Focused Passage

Isaiah 59:9-15

Sin Separates, Justice Fails, and the LORD Himself Comes as Redeemer

From correcting the false assumption that the LORD is unable to save, to exposing sin as the barrier, to detailing violent and deceitful injustice, to confessing darkness and guilt, to the LORD seeing the absence of justice, to his divine warrior intervention, to the Redeemer coming to Zion and establishing his Spirit and words forever.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

9 Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We hope for light, but there is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in gloom.

10 Like the blind, we feel our way along the wall, groping like those without eyes. We stumble at midday as in the twilight; among the vigorous we are like the dead.

11 We all growl like bears and moan like doves. We hope for justice, but find none, for salvation, but it is far from us.

12 For our transgressions are multiplied before You, and our sins testify against us. Our transgressions are indeed with us, and we know our iniquities:

13 rebelling and denying the LORD, turning away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering lies from the heart.

14 So justice is turned away, and righteousness stands at a distance. For truth has stumbled in the public square, and honesty cannot enter.

15 Truth is missing, and whoever turns from evil becomes prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 9

Original words

Therefore עַל־ H5921 Preposition . . . כֵּ֗ן H3651 Adverb justice מִשְׁפָּט֙ H4941 Noun - masculine singular is far רָחַ֤ק H7368 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular from us מִמֶּ֔נּוּ H4480 Preposition | first person common plural and righteousness צְדָקָ֑ה H6666 Noun - feminine singular does not וְלֹ֥א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle reach us תַשִּׂיגֵ֖נוּ H5381 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person feminine singular | first person common plural We hope נְקַוֶּ֤ה H6960 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common plural for light לָאוֹר֙ H216 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - common singular but there וְהִנֵּה־ H2009 Conjunctive waw | Interjection is darkness חֹ֔שֶׁךְ H2822 Noun - masculine singular for brightness לִנְגֹה֖וֹת H5054 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural [but] we walk נְהַלֵּֽךְ׃ H1980 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common plural in gloom בָּאֲפֵל֥וֹת H653 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine plural
Verse 10

Original words

Like the blind כַֽעִוְרִים֙ H5787 Preposition-k, Article | Adjective - masculine plural we feel our way along נְגַֽשְׁשָׁ֤ה H1659 Verb - Piel - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural the wall קִ֔יר H7023 Noun - masculine singular groping נְגַשֵּׁ֑שָׁה H1659 Verb - Piel - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural like those without וּכְאֵ֥ין H369 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Adverb eyes עֵינַ֖יִם H5869 Noun - cd We stumble כָּשַׁ֤לְנוּ H3782 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural at midday בַֽצָּהֳרַ֙יִם֙ H6672 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural as in the twilight כַּנֶּ֔שֶׁף H5399 Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular among the vigorous בָּאַשְׁמַנִּ֖ים H820 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural we are like the dead כַּמֵּתִֽים׃ H4191 Preposition-k, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Verse 11

Original words

We all כֻּלָּ֔נוּ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common plural growl נֶהֱמֶ֤ה H1993 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural like bears כַדֻּבִּים֙ H1677 Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine plural and moan הָגֹ֣ה H1897 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute . . . נֶהְגֶּ֑ה H1897 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural like doves וְכַיּוֹנִ֖ים H3123 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Article | Noun - feminine plural We hope נְקַוֶּ֤ה H6960 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common plural for justice לַמִּשְׁפָּט֙ H4941 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular but [find] none וָאַ֔יִן H369 Conjunctive waw | Adverb for salvation לִֽישׁוּעָ֖ה H3444 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular but it is far רָחֲקָ֥ה H7368 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular from us מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ H4480 Preposition | first person common plural
Verse 12

Original words

For כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction our transgressions פְשָׁעֵ֙ינוּ֙ H6588 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural are multiplied רַבּ֤וּ H7231 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural before You נֶגְדֶּ֔ךָ H5048 Preposition | second person masculine singular and our sins וְחַטֹּאותֵ֖ינוּ H2403 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | first person common plural testify עָ֣נְתָה H6030 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular against us בָּ֑נוּ Preposition | first person common plural Our transgressions פְשָׁעֵ֣ינוּ H6588 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural are indeed כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction with us אִתָּ֔נוּ H854 Preposition | first person common plural and we know יְדַֽעֲנֽוּם׃ H3045 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural | third person masculine plural our iniquities וַעֲוֺנֹתֵ֖ינוּ H5771 Conjunctive waw | Noun - common plural construct | first person common plural
Verse 13

Original words

rebelling פָּשֹׁ֤עַ H6586 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute and denying וְכַחֵשׁ֙ H3584 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Infinitive absolute the LORD בַּֽיהוָ֔ה H3068 Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular turning away וְנָס֖וֹג H5253 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Infinitive absolute from מֵאַחַ֣ר H310 Preposition-m our God אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural speaking דַּבֶּר־ H1696 Verb - Piel - Infinitive absolute oppression עֹ֣שֶׁק H6233 Noun - masculine singular and revolt וְסָרָ֔ה H5627 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular conceiving הֹר֧וֹ H2029 Verb - Piel - Infinitive absolute and uttering וְהֹג֛וֹ H1897 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Infinitive absolute lies שָֽׁקֶר׃ H8267 Noun - masculine singular - דִּבְרֵי־ H1697 Noun - masculine plural construct from the heart מִלֵּ֖ב H3820 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 14

Original words

So justice מִשְׁפָּ֔ט H4941 Noun - masculine singular is turned away וְהֻסַּ֤ג H5253 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hofal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular . . . אָחוֹר֙ H268 Noun - masculine singular and righteousness וּצְדָקָ֖ה H6666 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular stands תַּעֲמֹ֑ד H5975 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular at a distance מֵרָח֣וֹק H7350 Preposition-m | Adjective - masculine singular For כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction truth אֱמֶ֔ת H571 Noun - feminine singular has stumbled כָשְׁלָ֤ה H3782 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular in the public square בָֽרְחוֹב֙ H7339 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular and honesty וּנְכֹחָ֖ה H5229 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular cannot לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle . . . תוּכַ֥ל H3201 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular enter לָבֽוֹא׃ H935 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Verse 15

Original words

Truth הָֽאֱמֶת֙ H571 Article | Noun - feminine singular is וַתְּהִ֤י H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular missing נֶעְדֶּ֔רֶת H5737 Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine singular and whoever turns וְסָ֥ר H5493 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular from evil מֵרָ֖ע H7451 Preposition-m | Adjective - masculine singular becomes prey מִשְׁתּוֹלֵ֑ל H7997 Verb - Hitpael - Participle - masculine singular The LORD יְהוָ֛ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular looked וַיַּ֧רְא H7200 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular and was displeased וַיֵּ֥רַע H7489 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular . . . בְּעֵינָ֖יו H5869 Preposition-b | Noun - cdc | third person masculine singular that כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction there was no אֵ֥ין H369 Adverb justice מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ H4941 Noun - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Hebrew and it was evil in His eyes

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.