Isaiah 59:8-18

8 and no one is safe when you are around. Everything you do is unjust. You follow a crooked path, and no one who walks that path will ever be safe.

9 The people say, "Now we know why God does not save us from those who oppress us. We hope for light to walk by, but there is only darkness,

10 and we grope about like blind people. We stumble at noon, as if it were night, as if we were in the dark world of the dead.

11 We are frightened and distressed. We long for God to save us from oppression and wrong, but nothing happens.

12 "Lord, our crimes against you are many. Our sins accuse us. We are well aware of them all.

13 We have rebelled against you, rejected you, and refused to follow you. We have oppressed others and turned away from you. Our thoughts are false; our words are lies.

14 Justice is driven away, and right cannot come near. Truth stumbles in the public square, and honesty finds no place there.

15 There is so little honesty that those who stop doing evil find themselves the victims of crime." The Lord has seen this, and he is displeased that there is no justice.

16 He is astonished to see that there is no one to help the oppressed. So he will use his own power to rescue them and to win the victory. ¹

17 He will wear justice like a coat of armor and saving power like a helmet. He will clothe himself with the strong desire to set things right and to punish and avenge the wrongs that people suffer. ²

18 He will punish his enemies according to what they have done, even those who live in distant lands.

Isaiah 59:8-18 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

• 1. 59.16Isaiah 63.5.
• 2. 59.17 +2Ws 5.17-23; +1Eph 6.14, 17;1 Thessalonians 5.8.