Chapter Overview
Summary
Isaiah 59 contains the OT's-most-comprehensive sin-catalog (vv. 3–8) — verses 7–8 cited at Romans 3:15–17 in Paul's-universal-sinfulness-catena. Verse 17's divine-armor (helmet of-salvation, breastplate of-righteousness) is-the-foundation for-Eph 6:13–17. Verse 20's 'the Redeemer will come to Zion' is cited at Romans 11:26.
Notable Variants
59:7–8 → Romans 3:15–17 catena (feet swift to shed blood, way of peace); 59:17 DIVINE-ARMOR → Ephesians 6:13–17 Christian-armor; 59:20–21 → Romans 11:26–27 (Deliverer from Zion).
Structural Notes
MT Isaiah 59 = LXX Isaiah 59. 21 verses.
Surely the hand of the LORD is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear.
'Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear' tracks MT.
But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
'But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear' tracks MT. SIN-AS-SEPARATOR. The doctrine-of-divine-distance through-human-sin.
For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies; your tongue mutters wickedness.
'For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies; your tongue mutters wickedness' tracks MT.
No one brings a lawsuit in righteousness; no one pleads a case in truth. They trust in emptiness and speak lies; they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.
'No one enters suit justly; no one goes to law honestly; they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies, they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity' tracks MT.
They hatch adders' eggs and weave the spider's web. Whoever eats their eggs dies, and from one that is crushed, a viper hatches.
'They hatch adders' eggs; they weave the spider's web; he who eats their eggs dies, and from one that is crushed a viper is hatched' tracks MT.
Their webs will not serve as clothing; they cannot cover themselves with their works. Their works are works of iniquity, and deeds of violence are in their hands.
'Their webs will not serve as clothing; men will not cover themselves with what they make. Their works are works of iniquity, and deeds of violence are in their hands' tracks MT.
Their feet run to evil, and they rush to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their paths.
Masoretic (WLC)
רַגְלֵיהֶם לָרַע יָרֻצוּ וִימַהֲרוּ לִשְׁפֹּךְ דָּם נָקִי מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵיהֶם מַחְשְׁבוֹת אָוֶן שֹׁד וָשֶׁבֶר בִּמְסִלּוֹתָם
Their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways
Septuagint (LXX)
οἱ δὲ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐπὶ πονηρίαν τρέχουσιν ταχινοὶ ἐκχέαι αἷμα καὶ οἱ διαλογισμοὶ αὐτῶν διαλογισμοὶ ἀφρόνων σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν
Their feet run to wickedness, swift to shed blood; and their thoughts are thoughts of fools; ruin and misery are in their ways
ROMANS 3:15–16 CITATION. Paul cites this verse VERBATIM-FROM-LXX in his catena: 'THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD; IN THEIR PATHS ARE RUIN AND MISERY (oxeis hoi podes autōn ekcheai haima; syntrimma kai talaipōria en tais hodois autōn).' The catena's-foundation-text for the-feet/blood-and-ruin clauses.
The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths. They have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace.
Masoretic (WLC)
דֶּרֶךְ שָׁלוֹם לֹא יָדָעוּ וְאֵין מִשְׁפָּט בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתָם נְתִיבוֹתֵיהֶם עִקְּשׁוּ לָהֶם כֹּל דֹּרֵךְ בָּהּ לֹא יָדַע שָׁלוֹם
The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths; they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace
Septuagint (LXX)
καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ οἴδασιν καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν κρίσις ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν αἱ γὰρ τρίβοι αὐτῶν διεστραμμέναι ἃς διοδεύουσιν καὶ οὐκ οἴδασιν εἰρήνην
And the way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their ways; for their paths are crooked, in which they walk, and they do not know peace
ROMANS 3:17 CITATION. Paul cites this verse at Romans 3:17 verbatim-from-LXX: 'AND THE WAY OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN (kai hodon eirēnēs ouk egnōsan).' Closing-Paul's-catena. The way-of-peace-not-known is-the-final-diagnosis of-universal-sinfulness — peace-only-comes-through-Christ (Eph 2:14).
Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We hope for light, but there is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep gloom.
'Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us; we hope for light, and behold, darkness, and for brightness, but we walk in gloom' tracks MT.
We grope along the wall like the blind; we grope like those who have no eyes. We stumble at noon as in the twilight; among the vigorous we are like the dead.
'We grope for the wall like the blind; we grope like those who have no eyes; we stumble at noon as in the twilight, among those in full vigor we are like dead men' tracks MT.
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.
'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' tracks MT.
For our transgressions are multiplied before You, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities:
'For our transgressions are multiplied before you, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities' tracks MT.
transgressing and denying the LORD, turning back from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
'Transgressing, and denying the LORD, and turning back from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words' tracks MT.
Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public square, and uprightness cannot enter.
'Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter' tracks MT. TRUTH-STUMBLED-IN-THE-PUBLIC-SQUARES.
Truth is lacking, and whoever turns from evil is plundered. The LORD saw it, and it was evil in His eyes that there was no justice.
'Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice' tracks MT.
He saw that there was no one, and was appalled that there was no one to intervene. So His own arm brought Him salvation, and His own righteousness upheld Him.
'He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him' tracks MT. NO-INTERCESSOR. Christologically — Christ-as-the-needed-intercessor (1 Tim 2:5, Heb 7:25). DIVINE-ARM brings-salvation.
He put on righteousness as a breastplate and a helmet of salvation on His head. He put on garments of vengeance for clothing and wrapped Himself in zeal as a cloak.
Masoretic (WLC)
וַיִּלְבַּשׁ צְדָקָה כַּשִּׁרְיָן וְכוֹבַע יְשׁוּעָה בְּרֹאשׁוֹ וַיִּלְבַּשׁ בִּגְדֵי נָקָם תִּלְבֹּשֶׁת וַיַּעַט כַּמְעִיל קִנְאָה
He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak
Septuagint (LXX)
καὶ ἐνεδύσατο δικαιοσύνην ὡς θώρακα καὶ περιέθετο περικεφαλαίαν σωτηρίου ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς καὶ περιεβάλετο ἱμάτιον ἐκδικήσεως καὶ τὸ περιβόλαιον αὐτοῦ ζῆλος
He clothed himself with righteousness as a breastplate, and put salvation as a helmet on his head; and he clothed himself with the garment of vengeance, and his cloak was zeal
DIVINE-ARMOR — EPHESIANS 6:13–17 FOUNDATION. Paul's-Christian-armor catalog (Eph 6) draws-directly from-this verse. The DIVINE-warrior's BREASTPLATE-OF-RIGHTEOUSNESS (thōraka tēs dikaiosynēs, Eph 6:14) and HELMET-OF-SALVATION (perikephalaian tou sōtēriou, Eph 6:17 + 1 Thess 5:8) come-from-this-verse. What-was-divine-armor in-Isaiah becomes Christian-armor through-Christ — Christ-shares-his-armor with-his-followers.
According to their deeds, so He will repay: wrath to His adversaries, repayment to His enemies; to the coastlands He will render repayment.
'According to their deeds, so will he repay, wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies; to the coastlands he will render repayment' tracks MT.
So they shall fear the name of the LORD from the west and His glory from the rising of the sun. For He will come like a rushing stream driven by the breath of the LORD.
'So they shall fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come like a rushing stream, which the wind of the LORD drives' tracks MT.
'And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,' declares the LORD.
Masoretic (WLC)
וּבָא לְצִיּוֹן גּוֹאֵל וּלְשָׁבֵי פֶשַׁע בְּיַעֲקֹב נְאֻם יְהוָה
And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression, declares the LORD
Septuagint (LXX)
καὶ ἥξει ἕνεκεν Σιων ὁ ῥυόμενος καὶ ἀποστρέψει ἀσεβείας ἀπὸ Ιακωβ
And the Deliverer will come for Zion's sake, and will turn away ungodliness from Jacob
ROMANS 11:26 CITATION. Paul cites this verse at-Romans 11:26 in-his-Israel-restoration argument: 'And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written: THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION; HE WILL BANISH UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB (hēxei ek Siōn ho rhyomenos, apostrepsei asebeias apo Iakōb).' Paul-substitutes 'FROM Zion' for 'FOR Zion' (LXX) / 'TO Zion' (MT). Combined with Isa 27:9 for-the-take-away-sins clause.
'And as for Me, this is My covenant with them,' says the LORD: 'My Spirit who is upon you, and My words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, or from the mouth of your offspring, or from the mouth of your offspring's offspring,' says the LORD, 'from this time forth and forevermore.'
'And as for me, this is my covenant with them, says the LORD: My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children's offspring, says the LORD, from this time forth and forevermore' tracks MT. // Romans 11:27. Spirit-and-word permanent-covenant. New-covenant promise.