Wherefore the Lord said - This verse, with the following, is designed to denounce the divine judgment on their formality of worship. They kept up the forms of religion, but they witcheld the affections of their hearts from God; and he, therefore, says that he will proceed to inflict on them exemplary and deserved punishment.
This people draw near me - That is, in the temple, and in the forms of external devotion.
And with their lips do honor me - They professedly celebrate my praise, and acknowledge me in the forms of devotion.
But have removed their heart - Have witcheld the affections of their hearts.
And their fear toward me - The worship of God is often represented as “fear” Job 28:28; Psalms 19:9; Psalms 34:11; Proverbs 1:7.
Is taught by the precept of men - That is, their views, instead of having been derived from the Scriptures, were drawn from the doctrines of mankind. Our Saviour referred to this passage, and applied it to the hypocrites of his own time Matthew 15:8-9. The latter part of it is, however, not quoted literally from the Hebrew, nor from the Septuagint, but retains the sense: ‘But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.’ He quoted it as strikingly descriptive of the people when he lived, not as saying that Isaiah referred directly to his times.