The Meaning of Isaiah 1:6 Explained

Isaiah 1:6

KJV: From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

YLT: From the sole of the foot -- unto the head, There is no soundness in it, Wound, and bruise, and fresh smiting! They have not been closed nor bound, Nor have they softened with ointment.

Darby: From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in him; wounds, and weals, and open sores: they have not been dressed, nor bound up, nor mollified with oil.

ASV: From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and fresh stripes: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with oil.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

From the sole  of the foot  even unto the head  [there is] no soundness  in it; [but] wounds,  and bruises,  and putrifying  sores:  they have not been closed,  neither bound up,  neither mollified  with ointment. 

What does Isaiah 1:6 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 1:1-9 - The Ingratitude Of A Favored Nation
This chapter forms the preface to the prophecies of Isaiah. It is a clear and concise statement of the points at issue between Jehovah and His people. Special urgency was given to these appeals, when first uttered, from the fact which was well-known to the Hebrew politicians and people, that Assyria was preparing for a great war of conquest, which would be directed specially against Jerusalem and her allies. This chapter is east in the form of an assize, a crown case in which God is both complainant and judge. The conviction of sinfulness which the prophet desired to secure, was sought, not by appealing to a code of laws which had been transgressed, but by showing the ingratitude with which Israel had repaid the fatherly love of God. It is the personal element in sin that most quickly convicts men. "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" "Thou art the man!" "He hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace!" [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 1

1  Isaiah complains of Judah for her rebellion
5  He laments her judgments
10  He upbraids their whole service
16  He exhorts to repentance, with promises and threats
21  Bewailing their wickedness, he denounces God's judgments
25  He promises grace
28  And threatens destruction to the wicked

What do the individual words in Isaiah 1:6 mean?

From the sole of the foot and even to the head [There is] no in it soundness [But] wounds and bruises and sores putrefying not they have been closed or bound up soothed with ointment
מִכַּף־ רֶ֤גֶל וְעַד־ רֹאשׁ֙ אֵֽין־ בּ֣וֹ מְתֹ֔ם פֶּ֥צַע וְחַבּוּרָ֖ה וּמַכָּ֣ה טְרִיָּ֑ה לֹא־ זֹ֙רוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א חֻבָּ֔שׁוּ רֻכְּכָ֖ה בַּשָּֽׁמֶן

מִכַּף־  From  the  sole 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: כַּף  
Sense: palm, hand, sole, palm of the hand, hollow or flat of the hand.
רֶ֤גֶל  of  the  foot 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.
וְעַד־  and  even  to 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
רֹאשׁ֙  the  head 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
אֵֽין־  [There  is]  no 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
בּ֣וֹ  in  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
מְתֹ֔ם  soundness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְתֹם  
Sense: soundness, entirety, entire.
פֶּ֥צַע  [But]  wounds 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: פֶּצַע  
Sense: bruise, wound.
וְחַבּוּרָ֖ה  and  bruises 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חַבּוּרָה  
Sense: bruise, stripe, wound, blow.
וּמַכָּ֣ה  and  sores 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַכָּה  
Sense: blow, wound, slaughter.
טְרִיָּ֑ה  putrefying 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: טָרִי  
Sense: fresh, new.
זֹ֙רוּ֙  they  have  been  closed 
Parse: Verb, QalPass, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: זוּר  
Sense: (Qal) to press, squeeze, crush, press down and out.
חֻבָּ֔שׁוּ  bound  up 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָבַשׁ  
Sense: to tie, bind, bind on, bind up, saddle, restrain, bandage, govern.
רֻכְּכָ֖ה  soothed 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: רָכַךְ  
Sense: to be tender, be soft, be weak.
בַּשָּֽׁמֶן  with  ointment 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁמֶן  
Sense: fat, oil.