Yeshayah 59:15

15 Indeed, emes (truth) faileth; and he that departeth from rah (evil) maketh himself a prey; and Hashem saw it, and it was displeasing in His sight that there was no mishpat (justice).

Yeshayah 59:15 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 59:15

Yea, truth faileth
Or, "is deprived" F6; of its life and being; it not only falls in the street, and there lies, without any to show regard unto it; but it fails; it seems as if it had given up the ghost and expired; so very prevalent will error be, before light and truth spring up again and be victorious, as they will: and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey;
he that does not give in to the prevailing vices of the age in which he lives, now become fashionable, but abstains from them, and departs from doctrinal as well as practical evils; from all false doctrines, and from all superstitious modes of worship; becomes a prey to others; a reproach and a laughing stock to them; they scoff at him, and deride him for his preciseness in religion; for his enthusiastic and irrational notions in doctrine; and for his stiffness in matters of worship: or, "he makes himself reckoned a madman" F7; as some render it; and this is a common notion with profane men, and loose professors, to reckon such as madmen that are upright in doctrine, worship, and conversation; see ( Acts 26:24 ) : and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no
judgment;
he took notice of all this, and resented it, though in a professing people, that there was no judgment or discretion in matters of doctrine and worship; no order or discipline observed; no justice done in civil courts, or in the church of God; no reformation in church or state.


FOOTNOTES:

F6 (trden) "privata"; so (rdeh) "privatio", often with the Rubbins.
F7 (llwtvm) "facit ut insanus habeatur", Junius & Tremellius; "habitus est pro insano", Vitringa; so Abendana, "he that fears God, and departs from evil", (hjwvl whwbvxy) , "they reckon him a fool or a madman."

Yeshayah 59:15 In-Context

13 In rebelling against and kachash (denying) Hashem, and nasog (turning away) from Eloheinu, speaking oshek (oppression) and sarah (revolt), conceiving and uttering from the lev (heart) divrei sheker (words of falsehood).
14 And mishpat (justice) is turned back, and tzedakah (righteousness) standeth afar off; for emes (truth) is fallen in the rechov (street), and nacho’ach (honesty) cannot enter.
15 Indeed, emes (truth) faileth; and he that departeth from rah (evil) maketh himself a prey; and Hashem saw it, and it was displeasing in His sight that there was no mishpat (justice).
16 And He saw that there was no ish (man), and was appalled that there was no Mafgi’a (Intercessor); therefore His own Zero’a (Arm) wrought Salvation unto Him; and His own tzedakah (righteousness) He relied on [Isa 53:1; Jer 23:6].
17 For He put on tzedakah as breastplate armor, and a helmet of Yeshuah (Salvation, Saving Power) upon His rosh; and He put on the bigdei nakam (garments of vengeance) for a uniform, and was clad with kinah (zeal) as a me’il (mantle, cloak).
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