Isaiah 33:15

15 He whose life is right and whose speech is straight, he who scorns getting rich by extortion, he who shakes his hands free of bribes, stops his ears against talk of bloodshed and shuts his eyes against looking at 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 living far off, hear what I have done! You who are near, acknowledge my strength!"
14 The sinners in Tziyon are frightened; trembling has seized the ungodly. "Who of us can live with the devouring fire? Who of us can live with eternal burning?"
15 He whose life is right and whose speech is straight, he who scorns getting rich by extortion, he who shakes his hands free of bribes, stops his ears against talk of bloodshed and shuts his eyes against looking at evil.
16 Such a person will live on the heights, his refuge a fortress among the cliffs, his food and water in steady supply.
17 Your eyes will see the king in his beauty, they will gaze on a land stretching into the distance.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.