Isaiah 59:16
in Isaiah 59He saw that there was no man; He was amazed that there was no one to intercede. So His own arm brought salvation, and His own righteousness sustained Him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his own arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it upheld him.
KJV
And 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.
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This verse in Isaiah 59
Commentary
9 notes on this verse(Verse 16, 17.) And the Lord saw, and evil appeared in his eyes: because there is no justice, and he saw that there is no man, and he was astonished, because there is no one to oppose. And his own arm will save him: and his righteousness itself will strengthen him. He is clothed with righteousness as with a breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head. He is clothed with garments of vengeance, and covered with a cloak of zeal.
This site's exposition
He saw that there was no man
“He saw that there was no man” is the hinge of the chapter, the LORD looking for someone to stand between His people and judgment. Finding none, He acts alone: “So His own arm brought salvation”, the arm verse 1 said is not too short. Isaiah 63:5 repeats the words.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
For the unjust deeds displeased the just judge so he did not call the workers of these deeds "humans," for although being in an honored place they do not understand and are comparable to the unthinking beasts and resemble them.… In place of "mercy" the …
The Medieval Church1 voice
And the Lord saw. Here he sets out the preparation of salvation on the part of the Savior. And first, he sets out the manner of preparation, speaking of God according to a human manner. He sets out his compassion: and the Lord saw, with …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
No man - To appear in the behalf of equity. His arm - He would do his work without help from any other. Righteousness - His justice; seeing there could be no justice found among them, he would avenge the innocent himself.
And he saw that there was no man,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
And wondered that there was no intercessor - This and the following verses some of the most eminent rabbins understand as spoken of the Messiah. Kimchi says that Rabbi Joshua ben Levi proposes this objection: “It is written, ‘Behold, he will come in the clouds of heaven as the son of man,’ Dan 7:13; and elsewhere it is written, ‘He cometh lowly, and riding upon an ass,’ Zec 9:9. How can these texts be reconciled?
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Not man's arm, but His alone (Ps 98:1; 44:3). his righteousness--the "arm" of Messiah. He won the victory for us, not by mere might as God, but by His invincible righteousness, as man having "the Spirit without measure" (Isa 11:5;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And he saw that there was no man - That is, no wise and prudent man qualified to govern the affairs of the people. Or, that there was no man qualified to interpose and put an end to these evils; no one qualified to effect a reformation, and to save the nation from the calamities which their sins deserved. The reason why God provided a Redeemer was, that such was the extent and nature of human depravity, that no one on earth could arrest it, and save the world. A similar expression occurs in Isa 41:28. And wondered - This is language adapted to the mode of speaking among men. It cannot be taken literally, as if God was amazed by suddenly coming to the knowledge of this fact. It is designed to express, with great emphasis, the truth, that there was no one to intercede, and that the wicked world was lying in a helpless condition. That there was no intercessor - On the meaning of the word here rendered ‘intercessor,’ see the notes at Isa 53:6. The Chaldee renders it, ‘There was no man who could stand and pray for them.’ In Isa 63:5, Isaiah expresses the idea in the following language: I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold.’ Therefore his arm - On the meaning of this phrase, see the notes at Isa 40:10 (compare Isa 51:5; Isa 63:5). The idea is, that salvation was to be traced to God alone. It did not originate with man, and it was not accomplished by his agency or help. And his righteousness, it sustained him - Sustained by the consciousness that he was doing right, he went forward against all opposition, and executed his plan. This is language derived from the mode of speaking among people, and it means that as a man who is engaged in a righteous cause is sustained amidst much opposition by the consciousness of integrity, so it is with God. The cause of redemption is the great cause of righteousness on earth. […]
The words behind it
14 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּרְא֙ | vaiyar' | and he saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אֵ֣ין | ʾein | there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| אִ֔ישׁ | ʾish | [was] anyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| וַיִּשְׁתּוֹמֵ֖ם | vaiyishtomem | and he was appalled | H8074 → | 86 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אֵ֣ין | ʾein | there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| מַפְגִּ֑יעַ | mafgia' | [was one who] interposed | H6293 → | 46 times |
| וַתּ֤וֹשַֽׁע | vatoosha' | and it gave victory | H3467 → | 206 times |
| לוֹ֙ | lo | to him | ||
| זְרֹע֔וֹ | zeroo | own arm his | H2220 → | 91 times |
| וְצִדְקָת֖וֹ | vetzidkato | and own righteousness his | H6666 → | 157 times |
| הִ֥יא | hi' | it | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| סְמָכָֽתְהוּ׃ | semakhatehu | it sustained him | H5564 → | 48 times |
וַיַּרְא֙and he saw
vaiyar'H7200 →1300 times
כִּֽי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
אֵ֣יןthere not
ʾeinH369 →789 times
אִ֔ישׁ[was] anyone
ʾishH376 →1663 times
וַיִּשְׁתּוֹמֵ֖םand he was appalled
vaiyishtomemH8074 →86 times
כִּ֣יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
אֵ֣יןthere not
ʾeinH369 →789 times
מַפְגִּ֑יעַ[was one who] interposed
mafgia'H6293 →46 times
וַתּ֤וֹשַֽׁעand it gave victory
vatoosha'H3467 →206 times
לוֹ֙to him
lo
זְרֹע֔וֹown arm his
zerooH2220 →91 times
וְצִדְקָת֖וֹand own righteousness his
vetzidkatoH6666 →157 times
הִ֥יאit
hi'H1931 →1879 times
סְמָכָֽתְהוּ׃it sustained him
semakhatehuH5564 →48 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ezekiel 22:30I searched for a man among them to repair the wall and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, so that I should not destroy it. But I found no…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 5:1
“Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem. Look now and take note; search her squares. If you can find a single person, anyone who acts justly, anyone who seeks the truth, then I…
- Psalms 106:23
So He said He would destroy them— had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach to divert His wrath from destroying them.
- Genesis 18:23–32
Abraham stepped forward and said, “Will You really sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
- Isaiah 63:5
I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled that no one assisted. So My arm brought Me salvation, and My own wrath upheld Me.
- Ezekiel 13:5
You did not go up to the gaps or restore the wall around the house of Israel so that it would stand in the battle on the Day of the LORD.
- Jeremiah 5:1
Through
Psalms 98:1Sing to the LORD a new song, for He has done wonders; His right hand and holy arm have gained Him the victory.
it leads to
- Exodus 15:6
Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic in power; Your right hand, O LORD, has shattered the enemy.
- Isaiah 52:10
The LORD has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.
- Exodus 15:6
Through
Isaiah 52:10The LORD has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.
it leads to
- Luke 3:6
And all humanity will see God’s salvation.’”
- Luke 3:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Isaiah
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 18:59.16 and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.