Isaiah 59

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 59:14

And judgment is turned away backward - The word ‘judgment’ is not used, as in Isaiah 59:9, to denote the divine interposition to avenge and deliver them, but it is used in the sense of justice, or lust decisions between man and man. The verse contains a further confession of the evil of their course of life; and, among other things, they acknowledged that they had been unjust in their legal decisions. They had been influenced by partiality and by bribes; they had condemned the innocent, they... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 59:15

Yea, truth faileth - That is, it is not to be found, it is missing. The word used here (from עדר ‛âdar) means “to be left, to remain” 2 Samuel 17:22; then “to be missing or lacking” 1 Samuel 30:19; Isaiah 40:26. Here it means that truth had no existence there.And he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey - Margin, ‘Is accounted mad.’ Noyes renders this, ‘And he that departeth from evil is plundered.’ Grotius renders it, ‘The innocent man lies open to injury from all.’ The Septuagint,... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 59:16

And he saw that there was no man - That is, no wise and prudent man qualified to govern the affairs of the people. Or, that there was no man qualified to interpose and put an end to these evils; no one qualified to effect a reformation, and to save the nation from the calamities which their sins deserved. The reason why God provided a Redeemer was, that such was the extent and nature of human depravity, that no one on earth could arrest it, and save the world. A similar expression occurs in... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 59:17

For he put on righteousness - That is, God the Redeemer. The prophet here introduces him as going forth to vindicate his people clad like an ancient warrior. In the declaration that he ‘put on righteousness,’ the essential idea is, that he was pure and holy. The same image is used by the prophet in another figure in Isaiah 11:5 (see the note at that place).As a breastplate - The breastplate was a well-known piece of ancient armor, designed to defend the breast from the darts and the sword of an... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 59:18

According to their deeds - The general sentiment of this verse is plain, though there is not a little difficulty in the construction of the Hebrew. Lowth pronounces the former part of the verse, as it stands in the Hebrew text, to be ‘absolutely unintelligible. By a slight change in the Hebrew as it now stands (reading בעל ba‛al, “lord,” instead of כעל ke‛al “as according to”), Lowth supposes that he has obtained the true sense, and accordingly translates it:He is mighty to recompense;He that... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 59:19

So shall they fear - That is, the result of the divine interposition to punish his enemies, shall be to secure the acknowledgment of the existence and perfections of Yahweh in every part of the world. See especially the notes at Isaiah 45:6.When the enemy shall come in - There has been great variety in the interpretation of this passage, and it is remarkable that our translators have departed from all the ancient versions, and that the present translation differs from nearly all the modern... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 59:20

And the Redeemer shall come - On the meaning of the word rendered here ‘Redeemer,’ see the notes at Isaiah 43:1. This passage is applied by the apostle Paul to the Messiah Romans 11:26; and Aben Ezra and Kimchi, among the Jews, and Christians generally, suppose that it refers to him.To Zion - On the word ‘Zion,’ see the notes at Isaiah 1:8. The Septuagint renders this, Ἔνεκεν Σιὼν Heneken Siōn - ‘On account of Zion.’ The apostle Paul Romans 11:26, renders this, ‘There shall come out of Zion... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 59:21

As for me - In the previous part of the chapter, the prophet has spoken. Here Yahweh is introduced as speaking himself, and as declaring the nature of the covenant which he would establish. In the verse previous, it had been stated that the qualifications on the part of people for their partaking of the benefits of the Redeemer’s work, were, that they should turn from transgression. In this verse, Yahweh states what he would do in regard to the covenant which was to be established with his... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Isaiah 59

A.M. 3298. B.C. 706. The foregoing chapter contained a severe reproof of the Jews, and, as some think, also of fallen Christians, for their hypocrisy in pretending to make themselves accepted with God by fasting and outward humiliation, without true repentance; while they still continued to oppress the poor, and to indulge their own passions and vices: with great promises, however, of God’s favour, on condition of their reformation. This chapter contains a more general reproof of their... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Isaiah 59:1-2

Isaiah 59:1-2. Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened He is not grown weaker than informer times, but is as omnipotent as ever he was; neither his ear heavy Or dull of hearing: he is not like your idol gods, that have hands and cannot help, and ears and cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated Have been as a thick wall, between you and your God And have set him at a distance from you, Proverbs 15:29. “The reason of the continuance of your calamities is not any want either... read more

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 59:14

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 59:15

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 59:16

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 59:17

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 59:18

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 59:19

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 59:20

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 59:21

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Isaiah 59

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Isaiah 59:1-2

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