Isaiah 59:1-15

Isaiah 59:1-15

[1] Behold,  the LORD'S  hand  is not shortened,  that it cannot save;  neither his ear  heavy,  that it cannot hear:  [2] But your iniquities  have separated  between  you and your God,  and your sins  have hid  his face  from you, that he will not hear.  [3] For your hands  are defiled  with blood,  and your fingers  with iniquity;  your lips  have spoken  lies,  your tongue  hath muttered  perverseness.  [4] None calleth  for justice,  nor any pleadeth  for truth:  they trust  in vanity,  and speak  lies;  they conceive  mischief,  and bring forth  iniquity.  [5] They 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.  [6] Their webs  shall not become garments,  neither shall they cover  themselves with their works:  of iniquity,  and the act  of violence  is in their hands.  [7] Their feet  run  to evil,  and they make haste  to shed  innocent  blood:  their thoughts  of iniquity;  wasting  and destruction  are in their paths.  [8] The 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.  [9] Therefore is judgment  far  from us, neither doth justice  overtake  us: we wait  for light,  but behold obscurity;  for brightness,  but we walk  in darkness.  [10] We grope  for the wall  like the blind,  and we grope  as if we had no eyes:  we stumble  at noonday  as in the night;  we are in desolate  places as dead  [11] We roar  all like bears,  and mourn  like doves:  we look  for judgment,  but there is none; for salvation,  but it is far off  [12] For our transgressions  before thee, and our sins  testify  against us: for our transgressions  are with us; and as for our iniquities,  we know  them; [13] In 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.  [14] And judgment  is turned away  backward,  and justice  standeth  afar off:  for truth  is fallen  in the street,  and equity  cannot  enter.  [15] Yea, truth  faileth;  and he that departeth  from evil  maketh himself a prey:  and the LORD  saw  him that there was no judgment. 

What does Isaiah 59:1-15 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

As mentioned above, this second segment of the section dealing with the relationship of righteousness and ritual (chs58-59) deals with the inability of God"s redeemed people to produce righteous behavior in their own strength. Chapter57 dealt with their inability to break with idolatry in their own strength.
"In chapter57 he [1] condemned adulterous paganism, in chapter58 hypocritical fasting, while here it is chiefly injustice that calls forth his condemnation. Each of these chapters speaks about prayer. In chapter57 it was not answered because it was not addressed to the true God ( Isaiah 57:13); in chapter58 because the petitioners are hypocrites ( Isaiah 58:4); while here in Isaiah 59:1-2, it is because of their sins and particularly, as later verses indicate, their injustice." [2]