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

12For our sins are piled up before God and testify against us. Yes, we know what sinners we are. 13We know we have rebelled and have denied the Lord. We have turned our backs on our God. We know how unfair and oppressive we have been, carefully planning our deceitful lies. Our courts oppose the righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found. Truth stumbles in the streets, and honesty has been outlawed. 15Yes, truth is gone, and anyone who renounces evil is attacked. The Lord looked and was displeased to find there was no justice. 16He was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So he himself stepped in to save them with his strong arm, and his justice sustained him.

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 59:4No one cares about being fair and honest. The people’s lawsuits are based on lies. They conceive evil deeds and then give birth to sin.
• Isaiah 5:23They take bribes to let the wicked go free, and they punish the innocent.
• Isaiah 10:1What sorrow awaits the unjust judges and those who issue unfair laws.
• Psalms 82:2“How long will you hand down unjust decisions by favoring the wicked? Interlude
• Ecclesiastes 3:16I also noticed that under the sun there is evil in the courtroom. Yes, even the courts of law are corrupt!
• Jeremiah 5:27Like a cage filled with birds, their homes are filled with evil plots. And now they are great and rich.
• Amos 5:7You twist justice, making it a bitter pill for the oppressed. You treat the righteous like dirt.
• Micah 3:9Listen to me, you leaders of Israel! You hate justice and twist all that is right.
• Micah 7:3Both their hands are equally skilled at doing evil! Officials and judges alike demand bribes. The people with influence get what they want, and together they scheme to twist justice.
• Habakkuk 1:4The law has become paralyzed, and there is no justice in the courts. The wicked far outnumber the righteous, so that justice has become perverted.
• Zephaniah 3:1What sorrow awaits rebellious, polluted Jerusalem, the city of violence and crime!

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