Text -- Isaiah 59:4-21 (NET)

59:4 No one is concerned about justice; no one sets forth his case truthfully. They depend on false words and tell lies; they conceive of oppression and give birth to sin. 59:5 They hatch the eggs of a poisonous snake and spin a spider’s web. Whoever eats their eggs will die, a poisonous snake is hatched. 59:6 Their webs cannot be used for clothing; they cannot cover themselves with what they make. Their deeds are sinful; they commit violent crimes. 59:7 They are eager to do evil, quick to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful; they crush and destroy. 59:8 They are unfamiliar with peace; their deeds are unjust. They use deceitful methods, and whoever deals with them is unfamiliar with peace.

Israel Confesses its Sin

59:9 For this reason deliverance is far from us and salvation does not reach us. We wait for light, but see only darkness; we wait for a bright light, but live in deep darkness. 59:10 We grope along the wall like the blind, we grope like those who cannot see; we stumble at noontime as if it were evening. Though others are strong, we are like dead men. 59:11 We all growl like bears, we coo mournfully like doves; we wait for deliverance, but there is none, for salvation, but it is far from us. 59:12 For you are aware of our many rebellious deeds, and our sins testify against us; indeed, we are aware of our rebellious deeds; we know our sins all too well. 59:13 We have rebelled and tried to deceive the Lord; we turned back from following our God. We stir up oppression and rebellion; we tell lies we concocted in our minds. 59:14 Justice is driven back; godliness stands far off. Indeed, honesty stumbles in the city square and morality is not even able to enter. 59:15 Honesty has disappeared; the one who tries to avoid evil is robbed. The Lord watches and is displeased, for there is no justice.

The Lord Intervenes

59:16 He sees there is no advocate; he is shocked that no one intervenes. So he takes matters into his own hands; his desire for justice drives him on. 59:17 He wears his desire for justice like body armor, and his desire to deliver is like a helmet on his head. He puts on the garments of vengeance and wears zeal like a robe. 59:18 He repays them for what they have done, dispensing angry judgment to his adversaries and punishing his enemies. He repays the coastlands. 59:19 In the west, people respect the Lord’s reputation; in the east they recognize his splendor. For he comes like a rushing stream driven on by wind sent from the Lord. 59:20 “A protector comes to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their rebellious deeds,” says the Lord. 59:21 “As for me, this is my promise to them,” says the Lord. “My spirit, who is upon you, and my words, which I have placed in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth or from the mouths of your children and descendants from this time forward,” says the Lord.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Isa 59:4

¹ tn Heb “no one pleads with justice.”

² tn Heb “nothing”; NAB “emptiness.”

³ tn Or “trouble” (NIV), or “harm.”

NET Notes: Isa 59:5

¹ tn Heb “that which is pressed in hatches [as] a snake.”

NET Notes: Isa 59:6

¹ tn Heb “their deeds are deeds of sin, and the work of violence [is] in their hands.”

NET Notes: Isa 59:7

¹ tn Heb “their feet run to evil.”

² tn Heb “they quickly pour out innocent blood.”

³ tn Heb “their thoughts are thoughts of sin, destruction and crushing [are] in their roadways.”

NET Notes: Isa 59:8

¹ tn Heb “a way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their pathways.”

² tn Heb “their paths they make crooked, everyone who walks in it does not know peace.”

NET Notes: Isa 59:9

¹ tn מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat), which refers to “justice” in the earlier verses, here refers to “justice from God,” or “vindication.” Because the people are unjust, God refuses to vindicate them before their enemies. See v. 11.

² sn The prophet speaks on behalf of the sinful nation and confesses its sins.

³ sn Light here symbolizes prosperity and blessing.

⁴ tn Heb “but, look, darkness”; NIV “but all is darkness.”

⁵ tn The words “we wait for” are supplied in the translation; the verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

⁶ tn The plural noun form may indicate degree here.

⁷ tn Or “walk about”; NCV “all we have is darkness.”

⁸ tn The plural noun form may indicate degree here.

NET Notes: Isa 59:10

¹ tn Heb “like there are no eyes.”

² tn Heb among the strong, like dead men.”

NET Notes: Isa 59:11

¹ tn See the note at v. 9.

NET Notes: Isa 59:12

¹ tn Heb “for many are our rebellious deeds before you.”

² tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] our rebellious deeds (are) with us, and our sins, we know them.”

NET Notes: Isa 59:13

¹ tn Heb “speaking.” A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

² tn Heb “conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.”

NET Notes: Isa 59:14

¹ tn Or “righteousness” (ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); KJV, NAB “justice.”

² tn Or “for” (KJV, NRSV).

NET Notes: Isa 59:15

¹ tn Heb “and it is displeasing in his eyes.”

NET Notes: Isa 59:16

¹ tn Heb “man” (so KJV, ASV); TEV “no one to help.”

² tn Or “appalled” (NAB, NIV, NRSV), or “disgusted.”

³ tn Heb “and his arm delivers for him.”

⁴ tn Heb “and his justice [or “righteousness”] supports him.”

NET Notes: Isa 59:17

¹ tn Or “righteousness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “goodness.”

² tn Or “a breastplate” (traditional; so many English versions); TEV “a coat of armour.”

³ tn Heb “and [as] a helmet deliverance on his head.”

⁴ tn Heb “and he puts on the clothes of vengeance [as] a garment.”

NET Notes: Isa 59:18

¹ tn Heb “in accordance with deeds, so he repays, anger to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies.”

² tn Or “islands” (KJV, NIV).

NET Notes: Isa 59:19

¹ tc Heb “fear.” A few medieval Hebrew mss read “see.”

² tn Heb “and they fear from the west the name of the Lord.”

³ tn Heb “and from the rising of the sun his splendor.”

⁴ tn Heb “narrow”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “pent-up.”

⁵ tn Heb “the wind of the Lord drives it on.” The term רוּחַ (ruakh) could be translated “breath” here (see 30:28).

NET Notes: Isa 59:20

¹ tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.

² tn Heb “and to those who turn from rebellion in Jacob.”

NET Notes: Isa 59:21

¹ tn Or “my covenant with” (so many English versions); NCV “my agreement with.”

sn The Lord promises the repentant (note “to them”) that they and their offspring will possess his spirit and function as his spokesmen. In this regard they follow in the footsteps of the Lord’s special servant. See 42:1; 49:2; 51:16.

² tn Heb “from now and on into the future.”