Your hands are defiled with blood (comp. Isaiah 1:15 , Isaiah 1:21 ). (On the "innocent blood" shed by the Jews of the later Judaean kingdom, see 2 Kings 21:6 , 2 Kings 21:16 ; 2 Kings 24:4 ; 2 Kings 25:25 ; 2 Chronicles 24:21 ; 2 Chronicles 28:3 ; 2 Chronicles 33:6 ; 2 Chronicles 36:16 , etc.) It consisted in read more
None calleth for justice ; rather, none preferreth his suit in justice (so Lowth, Gesenius, Ewald, Knobel, and Mr. Cheyne). "No one," that is, "who engaged in a suit, limited himself to just pleas and honest courses in his prosecution of it." Nor any pleadeth for truth ; rather, none pleadeth in truthfulness. They trust in vanity ; literally, in chaos; i.e. "in a mass of false and vain statements." The whole basis of the dealings between man and man was unsound, corrupt, chaotic.... read more
They hatch cockatrice' eggs . (On the cockatrice, see the comment upon Isaiah 11:8 .) The meaning here is that the people gave themselves to brooding on and hatching purposes which were as pernicious and destructive as the eggs of venomous serpents. And weave the spider's web; i.e. "their purposes were as flimsy and unsubstantial as the web of the spider." He that eateth, etc. If a man partake of their plans, he becomes morally as bad as they, and is smitten with spiritual death. If an... read more
Their webs shall not become garments . The unsubstantial fabrics which they weave shall not serve them in any way as garments, or be of any real value or utility. Their devices shall not take objective shape in such sort as to afford them "cover" or protection. Their works are works of iniquity ; rather, works of nothingness , works that make a mere pretence of being works at all, and are in reality mere shams, impotent and delusive. And the act of violence is in their hands; rather, ... read more
Webs that will not make garments. It is the virtue of a garment that it covers. The ideas of covering and of atoning were very closely allied in Hebrew thought. The prophet intimates that there were webs of their own spinning which would never hide their sin from the sight of God. Such are there now. We look at— I. THE SOUL 'S SUPREME NECESSITY . The presence of sin is the sternest of all facts; the mark which it has made on our manhood is by far the deepest and darkest of any;... read more
Their feet run to evil. It is, however, only too true that they have a power to work evil. They cannot construct, their devices fall through, their "spinning" is to no purpose; but they can, in a rough and blind way, do enormous mischief. "Their feet run to evil"—rush to it at full speed—brook no delay, but hurry on into act. It is an easy thing to shed innocent blood; and those who are conscious of constructive impotence are very apt to seek compensation by doing destructive work, which... read more
Sin in thoughts. "Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity." I. THE IMPORTANCE OF A MAN 'S THOUGHTS . A man is as his thoughts. This is the fact and truth on which we may dwell. Any one who would truly judge his fellow-mart must know his secrets and judge his thoughts. Therefore man's judgment of his fellowman is always imperfect and uncertain. God alone can judge perfectly, because he is the " Discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." There is an impression resting... read more
The way of peace they know not . They have no desire for "peace," and neither "seek" it nor "ensue" it ( 1 Peter 3:11 ). Peace can only be obtained through righteousness ( Isaiah 32:17 ). There is no judgment in their goings; rather, no justice— no recognition of other men's rights, no endeavour to observe right in their own acts and proceedings (comp. Isaiah 59:4 ; and see also Isaiah 1:17 , Isaiah 1:21 , Isaiah 1:23 ; Isaiah 3:14 , Isaiah 3:15 , etc .). They have made... read more
Therefore — i.e. on account of these sins— is judgment far from us ; i.e. "does God refrain from judging our enemies." Neither doth justice— i.e. the righting of the wrongs which we suffer at the hands of the heathen—overtake us. We are left by God unavenged, and our enemies are left unpunished on account of our many transgressions. We wait for light. We look for a bright dawn to succeed the night of our trouble; but we wait in vain—the obscurity continues. read more
Get a Bible verse delivered to your inbox every day!
Read on Mobile
The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 59:2-8
The unsatisfactoriness of sinful courses. "What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye now are ashamed?" asks the apostle of those whom he had converted from a life of sin to a life of righteousness ( Romans 6:21 ). What good did the life of sin seem to do you? Of course, if the life of sin had no pleasures at all to offer, it would have no attractiveness, and would not be led by any. But what, after all, are the attractions, compared with the counterbalancing disadvantages? I. ... read more