Isaiah 56:2 (KJV)

Passage

Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 56:1 Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.

Isaiah 56:2 Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.

Isaiah 56:3 Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.

Isaiah 56:4 For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "blessed", "doeth", "layeth", "hold", "keepeth", "sabbath", and "polluting". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "blessed" and "doeth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "Thus saith the LORD Keep ye judgment..." into verse 3's "Neither let the son of the stranger...", so "blessed" and "doeth" 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 "blessed" and "doeth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.