Isaiah 59:9-21

A Confession of Wickedness

9 Therefore * 1justice is far from us, And righteousness does not overtake us; We 2hope for light, but behold, darkness, For brightness, but we walk in gloom.
10 We 3grope along the wall like blind men, We grope like those who have no eyes; We 4stumble at midday as in the twilight, Among those who are vigorous we are 5like dead men.
11 All of us growl like bears, And 6moan sadly like doves; We hope for 7justice, but there is none, For salvation, but it is far from us.
12 For our 8transgressions are multiplied before You, And our 9sins testify against us; For our transgressions are with us, And we know our iniquities:
13 Transgressing and 10denying the LORD, And turning away from our God, Speaking 11oppression and revolt, Conceiving in and 12uttering from the heart lying words.
14 13Justice is turned back, And 14righteousness stands far away; For truth has stumbled in the street, And uprightness cannot * enter.
15 Yes, truth is lacking; And he who turns aside from evil 15makes himself a prey. Now the LORD saw, And it was displeasing in His sight 16that there was no justice.
16 And He saw that there was 17no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede; Then His 18own arm brought salvation to Him, And His righteousness upheld Him.
17 He put on 19righteousness like a breastplate, And a 20helmet of salvation on His head; And He put on 21garments of vengeance for clothing And wrapped Himself with 22zeal as a mantle.
18 23According to their deeds, so He will repay, Wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; To the coastlands He will make recompense.
19 So they will fear the name of the LORD from the 24west And His glory from the 25rising of the sun, For He will 26come like a rushing stream Which the wind of the LORD drives.
20 "A 27Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who 28turn from transgression in Jacob," declares the LORD.
21 "As for Me, this is My 29covenant with them," says the LORD: "My 30Spirit which is upon you, and My 31words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring's offspring," says the LORD, "from now and forever *."

Isaiah 59:9-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 59

As the former chapter declares the hypocrisy and formality of professors of religion; this expresses the errors and heresies, immorality and profaneness, which shall prevail before the spiritual reign of Christ, or the latter day glory begins; which is so fully described in the next chapter. Reasons are given of God's withdrawing his presence from a professing people, which were not want of power and readiness in him, but their own sins and transgressions, Isa 59:1,2 which are enumerated, such as murder, rapine, lies Isa 59:3-8 for which the judgments of God were upon them, darkness, distress, and misery, of which they were sensible, Isa 59:9-11 and confess their sins and transgressions, Isa 59:12,13 and lament their wretched state and condition, which was displeasing to God, Isa 59:14,15 who is represented as appearing for their salvation; moved to it by their want of help, and the oppression of their enemies, in which he shows his power, justice, zeal, grace, and goodness, Isa 59:16-18 the consequence of which shall be the conversion and salvation of many, owing to the efficacy of the divine Spirit, and to the spiritual coming of the Redeemer, Isa 59:19,20, and the chapter is closed with a promise of the continuance of the Spirit of God, and the Gospel of Christ in his church, unto the end of the world, Isa 59:21.

Cross References 31

  • 1. Isaiah 59:14
  • 2. Isaiah 5:30; Isaiah 8:21, 22
  • 3. Deuteronomy 28:29; Job 5:14
  • 4. Isaiah 8:14, 15; Isaiah 28:13
  • 5. Lamentations 3:6
  • 6. Isaiah 38:14; Ezekiel 7:16
  • 7. Isaiah 59:9, 14
  • 8. Ezra 9:6; Isaiah 58:1
  • 9. Isaiah 3:9; Jeremiah 14:7; Hosea 5:5
  • 10. Joshua 24:27; Proverbs 30:9; Matthew 10:33; Titus 1:16
  • 11. Isaiah 5:7; Isaiah 30:12; Jeremiah 9:3, 4
  • 12. Isaiah 59:3, 4; Mark 7:21, 22
  • 13. Isaiah 1:21; Isaiah 5:7
  • 14. Isaiah 46:12; Habakkuk 1:4
  • 15. Isaiah 5:23; Isaiah 10:2; Isaiah 29:21; Isaiah 32:7
  • 16. Isaiah 1:21-23
  • 17. Isaiah 41:28; Isaiah 63:5; Ezekiel 22:30
  • 18. Psalms 98:1; Isaiah 52:10; Isaiah 63:5
  • 19. Ephesians 6:14
  • 20. Ephesians 6:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:8
  • 21. Isaiah 63:2, 3
  • 22. Isaiah 9:7; Isaiah 37:32; Zechariah 1:14
  • 23. Job 34:11; Isaiah 65:6, 7; Isaiah 66:6; Jeremiah 17:10
  • 24. Isaiah 49:12
  • 25. Psalms 113:3
  • 26. Isaiah 30:28; Isaiah 66:12
  • 27. Romans 11:26
  • 28. Ezekiel 18:30, 31; Acts 2:38, 39
  • 29. Jeremiah 31:31-34; Romans 11:27
  • 30. Isaiah 11:2; Isaiah 32:15; Isaiah 44:3
  • 31. Isaiah 55:11

Footnotes 9

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