God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 1:22
22Your silver is not pure. Your wine is watered down.
Isaiah 1:22 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:
- New International Version (NIV)Your silver has become dross, your choice wine is diluted with water.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Your silver has become dross, your best wine mixed with water.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Your silver has become dross, Your wine mixed with water.
Context of Isaiah 1:22
20But if you refuse and rebel, you will be destroyed by swords.” The Lord has spoken. 21How the faithful town has become a prostitute! She was full of justice, and righteousness lived in her. But now murderers live there! Your silver is not pure. Your wine is watered down. 23Your rulers are rebels, friends with thieves. They all love bribes and run after gifts. They never defend orphans. They don’t notice the widows’ pleas. 24That’s why the Lord, the Lord of Armies, the Mighty One of Israel, says, “How horrible it will be when I take revenge on my opponents! I will avenge myself against my enemies.
Read all of Isaiah 1Isaiah 1:22 word by word
כַּסְפֵּ֖ךְ הָיָ֣ה לְסִיגִ֑ים סָבְאֵ֖ךְ מָה֥וּל בַּמָּֽיִם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Isaiah 1:22
- Jeremiah 6:28They are all vicious rebels. They go around slandering. They are all like bronze and iron. They corrupt themselves.
- Lamentations 4:1“Look how the gold has become tarnished! The fine gold has changed! The sacred stones are scattered at every street corner.
- Ezekiel 22:18“Son of man, the people of Israel have become worthless to me. All of them are like copper, tin, iron, and lead in a smelting furnace. They are like the impurities left from silver.
- Hosea 6:4“What should I do with you, Ephraim? What should I do with you, Judah? Your love is like fog in the morning. It disappears as quickly as the morning dew.
- Hosea 4:18When they’re done drinking their wine, they continue to have sex with the prostitutes. Their rulers dearly love to act shamefully.
- 2 Corinthians 2:17At least we don’t go around selling an impure word of God like many others. The opposite is true. As Christ’s spokesmen and in God’s presence, we speak the pure message that comes from God.
Commentaries on Isaiah 1:22
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 22Wine mixed with water - An image used for the adulteration of wines, with more propriety than may at first appear, if what Thevenot says of the people of the Levant of late times were true of them formerly. He says, "They never mingle water with their wine to drink; but drink by itself what water they think proper for abating the strength of the wine." "Lorsque les Persans boivent du vin, ils le prennent tout pur, a la facon des Levantins, qui ne le…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 22Thy silver - The sentiment in this verse, as it is explained by the following, is, thy princes and people have become corrupt, and polluted. Silver is used here to denote what should have been more valuable - virtuous princes. Dross - This word - סיג sı̂g - means the scoriae, or baser metal, which is separated from the purer in smelting. It is of little or no value; and the expression means, that the rulers had become debased and corrupt, as if pure…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 21-31Verses 21-31 Neither holy cities nor royal ones are faithful to their trust, if religion does not dwell in them. Dross may shine like silver, and the wine that is mixed with water may still have the colour of wine. Those have a great deal to answer for, who do not help the oppressed, but oppress them. Men may do much by outward restraints; but only God works effectually by the influences of his Spirit, as a Spirit of Judgment. Sin is the worst captivity…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2222. Thy princes and people are degenerate in "solid worth," equivalent to "silver" (Jr 6:28, 30; Eze 22:18, 19), and in their use of the living Word, equivalent to "wine" (So 7:9). mixed--literally, "circumcised." So the Arabic, "to murder" wine, equivalent to dilute it.Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 1:22
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries