Isaiah 59:14

Isaiah 59:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.
• New International Version (NIV)So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter.

Context of Isaiah 59:14

12For our transgressions have multiplied before you, and our sins testify against us. For our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities: 13transgression and deception against the Lord, turning away from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering lying words from the heart. Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far off. For truth has stumbled in the public square, and honesty cannot enter. 15Truth is missing, and whoever turns from evil is plundered. The Lord saw that there was no justice, and he was offended. 16He saw that there was no man — he was amazed that there was no one interceding; so his own arm brought salvation, and his own righteousness supported him.

Isaiah 59:14 word by word

וְהֻסַּ֤ג אָחוֹר֙ מִשְׁפָּ֔ט וּצְדָקָ֖ה מֵרָח֣וֹק תַּעֲמֹ֑ד כִּֽי־כָשְׁלָ֤ה בָֽרְחוֹב֙ אֱמֶ֔ת וּנְכֹחָ֖ה לֹא־תוּכַ֥ל לָבֽוֹא׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justiceH4941
• is turned awayנָסַגnâsag · to removeH5253
• backwardאָחוֹר'âchôr 'âchôr · backH268
• and justiceצְדָקָהtsedâqâh · righteousnessH6666
• standethעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
• afar offרָחֹקrâchôq râchôq · distantH7350
• for truthאֱמֶת'emeth · truth: trueH571
• is fallenכָּשַׁלkâshal · to stumbleH3782
• in the streetרְחוֹבrechôb rechôb · street/plazaH7339
• and equityנְכֹחָהnekôchâh · uprightH5229
• cannotיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201
• enterבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935

Cross-references for Isaiah 59:14

• Isaiah 59:4No one makes claims justly; no one pleads honestly. They trust in empty and worthless words; they conceive trouble and give birth to iniquity.
• Isaiah 5:23who acquit the guilty for a bribe and deprive the innocent of justice.
• Isaiah 10:1Woe to those enacting crooked statutes and writing oppressive laws
• Psalms 82:2“How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked?Selah
• Ecclesiastes 3:16I also observed under the sun: there is wickedness at the place of judgment and there is wickedness at the place of righteousness.
• Jeremiah 5:27Like a cage full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have grown powerful and rich.
• Amos 5:7Those who turn justice into wormwood also throw righteousness to the ground.
• Micah 3:9Listen to this, leaders of the house of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel, who abhor justice and pervert everything that is right,
• Micah 7:3Both hands are good at accomplishing evil: the official and the judge demand a bribe; when the powerful man communicates his evil desire, they plot it together.
• Habakkuk 1:4This is why the law is ineffective and justice never emerges. For the wicked restrict the righteous; therefore, justice comes out perverted.
• Zephaniah 3:1Woe to the city that is rebellious and defiled, the oppressive city!

Commentaries on Isaiah 59:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14Justice standeth afar off - צדקה tsedakah, righteousness, put here, says Kimchi, for alms to the poor. This casts some light on Matthew 6:1; : "Take heed that you do not your alms," . But the best copies have , righteousness; the former having been inserted in the text at first merely as the explanation of the genuine and original word.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14And 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…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-15Verses 9-15 If we shut our eyes against the light of Divine truth, it is just with God to hide from our eyes the things that belong to our peace. The sins of those who profess themselves God's people, are worse than the sins of others. And the sins of a nation bring public judgments, when not restrained by public justice. Men may murmur under calamities, but nothing will truly profit while they reject Christ and his gospel.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11-14The people growl and moan with longing for redemption, finally coming to terms with their sinfulness.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. Justice and righteousness are put away from our legal courts. in the street--in the forum, the place of judicature, usually at the gate of the city (Zec 8:16). cannot enter--is shut out from the forum, or courts of justice.Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 59:14

• Conscience
• Justice
• Repentance
• Rulers
• Sin
• Truth

In the dictionaries

• Cloke
• Grope
• Heavy
• Iniquity
• Mutter
• Revolt
• Truth
• Equity
• Isaiah
• Saviour

Commentaries on Isaiah 59

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings