Isaiah continues to contrast his audience’s righteous claims with the unrighteous reality of their actions.
Application to Nephi’s audience:Nephi is giving this sermon prior to the split between Lamanites and Nephites. In the context of Lehi’s sometimes contentious family, these words are particularly apt. Laman and Lemuel know and revere their heritage, even when they are denying the spiritual power of their father and brother.
Variant: The Book of Mormon makes a small but significant change in the King James Version Isaiah text. The text in bold is added to the KJV text: “but they do not stay themselves upon the God of Israel.” Clearly the addition of “but they do not” changes the meaning from a positive to a negative. However, in the context of the verse, the negative fits better the intent of the text. Verse 1 describes a hypocritical Israel that is not keeping its covenants. They should “stay themselves upon the God of Israel” but do not. It improves the sense of the text for the modern reader to indicate that they are currently not relying upon the Lord, even though they should.