Isaiah 43:23 (ASV)

Passage

Thou hast not brought me of thy sheep for burnt-offerings; neither hast thou honored me with thy sacrifices. I have not burdened thee with offerings, nor wearied thee with frankincense.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 43:21 the people which I formed for myself, that they might set forth my praise.

Isaiah 43:22 Yet thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.

Isaiah 43:23 Thou hast not brought me of thy sheep for burnt-offerings; neither hast thou honored me with thy sacrifices. I have not burdened thee with offerings, nor wearied thee with frankincense.

Isaiah 43:24 Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices; but thou hast burdened me with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.

Isaiah 43:25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake; and I will not remember thy sins.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sheep", "thou", "hast", "brought", "burnt-offerings", and "neither". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sheep" and "thou", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "Yet thou hast not called upon me..." into verse 24's "Thou hast bought me no sweet cane...", so "sheep" and "thou" belong inside that flow. In Isaiah context, the local focus is the Holy One of Israel, judgment and restoration, the servant of the LORD, and Zion's hope.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "sheep" and "thou" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.