The Meaning of Isaiah 33:15 Explained

Isaiah 33:15

KJV: He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

YLT: Whoso is walking righteously, And is speaking uprightly, Kicking against gain of oppressions, Shaking his hands from taking hold on a bribe, Stopping his ear from hearing of blood, And shutting his eyes from looking on evil,

Darby: He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from taking hold of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil:

ASV: He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from taking a bribe, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from looking upon evil:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He that walketh  righteously,  and speaketh  uprightly;  he that despiseth  the gain  of oppressions,  that shaketh  his hands  from holding  of bribes,  that stoppeth  his ears  from hearing  of blood,  and shutteth  his eyes  from seeing  evil; 

What does Isaiah 33:15 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Only the righteous may dwell in Zion where God resides. Various activities mark the righteous person (cf. Psalm 15; Psalm 24:3-6); they do not make him righteous before God. His righteousness is not just private but public. His speech is pure, he does not extort money from others, and he does not take bribes (because he does not love money). He does not listen to anything connected with hurting other people, and he will not look at anything vulgar, evil, or perverted (cf. Psalm 119:37). That Isaiah , he will not participate in these things. These last two characteristics are particularly challenging to us who live in an age of motion pictures, television, and Internet.

Context Summary

Isaiah 33:13-24 - The Reward Of The Righteous
The devouring fire and everlasting burnings of Isaiah 33:14 are clearly the emblems of the divine presence. The righteous dwell in God as the bush which was baptized in the Shekinah-glory and was not consumed. The fire of His holy presence makes them holy at the same time that it protects them from their enemies. Compare with Psalms 15:1-5. They are characterized by their walk, speech, the closed fist, the stopped ears, and the shut eyes. They dwell in heights which are inaccessible to the foe, and no oppressor can cut off their supplies of hidden manna or water of life. Hezekiah, Isaiah predicts in Isaiah 33:17, would soon put off his sackcloth, and the citizens would cease to be penned up in a beleaguered city. They should recall the terror of that hour as a bad dream, recalled to be dismissed and forgotten. Zion had no river, but God would be all that a river was to other cities, without the disadvantages of navigable water which might serve for the passage of a hostile fleet. Be sure to make God your judge, lawgiver, and king. Then, notwithstanding that you limp in weakness, you shall gather your share in the great spoils of victory. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 33

1  God's judgments against the enemies of the church
13  The consternation of sinners, and privileges of the godly

What do the individual words in Isaiah 33:15 mean?

He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly He who despises the gain of oppressions who gestures with his hands refusing bribes who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from seeing evil
הֹלֵ֣ךְ צְדָק֔וֹת וְדֹבֵ֖ר מֵֽישָׁרִ֑ים מֹאֵ֞ס בְּבֶ֣צַע מַעֲשַׁקּ֗וֹת נֹעֵ֤ר כַּפָּיו֙ מִתְּמֹ֣ךְ בַּשֹּׁ֔חַד אֹטֵ֤ם אָזְנוֹ֙ מִשְּׁמֹ֣עַ דָּמִ֔ים וְעֹצֵ֥ם עֵינָ֖יו מֵרְא֥וֹת בְּרָֽע

הֹלֵ֣ךְ  He  who  walks 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
צְדָק֔וֹת  righteously 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: צְדָקָה  
Sense: justice, righteousness.
וְדֹבֵ֖ר  and  speaks 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
מֵֽישָׁרִ֑ים  uprightly 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מֵישָׁרִים  
Sense: evenness, uprightness, straightness, equity.
מֹאֵ֞ס  He  who  despises 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: מָאַס 
Sense: to reject, despise, refuse.
בְּבֶ֣צַע  the  gain 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֶּצַע  
Sense: profit, unjust gain, gain (profit) acquired by violence.
מַעֲשַׁקּ֗וֹת  of  oppressions 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: מַעֲשַׁקֹּות  
Sense: extortionate deed, extortion.
נֹעֵ֤ר  who  gestures  with 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָעַר 
Sense: to shake, shake out or off.
כַּפָּיו֙  his  hands 
Parse: Noun, fdc, third person masculine singular
Root: כַּף  
Sense: palm, hand, sole, palm of the hand, hollow or flat of the hand.
מִתְּמֹ֣ךְ  refusing 
Parse: Preposition-m, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: תָּמַךְ  
Sense: to grasp, hold, support, attain, lay hold of, hold fast.
בַּשֹּׁ֔חַד  bribes 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֹׁחַד  
Sense: present, bribe.
אֹטֵ֤ם  who  stops 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אָטַם  
Sense: to shut, shut up, close.
אָזְנוֹ֙  his  ears 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹזֶן  
Sense: ear, as part of the body.
מִשְּׁמֹ֣עַ  from  hearing 
Parse: Preposition-m, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
דָּמִ֔ים  of  bloodshed 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
וְעֹצֵ֥ם  and  shuts 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָצַם 
Sense: to be vast, be numerous, be mighty.
עֵינָ֖יו  his  eyes 
Parse: Noun, cdc, third person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
מֵרְא֥וֹת  from  seeing 
Parse: Preposition-m, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
בְּרָֽע  evil 
Parse: Preposition-b, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.