Isaiah 59:8

8 They knew not the way of peace, and doom is not in the goings of them; the paths of them be bowed to them; each that treadeth in those, knoweth not peace. (They knew not the way of peace, and justice is not their way; their paths be crooked; anyone who treadeth on them, knoweth not peace.)

Isaiah 59:8 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 59:8

The way of peace they know not
Neither the way of peace with God, supposing it is to be made by man, and not by Christ; and are ignorant of the steps and methods taken to procure it; nor do they know the way of peace of conscience, or how to attain to that which is true and solid; nor the way to eternal peace and happiness, which is alone by Christ, and the Gospel of peace reveals, to which they are strangers; nor the way of peace among men, which they are unconcerned about, and do not seek after, make use of no methods to promote, secure, and establish it; but all the reverse: and there is no judgment in their goings;
no justice in their actions, in their dealings with men; no judgment in their religious duties, which are done without any regard to the divine rule, or without being able to give a reason for them; they have no judgment in matters of doctrine or worship; they have no discerning of true and false doctrines, and between that which is spiritual and superstitious in worship; they have no knowledge of the word of God, which should be their guide both in faith and practice; but this they do not attend unto: they have made them crooked paths:
they have devised paths and modes of worship of their own, in which they walk, and which they observe, that are not according to the rule of the word; but deviate from it; and so may be said to be crooked, as not agreeable to that: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace;
the way of peace with God, as before; or he shall not have any experience of true, solid, and substantial peace in his own conscience now, and shall not attain to eternal peace hereafter.

Isaiah 59:8 In-Context

6 The webs of them shall not be into cloth, neither they shall be covered with their works; the works of them be unprofitable works, and the work of wickedness is in the hands of them. (Their webs shall never be made into cloth, nor shall they ever be covered with, or protected by, their works; their works be unprofitable works, and these wicked works come from their own hands.)

7 The feet of them run to evil, and haste to shed out innocent blood; the thoughts of them be unprofitable thoughts; destroying and defouling be in the ways of them. (Their feet run to evil, and they hasten to pour out innocent blood; their thoughts be unprofitable thoughts; destroying and defiling be their way of doing things.)

8 They knew not the way of peace, and doom is not in the goings of them; the paths of them be bowed to them; each that treadeth in those, knoweth not peace. (They knew not the way of peace, and justice is not their way; their paths be crooked; anyone who treadeth on them, knoweth not peace.)

9 Therefore doom is made far from us, and rightfulness shall not (over)take us; we abided light, and lo! darknesses be; we abided shining, and we went in darknesses. (And so justice is made far from us, and right shall not overtake us; we wait for the light, but lo! there is only darkness; we wait for the sun to shine, but still we walk in darkness.)

10 We groped as blind men the wall, and we as without eyes touched; we stumbled in midday, as in darknesses, in dark places, as dead men. (We grope the wall like the blind, and we touch it, like those without eyes; we stumble at midday, like in the darkness, yea, in dark places, like the dead.)