Isaiah 1:3 (GNV)

Passage

The oxe knoweth his owner, and the asse his masters crib: but Israel hath not knowen: my people hath not vnderstand.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 1:1 A vision of Isaiah, the sonne of Amoz, which he sawe concerning Iudah and Ierusalem: in the dayes of Vzziah, Iotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah Kings of Iudah.

Isaiah 1:2 Heare, O heauens, and hearken, O earth: for the Lord hath sayde, I haue nourished and brought vp children, but they haue rebelled against me.

Isaiah 1:3 The oxe knoweth his owner, and the asse his masters crib: but Israel hath not knowen: my people hath not vnderstand.

Isaiah 1:4 Ah, sinfull nation, a people laden with iniquitie: a seede of the wicked, corrupt children: they haue forsaken the Lord: they haue prouoked the holy one of Israel to anger: they are gone backewarde.

Isaiah 1:5 Wherefore shoulde ye be smitten any more? for ye fall away more and more: the whole head is sicke, and the whole heart is heauie.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "knoweth", "owner", "asse", "masters", "crib", "israel", "hath", and "knowen". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "knoweth" and "owner", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "Heare O heauens and hearken O earth..." into verse 4's "Ah sinfull nation a people laden with...", so "knoweth" and "owner" 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 "knoweth" and "owner" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.