Major Prophets · Chapter 59 of 66

Isaiah 59

God is not too weak to save; rather Israel's sins have separated them from Him. Isaiah confesses a society steeped in violence, lies, and injustice, groping like the blind for a light that never comes. God is appalled that there is no one to intervene, so His own arm brings salvation. He clothes Himself in righteousness like armor, comes as Redeemer to Zion, and pledges His Spirit and word to His people forever.

What happens in Isaiah 59

Isaiah insists the LORD's hand is not too short to save nor His ear too dull to hear; the barrier is the people's own iniquities, which have hidden His face. He catalogs their sins: hands defiled with blood, lips speaking lies, feet running to shed innocent blood, crooked paths where none find peace. Justice stands far off and truth stumbles in the street. The people grope like the blind at noon, waiting for a salvation that does not come. A confession follows that their transgressions testify against them.

God looks and is astonished that there is no intercessor, no man to stand in the gap. So His own arm brings salvation. He arms Himself with righteousness as a breastplate and the helmet of salvation, clothed with vengeance and zeal. The Redeemer comes to Zion, to those who turn from transgression, and God makes an everlasting covenant that His Spirit and words will remain with them forever.

Isaiah 59 in context

This chapter sits in Isaiah's final section and follows the pattern of confession and divine deliverance. It opens by answering a despairing assumption that God cannot or will not save, locating the real problem in human sin. The extended confession of communal guilt is among the most searching in Scripture.

When no human intercessor is found, God acts alone, arming Himself to save. The armor imagery reappears in the New Testament, and the promise of the Redeemer coming to Zion is quoted by Paul regarding Israel's future.

Main themes of Isaiah 59

Isaiah 59 (KJV)

1Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 3For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. 4None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. 5They hatch cockatrice’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper. 6Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. 7Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. 8The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace. 9Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. 10We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon day as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men. 11We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us. 12For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them; 13In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. 14And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. 15Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment. 16And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. 17For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak. 18According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence. 19So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him. 20And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD. 21As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.

Verses to carry from Isaiah 59

“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”Isaiah 59:2

“And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.”Isaiah 59:16

“And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.”Isaiah 59:20

Reflection

This chapter refuses easy blame. When God feels distant, it invites honest confession rather than doubt of His power. Yet it does not leave us in guilt: where no human help could be found, God armed Himself and came as Redeemer. Name your sin plainly, then look for the Deliverer who comes to those who turn.

A prayer from Isaiah 59