Revised Literal Translation
Isaiah 1:17
17Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.1
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 King James Version (NKJV)Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.
Context of Isaiah 1:17
15And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. 16Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 18Come now, and let us reason together, saith Yhwh: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19If ye be willing and obedient, ye 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
- 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 1:23Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.
- Psalms 82:3Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.
- Proverbs 31:9Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
- Jeremiah 22:3Thus saith Yhwh; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.
- Daniel 4:27Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.
- Micah 6:8He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth Yhwh require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
- Zephaniah 2:3Seek ye Yhwh, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of Yhwh's anger.
- Zechariah 7:9Thus speaketh Yhwh of Armies, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:
- Zechariah 8:16These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:
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
Notes
- 1. Isaiah 1:17 relieve: or, righten. ↩
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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
Commentaries