New King James Version
Isaiah 1:17
17Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.
Isaiah 1:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
- New International Version (NIV)Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
- English Standard Version (ESV)learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.
Context of Isaiah 1:17
15When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. 16“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. 18“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. 19If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;
Read all of Isaiah 1Isaiah 1:17 word by word
לִמְד֥וּ הֵיטֵ֛ב דִּרְשׁ֥וּ מִשְׁפָּ֖ט אַשְּׁר֣וּ חָמ֑וֹץ שִׁפְט֣וּ יָת֔וֹם רִ֖יבוּ אַלְמָנָֽה׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Learnלָמַדlâmad · to learn: learnH3925
- to do wellיָטַבyâţab · be goodH3190
- seekדָּרַשׁdârash · to seekH1875
- judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justiceH4941
- relieveאָשַׁר'âshar 'âshêr · to blessH833
- the oppressedחָמוֹץchâmôts · the ruthlessH2541
- judgeשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
- the fatherlessיָתוֹםyâthôm · orphanH3490
- pleadרִיבrîyb rûb · to contendH7378
- for the widowאַלְמָנָה'almânâh · widowH490
Cross-references for Isaiah 1:17
- Isaiah 1:23Your princes are rebellious, And companions of thieves; Everyone loves bribes, And follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, Nor does the cause of the widow come before them.
- Psalms 82:3Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy.
- Proverbs 31:9Open your mouth, judge righteously, And plead the cause of the poor and needy.
- Jeremiah 22:3Thus says the Lord: “Execute judgment and righteousness, and deliver the plundered out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong and do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.
- Daniel 4:27Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity.”
- Micah 6:8He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?
- Zephaniah 2:3Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, Who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the Lord’s anger.
- Zechariah 7:9“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Execute true justice, Show mercy and compassion Everyone to his brother.
- Zechariah 8:16These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace;
Commentaries on Isaiah 1:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Relieve the oppressed "Amend that which is corrupted" - חמוץ אשרו asheru chamots . In rendering this obscure phrase I follow Bochart, (Hieroz. Part i., lib. ii., cap. 7), though I am not perfectly satisfied with this explication of it.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Learn to do well - , To learn here is to become accustomed to, to practice it. To do well stands opposed to all kinds of evil. “Seek judgment.” The word “judgment” - משׁפט mishpâṭ - here means justice. The direction refers particularly to magistrates, and it is evident that the prophet had them particularly in his view in all this discourse. Execute justice between man and man with impartiality. The word “seek” - דרשׁוּ dı̂reshû - means to pursue, to…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-20Verses 16-20 Not only feel sorrow for the sin committed, but break off the practice. We must be doing, not stand idle. We must be doing the good the Lord our God requires. It is plain that the sacrifices of the law could not atone, even for outward national crimes. But, blessed be God, there is a Fountain opened, in which sinners of every age and rank may be cleansed. Though our sins have been as scarlet and crimson, a deep dye, a double dye, first in the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17Seeking justice means following God's standards of fairness and supporting the rights of the oppressed, orphans, and widows—those who are weak and marginalized in society (see also Jeremiah 7:5–7; 22:3; Zechariah 7:10; Matthew 23:23; 25:31–46; James 1:27).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. seek judgment--justice, as magistrates, instead of seeking bribes (Jr 22:3, 16). judge--vindicate (Psa 68:5; Jas 1:27).Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 1:17
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries