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

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. Judges do not decide in a fair way. Nobody tries to do what is right. There is no place for truth on the streets of our towns. Honest people have to leave. 15Nobody can speak the truth. If anyone tries to stop doing evil things, other people will attack him. The Lord saw how his people were living. He saw that there was no justice. It made him very sad. 16He saw that there was nobody who would help, and he was very upset. So he used his own strength to help. Because he had to do what was right, he made his people safe.

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 59:4When people accuse somebody in court, the truth is not important. They tell lies and they deceive the judge, so that they will win. They decide how they can cause trouble, and then they do wicked things.
• Isaiah 5:23If people like that receive a bribe, they will not say that wicked people are guilty. They also refuse to say that righteous people are not guilty.
• Isaiah 10:1It will be very bad for people who make cruel laws that are not fair.
• Psalms 82:2He asks them, ‘How long will you continue to judge people in a way that is not fair? How long will you say that wicked people are right? Selah.
• Ecclesiastes 3:16I saw something else that happens on the earth. Judges should choose what is right, but instead they choose what is wicked. They should decide what is fair, but they do evil things.
• Jeremiah 5:27Their houses are full of valuable things, like a trap that is full of beautiful birds. They have cheated people and they have robbed them. That is how they have become rich and powerful.
• Amos 5:7You people change what is right and true to make lies. You are not fair or honest.
• Micah 3:9So listen to this, you leaders of Jacob's people. You are Israel's rulers. But you never do what is right and fair. You take what is good. And you make it seem bad.
• Micah 7:3They know very well how to work together to do bad things. Rulers demand gifts and judges ask for money. Powerful bad people always get what they want. All these people work together to do what is bad.
• Habakkuk 1:4The law has no power to make things right. There is no justice in the courts. Instead, wicked people win against good people. The judges decide that bad people are good.
• Zephaniah 3:1It will be very bad for the city! It is like something that is dirty. Its people will not obey me. They like to fight weak people. They also like to do bad things.

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