God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 59:11
11We all growl like bears. We coo like doves. We hope for justice, but there is none. We hope for salvation, but it’s far from us.
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
9That is why justice is far from us, and righteousness doesn’t reach us. We hope for light, but we walk in darkness. We hope for brightness, but we walk in gloom. 10We grope like blind men along a wall. We grope like people without eyes. We stumble at noon as if it were twilight. We are like dead people among healthy people. We all growl like bears. We coo like doves. We hope for justice, but there is none. We hope for salvation, but it’s far from us. 12You are aware of our many rebellious acts. Our sins testify against us. Our rebellious acts are with us. We know our wrongdoings. 13We have rebelled and denied the Lord. We have turned away from our God. We have spoken about oppression and revolt. We have conceived and uttered lies in our hearts.
Read all of Isaiah 59Isaiah 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 fainted. They lie sleeping at every street corner. They are like an antelope caught in a net. They experience the anger of the Lord, the fury of your God.
- Psalms 32:3When I kept silent ⌞about my sins⌟, my bones began to weaken because of my groaning all day long.
- Psalms 38:8I am numb and completely devastated. I roar because my heart’s in turmoil.
- Hosea 7:14They don’t pray to me sincerely, even though they cry in their beds and make cuts on their bodies while praying for grain and new wine. They have turned against me.
- Isaiah 38:14I chirped like swallows and cranes. I cooed like doves. My eyes were tired from looking up to heaven. I’ve suffered miserably, O Lord! Please help me!
- Job 30:28I walk in the dark without the sun. I stand up in public and call for help.
- Jeremiah 8:15We hoped for peace, but nothing good has happened. We hoped for a time of healing, but there’s only terror.
- Jeremiah 9:1“I wish that my head were ⌞filled with⌟ water and my eyes were a fountain of tears so that I could cry day and night for my dear people who have been killed.
- Ezekiel 7:16Those who survive will escape to the mountains. They will moan like doves in the valleys. They will moan because of their sins.
- Psalms 85:9Indeed, his salvation is near those who fear him, and ⌞his⌟ glory will remain in our land.
- Psalms 119:155Wicked people are far from being saved, because they have not searched for your laws.
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
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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