Isaiah 66:3 Meaning: When Worship Becomes an Abomination
He who kills an ox is as he who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, as he who breaks a dog’s neck; he who offers an offering, as he who offers pig’s blood; he who burns frankincense, as he who blesses an idol. Yes, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations.
He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.
He that killeth an ox is as he that slayeth a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as he that breaketh a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as he that offereth swine’s blood; he that burneth frankincense, as he that blesseth an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations:
Whoso slaughtereth the ox smiteth a man, Whoso sacrificeth the lamb beheadeth a dog, Whoso is bringing up a present--The blood of a sow, Whoso is making mention of frankincense, Is blessing iniquity. Yea, they have fixed on their own ways, And in their abominations their soul hath delighted.
He that slaughtereth an ox, smiteth a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, breaketh a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, [it is as] swine's blood; he that presenteth a memorial of incense, [is as] he that blesseth an idol. As they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations,
Meaning in one sentence
Isaiah 66:3 compares the sacrifices of the wicked to murder and idolatry. Discover what this means for your worship today.
Context
We are standing near the end of Isaiah’s book, in a chapter that separates two kinds of people. The Lord has just said He looks with favor on those who are humble and contrite, who tremble at His word (v. 2). Then, in verse 3, He turns to those who go through the motions of worship while their hearts are far from Him. The temple sacrifices, killing an ox, sacrificing a lamb, offering grain and incense, were acts He had commanded. But these people were performing them while their lives were full of wickedness. The prophet uses shocking comparisons to show how detestable such worship becomes when it is disconnected from a heart that seeks God.
Key Words
The Hebrew verbs draw a stark contrast. The one who slaughters an ox (shochet) is treated as one who strikes down a human (makkeh ish). The same word for killing an animal in sacrifice is used for the deliberate act of murder. The one who offers a grain offering (ma’aleh minchah) is said to offer pig’s blood, a substance utterly unclean under the Law (Deuteronomy 14:8). The word for offers as a memorial (mazkir, referring to the incense ritual of Leviticus 2:2) is paired with blesses (mevarekh) an idol (aven, a word that can mean wickedness or a false god). The verb to bless here is the same one used for praising God. By using it for an idol, the prophet says their worship has become indistinguishable from paganism. The final line uses chosen (bacharu) and delighted (chafetzah), words that should describe devotion to God, but here describe their embrace of their own ways.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christian interpreters read this verse in two main ways, and both are sobering. Some, like Matthew Henry and John Wesley, see it as God declaring that the sacrifices of those whose hearts are not right with Him are just as offensive as murder or idolatry. The “as if” is supplied in translation, but the point is the same: God loathes the offerings of the wicked. Others, such as Keil & Delitzsch and some Reformed commentators, read it more literally: these worshippers were actually committing those abominations, killing men, offering dogs, using pig’s blood, blessing idols, while also going through the motions of temple sacrifice. Both readings agree that the verse condemns hollow ritual performed without faith and obedience.
A common misunderstanding
Living This Out
Main takeaway: When our hearts are not right with God, even the most proper worship becomes an offense to Him.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Sometimes we do good things with a bad heart. Like when you sing a song at church but inside you are angry. God sees your heart. He wants you to love Him from the inside.
For ages 9, 12
Isaiah is saying that the people were doing all the right religious actions, bringing sacrifices to the temple, but their hearts were far from God. They were still sinning and loving their sin. God says that kind of pretending is horrible to Him. He wants us to be honest about our sin and come to Him with a humble heart, not just go through the motions.
Questions People Ask
Is Isaiah 66:3 saying that killing an ox is as bad as murder?
No. The verse is a comparison, not a moral equation. It shows that when a person offers a sacrifice with a wicked heart, God finds it as detestable as murder or idolatry. The acts of sacrifice themselves were commanded by God, but the worshiper's heart made them abominable.
What does the dog's neck and pig's blood represent?
In the Old Testament, dogs and pigs were considered unclean animals (Deuteronomy 14:8, Deuteronomy 23:18). Breaking a dog's neck or offering pig's blood would be a shocking, abominable act to any Israelite. The verse uses these images to show how repulsive hypocritical worship is to God.
Does this verse mean we should not worship God if we have sin in our lives?
No, it means we should not pretend to worship while deliberately holding onto sin. God invites humble, repentant worshipers (verse 2). The problem is not imperfection, but a heart that chooses its own ways and delights in sin while going through religious motions.
What does 'they have chosen their own ways' mean in this verse?
It means these worshipers deliberately decided to follow their own desires and sinful practices instead of obeying God's commands. The word 'chosen' (bachar) carries the idea of a deliberate, willful preference. Their souls took pleasure in what God called detestable.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study