Isaiah 33:15

15 A person who does what is right and speaks what is right, who refuses to take money unfairly, who refuses to take money to hurt others, who does not listen to plans of murder, who refuses to think about evil --

Isaiah 33:15 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 33:15

He that walketh righteously
These are the words of the prophet, in answer to those of the hypocrites. So the Targum,

``the prophet said, the righteous shall dwell in it;''
not in the devouring fire and everlasting burnings, but in Zion, in Jerusalem, on high, in the munition of rocks, safe from those burnings; for these words are to be connected not with the preceding, but with the following verse ( Isaiah 33:16 ) , "thus, he that walketh righteously" "he shall dwell on high"; and such an one is he that walks by faith on Christ as his righteousness; that walks after the Spirit, and not after the flesh; that walks uprightly, according to the rule of the Gospel, and as becomes it; that walks in the ways of judgment and righteousness, in which Christ leads his people, and lives soberly, righteously, and godly: and speaketh uprightly;
or "uprightnesses" F2; upright things, what is in his heart, what is agreeable to the word of God, the standard of truth; who makes mention continually of the righteousness of Christ, and that only as his justifying one: and whose tongue talks of judgment, just and righteous things, and not what is corrupt, profane, impure, and impious: he that despiseth the gain of oppressions;
that which is got by oppression and rapine; the mammon of iniquity, as the Targum calls it; but reckons the gain of wisdom, and of godliness, exceeding preferable to it: that shaketh his hand from holding of bribes;
that will not receive any, but when they are put into his hands shakes them out, and will not retain them; expressing his abhorrence of such practices, and declaring that he is not to be influenced by such methods from speaking truth, and doing justice: that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood;
or "bloods" F3; from hearing those that shed innocent blood, as the Targum; who will not hearken to any solicitations to shed blood; will not converse with men about it, or enter into schemes in order to it, much less join them in shedding it: and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;
done by others; he abhors it in himself, and dislikes it in others; turns his eyes from beholding it, so far from taking pleasure in it, and in those that do it: all this is opposed to the hypocrisy, impiety, profaneness, rapine, bribery, murders, and wickedness of the church of Rome; see ( Revelation 9:21 ) .
FOOTNOTES:

F2 (Myrvym rbd) "qui loquitur recta", Piscator; "loquens recta", Cocceius; "loquens aequitates", Montanus.
F3 (Mymd emvm) "ab audiendo sanquines", Montanus; "ne audiat sanquines", Cocceius.

Isaiah 33:15 In-Context

13 You people in faraway lands, hear what I have done. You people who are near me, learn about my power.
14 The sinners in Jerusalem are afraid; those who are separated from God shake with fear. They say, "Can any of us live through this fire that destroys? Who can live near this fire that burns on and on?"
15 A person who does what is right and speaks what is right, who refuses to take money unfairly, who refuses to take money to hurt others, who does not listen to plans of murder, who refuses to think about evil --
16 this is the kind of person who will be safe. He will be protected as he would be in a high, walled city. He will always have bread, and he will not run out of water.
17 Your eyes will see the king in his beauty. You will see the land that stretches far away.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.