The Meaning of Isaiah 1:26 Explained

Isaiah 1:26

KJV: And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellers as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.

YLT: And I give back thy judges as at the first, And thy counsellors as in the beginning, After this thou art called, 'A city of righteousness -- a faithful city.'

Darby: and I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning. Afterwards thou shalt be called, Town of righteousness, Faithful city.

ASV: and I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called The city of righteousness, a faithful town.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I will restore  thy judges  as at the first,  and thy counsellors  as at the beginning:  afterward  thou shalt be called,  The city  of righteousness,  the faithful  city. 

What does Isaiah 1:26 Mean?

Study Notes

thy judges
Under the kingdom the ancient method of administering the theocratic government over Israel is to be restored. Cf. Judges 2:18 ; Matthew 19:28 .

Context Summary

Isaiah 1:21-31 - A Nation Purged Of Dross By Disaster
The great lover of our souls does not abandon His people even when they spurn the first overtures of His appealing pity. Though they refuse to yield to them, He refuses to cast them off; and sets Himself by the cleansing judgments of His providence to wean them from the evil ways they have chosen and to win them back to Himself. If only Jerusalem had now listened to Isaiah's earnest pleadings, she would never have been carried away into the seventy years' captivity in a land of strangers. This is the cleansing fire referred to in Isaiah 1:25. Their ground of confidence, whether in themselves or their allies, would be destroyed, Isaiah 1:29-30; the ringleaders of the evil which had brought them to desolation would be exterminated; and there would emerge a new and purified people as in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. Let us thank God for the cleansing fires in national and personal experience. Let us not fear them when plied by the hand of love. See Malachi 3:3 and John 15:2-3. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 1

1  Isaiah complains of Judah for her rebellion
5  He laments her judgments
10  He upbraids their whole service
16  He exhorts to repentance, with promises and threats
21  Bewailing their wickedness, he denounces God's judgments
25  He promises grace
28  And threatens destruction to the wicked

What do the individual words in Isaiah 1:26 mean?

And I will restore your judges as at the first and your counselors as at the beginning afterward afterward shall be called you the city of righteousness the city faithful
וְאָשִׁ֤יבָה שֹׁפְטַ֙יִךְ֙ כְּבָרִ֣אשֹׁנָ֔ה וְיֹעֲצַ֖יִךְ כְּבַתְּחִלָּ֑ה אַחֲרֵי־ כֵ֗ן יִקָּ֤רֵא לָךְ֙ עִ֣יר הַצֶּ֔דֶק קִרְיָ֖ה נֶאֱמָנָֽה

וְאָשִׁ֤יבָה  And  I  will  restore 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
שֹׁפְטַ֙יִךְ֙  your  judges 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: שָׁפַט  
Sense: to judge, govern, vindicate, punish.
כְּבָרִ֣אשֹׁנָ֔ה  as  at  the  first 
Parse: Preposition-k, Preposition-b, Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רִאשֹׁון  
Sense: first, primary, former.
וְיֹעֲצַ֖יִךְ  and  your  counselors 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: יׄועֵץ 
Sense: to advise, consult, give counsel, counsel, purpose, devise, plan.
כְּבַתְּחִלָּ֑ה  as  at  the  beginning 
Parse: Preposition-k, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תְּחִלָּה  
Sense: beginning, first.
אַחֲרֵי־  afterward 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
כֵ֗ן  afterward 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
יִקָּ֤רֵא  shall  be  called 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
עִ֣יר  the  city 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
הַצֶּ֔דֶק  of  righteousness 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: צֶדֶק  
Sense: justice, rightness, righteousness.
קִרְיָ֖ה  the  city 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: קִרְיָה 
Sense: city, town.
נֶאֱמָנָֽה  faithful 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: אָמַן 
Sense: to support, confirm, be faithful.