The Meaning of Isaiah 59:9 Explained

Isaiah 59:9

KJV: Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.

YLT: Therefore hath judgment been far from us, And righteousness reacheth us not, We wait for light, and lo, darkness, For brightness -- in thick darkness we go,

Darby: Therefore is justice far from us, and righteousness overtaketh us not: we wait for light, and behold darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity.

ASV: Therefore is justice far from us, neither doth righteousness overtake us: we look for light, but, behold, darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity.

Discover Isaiah 59:9

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Isaiah 59:9?

MEANING: What does Isaiah 59:9 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Isaiah 59:9 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Isaiah 59:9?

What is the context of Isaiah 59:9?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, [but] we walk in darkness.

What does Isaiah 59:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Because they had denied justice and righteousness to others, the Israelites had not experienced justice or righteousness themselves, from the hands of God or men.

"Justice is not "the just society" as such but the rule of God which will set everything to rights; righteousness has the same meaning as in Isaiah 56:1, the coming act of God in which he will vindicate and display his righteousness and fulfil ^[1] all his righteous purposes." ^[2]

They had hoped for a bright future in view of God"s promises, but their present condition was dark. They had expected to walk in the brightness of His presence, but they were groping in gloom because He had withdrawn the light of His presence from them (cf. Isaiah 58:10).

Context Summary

Isaiah 59:1-15 - Iniquities Separate From God

Israel's sins, Isaiah 59:1-8. Much of our suffering in life results from our sins, which cut off God's health and help. Let us not blame Providence, but set ourselves to discover the cause of controversy. When the law courts-the fountains of justice-are demoralized, the community is in a hopeless condition, Isaiah 59:3-4. Instead of stamping out evil in the egg, the sinful heart hatches it out, and it yields the poison of vipers, Isaiah 59:5. Ah, the hapless state of the ungodly! Their feet, and their thoughts, and their paths, are fatal to the peace of others and to their own. The way of peace can be entered only at the Cross, and maintained only by constant watchfulness. See Luke 1:79.

Israel's confession, Isaiah 59:9-15. Here the stricken people pour out their complaint before God, confessing, first, the bitterness of their sufferings and then the blackness of their sins. The roar of the hungry bear for food and the dove's mourning for her mate, Isaiah 59:11, are apt descriptions of the complaint of the penitent soul. It is a good sign when a man cannot lift up his eyes to heaven and beats upon his breast, Luke 18:13. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 59

¹ Calamities are not due to lack of saving power in God, but to their own sins
¹⁶ Salvation is only of God
²⁰ The covenant of the Redeemer

What do the individual words in Isaiah 59:9 mean?

Upon thus is far justice from us nor does overtake us righteousness we look for light but there is blackness for brightness in darkness [but] we walk

עַל־ כֵּ֗ן רָחַ֤ק מִשְׁפָּט֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וְלֹ֥א תַשִּׂיגֵ֖נוּ צְדָקָ֑ה נְקַוֶּ֤ה לָאוֹר֙ וְהִנֵּה־ חֹ֔שֶׁךְ לִנְגֹה֖וֹת בָּאֲפֵל֥וֹת נְהַלֵּֽךְ

עַל־	Upon
Parse: Preposition Root: עַל Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
כֵּ֗ן	thus
Parse: Adverb Root: כֵּן Sense: so, therefore, thus.
רָחַ֤ק	is far
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular Root: רָחַק Sense: to be or become far, be or become distant, be removed, go far away.
מִשְׁפָּט֙	justice
Parse: Noun, masculine singular Root: מִשְׁפָּט Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
מִמֶּ֔נּוּ	from us
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural Root: מִן Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
וְלֹ֥א	nor
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle Root: הֲלֹא Sense: not, no.
תַשִּׂיגֵ֖נוּ	does overtake us
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person feminine singular, first person common plural Root: מַשֶּׂגֶת Sense: to reach, overtake, take hold upon.
צְדָקָ֑ה	righteousness
Parse: Noun, feminine singular Root: צְדָקָה Sense: justice, righteousness.
נְקַוֶּ֤ה	we look
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, first person common plural Root: קָוָה Sense: to wait, look for, hope, expect.
לָאוֹר֙	for light
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, common singular Root: אֹור Sense: light.
וְהִנֵּה־	but there is
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection Root: הִנֵּה Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
חֹ֔שֶׁךְ	blackness
Parse: Noun, masculine singular Root: חֹשֶׁךְ Sense: darkness, obscurity.
לִנְגֹה֖וֹת	for brightness
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural Root: נְגֹהָה Sense: brightness.
בָּאֲפֵל֥וֹת	in darkness
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine plural Root: אֲפֵלָה Sense: darkness, gloominess, calamity.
נְהַלֵּֽךְ	[but] we walk
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, first person common plural Root: הָלַךְ Sense: to go, walk, come.

What are the major concepts related to Isaiah 59:9?

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Similar Scriptures for Isaiah 59:9

		Isaiah 5:30 [4]
		Micah 1:12 [2]
		Jeremiah 8:15 [2]
		Habakkuk 1:13 [2]
		Amos 5:18-20 [2]
		Jeremiah 14:19 [2]
		1 Thessalonians 5:3 [2]
		Job 30:26 [2]
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