Isaiah 59:11

Isaiah 59:11 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.
• New International Version (NIV)We all growl like bears; we moan mournfully like doves. We look for justice, but find none; for deliverance, but it is far away.
• English Standard Version (ESV)We all growl like bears; we moan and moan like doves; we hope for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us.
• New King James Version (NKJV)We all growl like bears, And moan sadly like doves; We look for justice, but there is none; For salvation, but it is far from us.

Context of Isaiah 59:11

9Because of that, God's justice is far away from us. He has not come to save us. We look for light to come to us, but everything is dark. We need some light in our lives, but all we have is darkness. 10Like blind people, we touch the wall to find our way. It seems that we have no eyes to see with. Even at midday, we trip and we fall down, as if it was dark. We are like dead people who live among strong people. We all make a noise, like hungry bears. We make sad noises, like doves. We are waiting for God to bring justice to us, but nothing is happening. We look for his salvation, but it is still far away. 12Lord, you see all the bad things that we have done. Our many sins show that we are wrong. We know about the wrong things that we have done. We agree that our sins are many. 13We have turned against the Lord. We have refused to obey him. We have chosen to be cruel to other people, and we have turned against the truth. We think about the lies that we can tell, and we use them to deceive people.

Isaiah 59:11 word by word

נֶהֱמֶ֤ה כַדֻּבִּים֙ כֻּלָּ֔נוּ וְכַיּוֹנִ֖ים הָגֹ֣ה נֶהְגֶּ֑ה נְקַוֶּ֤ה לַמִּשְׁפָּט֙ וָאַ֔יִן לִֽישׁוּעָ֖ה רָחֲקָ֥ה מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• We roarהָמָהhâmâh · to roarH1993
• all like bearsדֹּבdôb dôb · bearH1677
• and mournהָגָהhâgâh · to mutterH1897
• like dovesיוֹנָהyônâh · doveH3123
• we lookקָוָהqâvâh · to awaitH6960
• for judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justiceH4941
• none; for salvationיְשׁוּעָהyeshû‛âh · salvationH3444
• it is far offרָחַקrâchaq · to removeH7368

Cross-references for Isaiah 59:11

• Isaiah 51:20Your children have become weak, and they lie on the ground at the side of every street. They are like deer that a trap has caught. The anger of the Lord your God has made them helpless. He has warned them loudly.
• Psalms 32:3When I said nothing to God about my sin, my whole body became weak. I cried all the time because of the pain.
• Psalms 38:8The pain has made me tired and weak. I am so upset that I cry aloud.
• Hosea 7:14They do not pray and trust me to help them. Instead, they lie down on their beds and they weep loudly. They cut their bodies to get grain and wine. They turn away from me.
• Isaiah 38:14I cry like a swallow. I make a sad noise like a dove. My eyes are weak as I look up to heaven for help. Lord God, save me from my trouble!
• Job 30:28Illness has caused my skin to become black. It is not the sun that has made that happen. I stand up in the public meeting place and I call aloud for help.
• Jeremiah 8:15We wanted to have peace, but nothing good has happened to us. We wanted to rest without trouble, but instead we are afraid.
• Jeremiah 9:1‘My head should be like a pool of water. My eyes should be like a river of tears. Then I would never stop crying for my dear people who have died in war.
• Ezekiel 7:16Those who remain alive will escape. They will run to the mountains. They will be like doves that hunters have chased out of the valleys. They will cry aloud because of their sins.
• Psalms 85:9Yes, God will soon rescue his people who serve him. Then we will see his glory again in our land.
• Psalms 119:155Wicked people do not obey your rules, so their lives will never be safe.

Commentaries on Isaiah 59:11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11But it is far off from us "And it is far distant from us" - The conjunction ו vau must necessarily be prefixed to the verb, as the Syriac, Chaldee, and Vulgate found it in their copies; ורחקה verachakah, "and far off."Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11We roar all like bears - This is designed still further to describe the heavy judgments which had come upon them for their sins. The word rendered here roar‘ (from המה hâmâh like English, to hum, German, hummen, spoken of bees), is applied to any murmuring, or confused noise or sound. It sometimes means to snarl, as a dog Psalm 59:7, Psalm 59:15; to coo, as a dove Ezekiel 7:16; it is also applied to waves that roar Psalm 46:4; Isaiah 51:15; to a crowd…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. 1111. roar--moan plaintively, like a hungry bear which growls for food. doves--(Is 38:14; Eze 7:16). salvation--retribution in kind: because not salvation, but "destruction" was "in their paths" (Is 59:7).Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 59:11

• Bear
• Conscience
• Isaiah
• Sin

In the dictionaries

• Bear
• Cloke
• Grope
• Heavy
• Iniquity
• Mutter
• Revolt
• Groan
• Isaiah
• Palestine

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