Revised Literal Translation
Isaiah 59:14
14And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.
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 transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them; 13In transgressing and lying against Yhwh, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. 15Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: And Yhwh saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment. 16And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.
Read all of Isaiah 59Isaiah 59:14 word by word
וְהֻסַּ֤ג אָחוֹר֙ מִשְׁפָּ֔ט וּצְדָקָ֖ה מֵרָח֣וֹק תַּעֲמֹ֑ד כִּֽי־כָשְׁלָ֤ה בָֽרְחוֹב֙ אֱמֶ֔ת וּנְכֹחָ֖ה לֹא־תוּכַ֥ל לָבֽוֹא׃Read the interlinear
- 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 59:4None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.
- Isaiah 5:23Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
- Isaiah 10:1Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;
- Psalms 82:2How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.
- Ecclesiastes 3:16And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.
- Jeremiah 5:27As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.
- Amos 5:7Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,
- Micah 3:9Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity.
- Micah 7:3That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.
- Habakkuk 1:4Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.
- Zephaniah 3:1Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!
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
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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
Commentaries