Isaiah 1:3 (LSB)

Passage

An ox knows its owner, And a donkey its master’s manger, But Israel does not know; My people do not perceive.”

Nearby Context

Isaiah 1:1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem, which he beheld in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

Isaiah 1:2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; For Yahweh speaks, “Sons I have reared and raised up, But they have transgressed against Me.

Isaiah 1:3 An ox knows its owner, And a donkey its master’s manger, But Israel does not know; My people do not perceive.”

Isaiah 1:4 Alas, sinful nation, People heavy with iniquity, Seed of evildoers, Sons who act corruptly! They have forsaken Yahweh; They have spurned the Holy One of Israel; They have become estranged from Him.

Isaiah 1:5 Where will you be stricken again, As you continue in your rebellion? The whole head is sick, And the whole heart is faint.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "knows", "owner", "donkey", "master", "manger", "israel", "does", and "people". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "knows" and "owner", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "Hear O heavens and give ear O..." into verse 4's "Alas sinful nation People heavy with iniquity...", so "knows" 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 "knows" and "owner" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.