Isaiah 59:14 BSB — MannaFest

Isaiah 59:14

So justice is turned away, and righteousness stands at a distance. For truth has stumbled in the public square, and honesty cannot enter.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

And justice is turned away backward, and righteousness standeth afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and uprightness cannot enter.

KJV

And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.

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Commentary

3 voices

Jerome

Commentary on Isaiah (420)

And judgment has been turned away backwards, and justice has stood far off, for truth has fallen down in the street, and equity could not enter. LXX: And we have gone away from judgement, and justice stands far away, because truth has been consumed in their ways, and they were not able to pass through the straight path. And judgment is turned away backward, and justice stands afar off. For what part does justice have with iniquity? What fellowship does Christ have with Belial?

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

John Gill

1697–1771

Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763)

And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off,.... Jarchi interprets this of the vengeance of God, and his righteousness in his judgments, not immediately executed; but it is to be understood of the want of judgment and justice being done among men; and therefore are represented as persons turned back, and standing afar off, rejected, neglected, and discouraged.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

Justice standeth afar off - צדקה tsedakah, righteousness, put here, says Kimchi, for alms to the poor. This casts some light on Mat 6:1: “Take heed that you do not your alms,” ελεημοσυνην. But the best copies have δικαιοσυνην, righteousness; the former having been inserted in the text at first merely as the explanation of the genuine and original word.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

14 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
וְהֻסַּ֤ג	ve.hu.Sag	and it has been driven back	H5253 →
אָחוֹר֙	'a.chOr	backwards	H268 →
מִשְׁפָּ֔ט	mish.Pat	justice	H4941 →
וּצְדָקָ֖ה	u.tze.da.Kah	and righteousness	H6666 →
מֵרָח֣וֹק	me.ra.Chok	from a distance	H7350 →
תַּעֲמֹ֑ד	ta.'a.Mod	it stands	H5975 →
כִּֽי־	ki-	for	H3588 →
כָשְׁלָ֤ה	kha.she.Lah	it has stumbled	H3782 →
בָֽרְחוֹב֙	va.re.chOv	in the open place	H7339 →
אֱמֶ֔ת	'e.Met	truth	H571 →
וּנְכֹחָ֖ה	u.ne.kho.Chah	and honesty	H5229 →
לֹא־	lo'-	not	H3808 →
תוּכַ֥ל	tu.Khal	it is able	H3201 →
לָבֽוֹא׃	la.Vo'	to enter	H935 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Jeremiah 5:31
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end?
leads to
- Ezekiel 13:6
  They see false visions and speak lying divinations. They claim, ‘Thus declares the LORD,’ when the LORD did not send them; yet they wait for the fulfillment of their message.
- Jeremiah 14:14
  “The prophets are prophesying lies in My name,” replied the LORD. “I did not send them or appoint them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, a worthless divination,…
- Micah 2:11
  If a man of wind were to come and say falsely, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,” he would be just the preacher for this people!
Through
Ecclesiastes 3:16
Furthermore, I saw under the sun that in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.
leads to
- Ecclesiastes 4:1
  Again I looked, and I considered all the oppression taking place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; the power lay in the hands of their…
Through
Habakkuk 1:4
Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.
leads to
- Isaiah 1:21–23
  See how the faithful city has become a harlot! She once was full of justice; righteousness resided within her, but now only murderers!
- Job 21:7
  Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?
- Psalms 94:20–21
  Can a corrupt throne be Your ally— one devising mischief by decree?
- Psalms 119:126
  It is time for the LORD to act, for they have broken Your law.

Featured studies on this passage

Walks through Isaiah 59

The Armor of God

Roman legionary equipment surveyed by Paul as Christian discipline (Eph 6:10–18). Six pieces of armor and a seventh element — prayer — that is posture, not armor. Every piece carries an OT echo.

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Walks through Isaiah 59

The Universal Indictment, MannaFest

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Walks through Isaiah 59

The Whole Armour

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About Isaiah

The Prophet Isaiah — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

Isaiah: the study guide →Read chapter 59 →The featured study →

Continue: Isaiah 59 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About Isaiah

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About Isaiah