Isaiah 59ASV
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Isaiah59

American Standard Version · Public Domain

1Behold, Jehovah’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

2but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, so that he will not hear.

3For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue muttereth wickedness.

4None sueth in righteousness, and none pleadeth in truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

5They hatch adders’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth; and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.

6Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.

7Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their paths.

8The way of peace they know not; and there is no justice in their goings: they have made them crooked paths; whosoever goeth therein doth not know peace.

9Therefore is justice far from us, neither doth righteousness overtake us: we look for light, but, behold, darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity.

10We grope for the wall like the blind; yea, we grope as they that have no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the twilight; among them that are lusty we are as dead men.

11We roar all like bears, and moan sore like doves: we look for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.

12For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and as for our iniquities, we know them:

13transgressing and denying Jehovah, and turning away from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.

14And justice is turned away backward, and righteousness standeth afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and uprightness cannot enter.

15Yea, truth is lacking; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey. And Jehovah saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.

16And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his own arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it upheld him.

17And he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a mantle.

18According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, wrath to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompense.

19So shall they fear the name of Jehovah from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come as a rushing stream, which the breath of Jehovah driveth.

20And a Redeemer will come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith Jehovah.

21And as for me, this is my covenant with them, saith Jehovah: my Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith Jehovah, from henceforth and for ever.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Isaiah 59.

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Chapter Summary

In this chapter: Reproofs of sin and wickedness. (1-8). Confession of sin, and lamentation for the consequences. (9-15). Promises of deliverance. (16-21).

vv1-8

If our prayers are not answered, and the salvation we wait for is not wrought for us, it is not because God is weary of hearing prayer, but because we are weary of praying. See here sin in true colours, exceedingly sinful; and see sin in its consequences, exceedingly hurtful, separating from God, and so separating us, not only from all good, but to all evil. Yet numbers feed, to their own destruction, on infidel and wicked systems. Nor can their skill or craft, in devising schemes, as the spider weaves its web, deliver or save them. No schemes of self-wrought salvation shall avail those who despise the Redeemer's robe of righteousness. Every man who is destitute of the Spirit of Christ, runs swiftly to evil of some sort; but those regardless of Divine truth and justice, are strangers to peace.

vv9-15

If we shut our eyes against the light of Divine truth, it is just with God to hide from our eyes the things that belong to our peace. The sins of those who profess themselves God's people, are worse than the sins of others. And the sins of a nation bring public judgments, when not restrained by public justice. Men may murmur under calamities, but nothing will truly profit while they reject Christ and his gospel.

vv16-21

This passage is connected with the following chapters. It is generally thought to describe the coming of the Messiah, as the Avenger and Deliverer of his church. There was none to intercede with God to turn away his wrath; none to interpose for the support of justice and truth. Yet He engaged his own strength and righteousness for his people. God will make his justice upon the enemies of his church and people plainly appear. When the enemy threatens to bear down all without control, then the Spirit of the Lord shall stop him, put him to flight. He that has delivered, will still deliver. A far more glorious salvation is promised to be wrought out by the Messiah in the fulness of time, which all the prophets had in view. The Son of God shall come to us to be our Redeemer; the Spirit of God shall come to be our Sanctifier: thus the Comforter shall abide with the church for ever, John 14:16. The word of Christ will always continue in the mouths of the faithful; and whatever is pretended to be the mind of the Spirit, must be tried by the Scriptures. We must lament the progress of infidelity and impiety. But the cause of the Redeemer shall gain a complete victory even on earth, and the believer will be more than conqueror when the Lord receives him to his glory in heaven.

Cross References

Isaiah 59
v7Romans 3:15quotation

Paul quotes verse 7 verbatim to prove the universal depravity and guilt of all mankind.

Supported by JFB

v20Romans 11:26quotation

Paul directly quotes verse 20 regarding the Deliverer coming out of Zion to turn away ungodliness.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v1Isaiah 50:2thematic

Parallels the rhetorical question asking whether Jehovah's hand is shortened at all that it cannot redeem.

Supported by JFB

v16Isaiah 63:3-5thematic

Echoes the solitary work of the Messiah whose own arm brings salvation when there is none to help.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v17Ephesians 6:17allusion

Paul adapts the armor of God (helmet of salvation, breastplate) from the warrior-Messiah's attire here.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v3Jeremiah 9:3-6thematic

A detailed parallel of a nation speaking lies, executing deceit, and refusing to know the Lord.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v4Job 15:35thematic

Uses the same vivid biological metaphor of conceiving mischief and bringing forth vanity or falsehood.

Supported by JFB

Fulfills Moses' covenantal curse that the disobedient would grope at noonday like the blind.

Supported by JFB

v21Romans 11:27quotation

Paul quotes this covenant promise of sin removal in his theological summation of Israel's future.

Supported by JFB

v3Isaiah 1:15thematic

Identical accusation that God hides His face and refuses to hear because their hands are defiled with blood.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v5Job 8:14thematic

Parallels the fragile, useless nature of a spider's web as an emblem of wicked schemes.

Supported by JFB

v6Isaiah 64:6thematic

Parallels the futile attempt to cover oneself with self-wrought works, compared to filthy rags.

Supported by JFB

v8Romans 3:17quotation

Directly quoted by Paul: 'And the way of peace have they not known.'

Supported by JFB

v12Daniel 9:5-8thematic

Matches the communal confession of national transgression, confusion of face, and turning from God's laws.

Supported by JFB

v16Psalms 98:1thematic

Celebrates Jehovah's right hand and holy arm bringing salvation when there was no other help.

Supported by John Calvin

v16Ezekiel 22:30thematic

Parallels God looking in vain for a man to stand in the gap and make up the hedge.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v20Ezekiel 18:30thematic

Illustrates the prerequisite of turning from transgressions to receive the blessing of divine deliverance.

Supported by Matthew Henry

Expounds the nature of the New Covenant where God's words and Spirit abide within His people.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v7Proverbs 1:16thematic

Verbal parallel regarding feet running to evil and making haste to shed blood.

Supported by John Calvin

v9Habakkuk 1:13thematic

Contemplates why a pure God remains silent and permits wickedness to swallow up the righteous.

Supported by John Calvin