Isaiah 51:7
Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.
Study Note
Study Note
The encouragement 'hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings' addresses a community whose inner possession of Torah (law in the heart) is the foundation of their resilience against external contempt. The phrase 'law in the heart' anticipates the new-covenant language of Jeremiah 31:33 and Ezekiel 36:26-27, suggesting that the exilic experience provoked reflection on the interiority of covenant relationship. The deprecation of 'the reproach of men' and 'revilings' directly addresses the psychological cost of exile — the shame of a defeated people whose God appeared to have abandoned them. The verse has been applied in Christian contexts to encourage faithfulness under cultural marginalization and social contempt.
Other Translations
Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye dismayed at their revilings.
Hearken unto Me, ye who know righteousness, A people, in whose heart <FI>is<Fi> My law, Fear ye not the reproach of men, And for their reviling be not affrighted,
Give ear to me, you who have knowledge of righteousness, in whose heart is my law; have no fear of the evil words of men, and give no thought to their curses.
Cross References
The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.
I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are …
Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed …
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the …
And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for …
And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns …
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you …
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him …
Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach …