Isaiah 56:11 (LSB)

Passage

And the dogs have a strong appetite; they do not know satisfaction. And they are shepherds who do not know understanding; They have all turned to their own way, Each one to his greedy gain, to the last one.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 56:9 All you beasts of the field, All you beasts in the forest, Come to eat.

Isaiah 56:10 His watchmen are blind; All of them know nothing. All of them are mute dogs unable to bark, Dreamers lying down, who love to slumber;

Isaiah 56:11 And the dogs have a strong appetite; they do not know satisfaction. And they are shepherds who do not know understanding; They have all turned to their own way, Each one to his greedy gain, to the last one.

Isaiah 56:12 “Come,” they say, “let us take wine, and let us drink heavily of strong drink; And tomorrow will be like today—beyond exceedingly great.”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "dogs", "strong", "appetite", "satisfaction", "shepherds", "understanding", "turned", and "each". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "dogs" and "strong", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "His watchmen are blind All of them..." into verse 12's "Come they say let us take wine...", so "dogs" and "strong" 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 "dogs" and "strong" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.