merciful to
me,
because I am lonely and weak.
Consider my distress and suffering
and forgive all my sins (Ps 25:16, 18).
Consider a passage like Ps 31:9-13, where the psalmist
&dquo;pulls out all the stops&dquo; to show God how pitiable he is.
95
The text begins with the usual plea for pity (v. 9). Then
he lists his sorrows in heart-rending detail. His eyes are
wom out from so much crying w. 9); it has ruined his
health and even shortened his life span (v. 10). As if this
were not bad enough, other people add to his miseries.
He is treated shamefully by enemies and even friends
run away from him (v. 10). People are plotting to take
his life!
Is all of this &dquo;manipulation&dquo;? I think not. For Israel this
manner of speaking and acting was not something rep-
rehensible but merely a way of getting God’s attention.
Yes, it did try to influence God. But then again all prayer
of petition tries to influence God to grant a request!
Otherwise it would have no meaning.
Several times in his article Hoppe emphasizes the
freedom of God (Hoppe:44-46), which is not subject to
human coercion. This is true; but in the first place if God
is so &dquo;free&dquo; that he cannot be moved (or &dquo;impressed&dquo;) then
we are dealing with something or someone quite dif-
ferent from the God of the OT. As Abraham Heschel
pointed out in his classic study of the prophets, the OT
God is a God of pathos (Heschel:l-103). He is not an
unmoved Mover-at least not from an emotional point
of view-but one who relates to his people sometimes
angrily, sometimes compassionately, sometimes
tenderly-but always with deep feeling. A god who
values his freedom to the extent that he will not frisk
being impressed by the groans and laments of his people
is not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is as
much an idol as the manipulatable god Hoppe rightly
rejects. And in the second place, as noted above, several
OT texts do express the idea that God is free to respond
to fasting as he wishes (2 Sam 12:22; Joel 2:14; Jonah 3:9).
Extent and Form
of the Oracle of Isaiah 58
Let us now take a closer look at Isaiah 58:1-12. We
should look first at the extent of the prophetic oracle here
(i.e., does it extend beyond v. 12?) and its form. Hoppe
(45) limits the passage to vv. 1-12, as do the majority
of commentators (e.g., McKenzie:165; Westermann :340-
41). But it is quite possible, if not more likely, that
vv. 13-14 form a whole piece together with vv. 1-12.
This was the opinion of J. Muilenburg, who wrote: &dquo;The
relation of vss. 13-14 to the introduction, the literary
form, and the thought all support their originality.
Without them the poem remains a torso&dquo; (G77). This view
has also been defended recently by N.-E. A. Andreasen
(38-39). Actually, the reasons put forth for considering
vv. 13-14 as a separate section are not convincing; in
general they are based on the assumption that a section
on the Sabbath marks a jarring change of subject-matter
over against vv. 1-12. But as Andreasen observes, &dquo;There
96
is no real conflict between the so-called social concerns
of verses 1-12 and the cultic interest in verses 13-14,
for the genuine observance of the Sabbath is precisely
to refrain from ’seeking one’s own pleasure’ (cf. vs. 3)&dquo;
(ibid.). Furthermore, keeping the Sabbath meant granting
at least temporary release from the &dquo;yoke,&dquo; a concern
voiced in v. 6. Amos 8:4-6 also points to a connection
(though indirect) between the Sabbath and the oppressed.
There are several further reasons for joining these last
two verses of ch. 58 to the preceding section. First, the
structure of w. 13-14 is virtually the same as that of
w. 9b-12: several ~if&dquo; clauses followed by a &dquo;then&dquo; clause.
Second, a number of words and expressions in vv. 13-14
seem to hark back to the earlier section-a fact that sup-
ports the literary unity of ch. 58. (1) The prohibition
against &dquo;seeking your own pleasure&dquo; on the Sabbath
(v. 13b) is also mentioned in v. 3b. (2) God’s promise to
&dquo;feed&dquo; those who do these things (v. 14b) is a fitting
reward for one who has gone without food for his sake
(i.e., fasted, which is the whole concern of w. I-12). This
promise is essentially the same as the one found in v.
1 la, where God promises to &dquo;satisfy [someone’s] desire,&dquo;
or better, &dquo;appetite&dquo; (Hebrew np~).
Thus there is a fair amount of evidence pointing to the
unity of ch. 58. And if this is correct-i.e., if w. 13-14
with their &dquo;cultic&dquo; concern about Sabbath observances
are not a later addition to this oracle-then the prophet
cannot be opposing social action to cult-related activity
as the kind of &dquo;fast&dquo; that is pleasing to God.
As regards the form of the passage, Hoppe maintains
that vv. 1-12 break down into two sections (2-5 and
6-12) and &dquo;reflect a separation of [the] people into two
different camps: the wicked and the righteous [respec-
tively]&dquo; (45). This would mean that all the references to
fasting are connected with the wicked, while the verses
referring to social action for the neighbor apply to the
righteous. But the literary form of part of this section
argues against this conclusion. Some commentators (e.g.,
Westermann:333) note a parallel between the &dquo;If you ...
then&dquo; pattern in Isa 58:9b-12 and in several passages in
Job. These include Job 11:13-19 and 22:23-28. The Job
and Isaiah texts are further related by the imagery of
&dquo;light&dquo; in all three texts (job 11:17; 22:28b; Isa 58:8a). The
same pattern also appears in Jer 4:1-2. What is impor-
tant to notice in these non-Isaian texts is that the &dquo;if&dquo;
sections in all of them are directed to someone who has
not yet repented, i.e., who is not yet righteous in God’s
sight. The point of these texts is: If you (an unconverted
person) do such-and-such (righteous actions), then God
will bless you. This makes it quite likely that in Isa
58:9b-12 too the &dquo;if&dquo; sections (vv. 9b-l0a) do not refer
to the righteous in the community (as Hoppe argues) but
to people who have still not yet repented. And if this is
true, there is no basis for positing &dquo;two camps&dquo; in this
passage.
It might be helpful at this point to consider another
prophetic text which seems to criticize the practice of
fasting. Joel 2:12-17 contains the verse so often heard
during Lent, &dquo;Rend your hearts and not your garments&dquo;
(2:13a). This clearly opposes interior conversion (&dquo;rend
your hearts&dquo;) with a well-known aspect of fasting (rend-
ing the garments). But look at the preceding verse 12:
&dquo;Return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with
weeping, and with mouming.&dquo; Here the author makes
a link between internal conversion (&dquo;return to me with
all your heart&dquo;) and the external aspects of fasting. More-
over vv. I5-17 go on to speak favorably of proclaiming
a fast in Zion. A text like this should make us very
cautious about how we interpret the prophets’ criticism
of fasting. In other words, if the Scriptures had preserved
for us from this section of Joel on fasting only the famous
saying ’~end your hearts and not your garments,&dquo; this
prophet too would no doubt be cited as evidence of the
prophetic rejection of fasting!
But we are still faced with the strong words of Isaiah
58. Verse 5 in particular seems to attack the standard
practices involved in fasting with biting sarcasm. Verse
6 contrasts these with a different kind of &dquo;fasting&dquo; that
consists in none of these practices but in loving acts done
for the neighbor. According to a literal reading of the text
God certainly seems to be saying, &dquo;I do not want X
{fasting], rather I want Y [acts of justice}.&dquo; Now precisely
this kind of either-or language (called &dquo;dialectic nega-
tion&dquo;), which occurs elsewhere in the OT, has been sub-
jected to careful study and compared with similar figures
of speech in other Semitic cultures (Kruse 1954; Booij
1982). &dquo;Dialectic negation&dquo; is characterized by &dquo;’exag-
geration’ ... in the negative member, which may often
be characterized as a statement of contradiction&dquo;
(Booij:397). But this &dquo;contrasting-by-way-of-negating is
intended for emphasis&dquo; (ibid.). At this point I will cite
an OT passage which illustrates this usage and makes
clear its emphasizing (rather than contradicting) char-
acter. In Gen 45:8 Joseph, who had become governor over
Egypt, says to his brothers, &dquo;It was not you who sent me
here, but God.&dquo; Of course, Joseph is emphasizing that
his presence in Egypt had more to do with God’s designs
than with his brothers’ actions. His words could not be
construed to mean that the brothers were not respon-
sible for his winding up in Egypt. It is clear from the story
that in fact they were. And yet a literal reading of the
text seems to deny that his brothers had anything to do
with his coming there. A proper understanding of this
literary device also explains the famous &dquo;anti-cultic&dquo;
statement in Hosea 6:6: &dquo;I desire steadfast love and not
sacrifice.&dquo;
I see no reason to understand Isaiah 58 differently.
Isaiah 58 is not rejecting fasting but emphasizing that
unless accompanied by actions of love of neighbor it is
an empty ritual. As noted earlier, for the Israelites fasting
was meant to be a &dquo;sign&dquo; of repentance, of turning back
to God. A distinctive mark of Israelite .(i.e., covenant)
 97

religion was that turning to God was inseparable from Andreasen, N.-E. A.
turning in love to one’s neighbor. This is why Isaiah 58 1972 The Old Testament Sabbath: A Tradition-
uses &dquo;dialectic negation&dquo; to emphasize the fact that a sign Historical Investigation. SBL Dissertation Series
of repentance means nothing if the neighbor is un- 7. (Missoula, MT: Scholars Press).
Booij, T.
affected by it. Admittedly fasting, like any other sign of
1982 "Negation in Isaiah 43:22-24.
"Zeitschrift für die
repentance, was susceptible to manipulation. But that alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 94:390-400.
did not mean that it was rejected by the prophets.
Cowley, A.
Similarly, the great prophetic figure of the NT, John the 1923 Aramaic Papyri of the Fifth Century B.C. (Osna-
Baptist, practiced a ’baptism unto repentance&dquo; (Mark 1:4), brfck: Otto Zeller [reprint: 1967]).
that is, a ritual consisting of purification by water that Guthrie, H. H., Jr.
was supposed to indicate conversion. John was well 1962 "Fast, Fasting," in The Interpreter’s Dictionary of
aware that in his day too there were those who tried to the Bible. 4 vols. (New York/Nashville: Abing-
go through the motions of this &dquo;sacrament&dquo; of repentance don) 2:241-44.
without real inner conversion: &dquo;You brood of vipers! Who Heschel, A. J.
warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit 1962 The Prophets. 2 vols. (New York: Harper & Row).
that befits repentance&dquo; (Matt 3:7-8; Luke 3:7-8) (The last Volume 2.
Hoppe, L. J.
sentence might be rendered, &dquo;Let your actions show that
1983 "Isaiah 58:1-12, Fasting and Idolatry." Biblical
you have really repented.’l Despite the fact that John Theology Bulletin 13:44-47.
realized some people were using this sign to manipulate
Kruse, H.
God, he does not stop baptizing; nor is there any evidence 1954 "Die ’dialectische Negation’ als semitisches
of a rejection of baptism by the writers of the NT. Idiom." Vetus Testamentum 4:385-400.
McKenzie, J. L.
1968 Second Isaiah. Anchor Bible 20. (Garden City,
Conclusions NY: Doubleday).
Muilenburg, J.
Inconclusion, I believe that Hoppe has made a con- 1956 "The Book of Isaiah: Chapters 40-66," in The
tribution to the issue of fasting in the OT insofar as he Interpreter’s Bible. 12 vols. (New York/Nashville:
Abingdon). 5:381-773.
has reminded us that the cult and cult-related practices
Napier, B. D.
could and can be turned into idolatry. In my view, how- 1962 "Prophet, Prophetism," in The Interpreter’s
ever, and according to the evidence both of OT prophet- Dictionary of the Bible. 4 vols. (New York/
ism in general and of Isa 58:1-12 in particular, he has Nashville: Abingdon) 3:896-919.
gone too far by claiming that the prophets rejected fasting Soggin, J. A.
outright inherently manipulative technique,
as an 1976 Introductionto the Old Testament from Its
inimical to the spirit of Israel’s religion. Human beings Closing of the Alexandrian Canon.
Origins to the
in all cultures and in all periods need signs and rituals Old Testament Library. (Philadelphia: West-
to express the deepest realities of faith. Unfortunately minster).
it is part of the human situation that such things can Vawter, B.
be used in such a way as to deny the reality they are 1968 "Introduction to Prophetic Literature," in The
intended to symbolize. One might justly criticize fasting Jerome Biblical Commentary (Englewood Cliffs,
NJ: Prentice-Hall) 223-37.
in the OT, baptism in the NT, and the Sacrament of
Westermann, C.
Reconciliation today insofar as each has the potential 1969 Isaiah 40-66: A Commentary. Old Testament
of becoming a ritual devoid of true religious meaning. Library. (Philadelphia: Westminster).
The Scriptures are not blind to this possibility. But they Wildberger, H.
do not reject such rites either. Rather, passages like Joel 1972 Jesaja. Biblischer Kommentar zum Alten Testa-
2-and, I submit, Isaiah 58-challenge us to let these ment 10/1. (Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener
actions become signs of returning to the Lord with all Verlag).
our hearts. Wimmer, J. F.
1982 Fasting in the New Testament: A Study in Bib-
lical Theology. (New York: Paulist).
Source Material

Ahlström, G. W.
1968 "Some Remarks on Prophets and Cult," in Tran-
sitions in Biblical Scholarship, ed. J. C. Rylaars-
dam. (Chicago: University of Chicago) 113-29.