Isaiah 57:12

12 I myself will declare your righteousness and your works, but they will not benefit you.

Isaiah 57:12 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 57:12

I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works
For, notwithstanding all the idolatry, superstition, irreligion, and cruelty of the church of Rome, she makes large pretences to righteousness, by which she expects to be justified, and to merit eternal life, and even pretends to works of supererogation; but God will in due time make it clearly appear, both by the ministry of his faithful servants, which he has done in part already; and by his judgments that he will execute, that she has no righteousness; that what she calls so is no righteousness, but wickedness; and that her works she calls good works are bad ones, superstitious, idolatrous, and tyrannical: for they shall not profit thee;
secure from judgment here, or from wrath to come; nor justify before God, nor procure salvation and eternal life; but, on the contrary, shall bring deserved ruin and destruction, here and hereafter.

Isaiah 57:12 In-Context

10 You grow weary by the greatness of your way, [but] you did not say, 'Despairing!' You found the {renewal} of your {strength}, therefore you do not grow weak.

11 And of whom were you afraid and feared, that you deceived and did not remember me? Did you not place [it] on your heart? [Have] I not been silent, even from long ago, and [so] you do not fear me?

12 I myself will declare your righteousness and your works, but they will not benefit you.

13 When {you cry}, let your collection deliver you, and [the] wind will carry all of them away; a breath will take [them] away. But he who takes refuge in me shall take possession [of] [the] land, and he shall inherit my {holy mountain}."

14 And one shall say, "Build up, build up! Clear [the] way! Remove [the] obstacles from the way of my people!"

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "and"