Isaiah 59:17
in Isaiah 59He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on His head; He put on garments of vengeance and wrapped Himself in a cloak of zeal.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a mantle.
KJV
For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.
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This verse in Isaiah 59
Commentary
10 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 put on righteousness like a breastplate
With no one to intercede, the LORD arms Himself: “He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on His head”. Paul draws on this verse for the armor, the breastplate of righteousness at Ephesians 6:14 and the helmet of salvation at 1 Thessalonians 5:8.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
[Isaiah] says that God shares salvation, which is exchanged for repentance and understanding with those deserving, who put on righteousness just as if it were their garment. He says nothing less than that God is girded with the righteous deeds of human beings, just like …
But God has strengthened him with his arm and righteousness, and confirmed him with mercy, so that those who desire to turn from error may be saved not by their own merit, but by God's mercy. Finally, he has put on the armor of righteousness, and the helmet of salvation, and the garments of vengeance, and has wrapped himself in the cloak of zeal. Thus, armed, he has gone forth to battle, to exact vengeance upon his enemies. Without a doubt, this signifies the Jews, who persist in blasphemies, and the Roman army surrounding their enemies.
The Medieval Church1 voice
He put on justice as a breastplate: for as a soldier is strengthened by armor, so his work is strengthened by justice and his intention to save: his arm has wrought for him salvation (Ps 97[98]:1); he will put on justice as a breastplate (Wis …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Zeal - For his own honour, and for his own people. The sum of all these expressions is, to describe both the cause and effect together; the cause was righteousness and zeal in God, the effect, salvation to his people, and vengeance on his enemies.
For he put on righteousness as a breastplate,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
For he put on righteousness - That is, God the Redeemer. The prophet here introduces him as going forth to vindicate his people clad like an ancient warrior. In the declaration that he ‘put on righteousness,’ the essential idea is, that he was pure and holy. The same image is used by the prophet in another figure in Isa 11:5 (see the note at that place). As a breastplate - The breastplate was a well-known piece of ancient armor, designed to defend the breast from the darts and the sword of an enemy.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
9:2); and for "salvation," which is of God alone (Ps 3:8), they have as their helmet, "the hope of salvation" (1Th 5:8). The "helmet of salvation" is attributed to them (Eph 6:14, 17) in a secondary sense; namely, derived from Him, and as yet only in hope, not fruition (Ro 8:24). The second coming here, as often, is included in this representation of Messiah.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
For clothing “For his clothing” - תלבשת tilbosheth. “I cannot but think that this word, תלבשת tilbosheth, is an interpolation. 1. It is in no one ancient version. 2. It is redundant in the sense, as it is before expressed in בגדי bigdey. 3. It makes the hemistich just so much longer than it ought to be, if it is compared with the others adjoining. 4. It makes a form of construction in this clause less elegant than that in the others. 5. It might probably be in some margin a various reading for בגדי bigdey, and thence taken into the text. This is more probable, as its form is such as it would be if it were in regimine, as it must be before נקם nakam.” - Dr. Jubb. Two sorts of armor are mentioned: a breast-plate and a helmet, to bring righteousness and salvation to those who fear him; and the garments of vengeance and the cloak of zeal for the destruction of all those who finally oppose him, and reject his Gospel.
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּלְבַּ֤שׁ | vaiyilbash | and he put on | H3847 → | 110 times |
| צְדָקָה֙ | tzedakah | righteousness | H6666 → | 157 times |
| כַּשִּׁרְיָ֔ן | kashiryan | like <the> body armor | H8302 → | |
| וְכ֥וֹבַע | vekhoa' | and a helmet of | H3553 → | |
| יְשׁוּעָ֖ה | yeshuah | salvation | H3444 → | 78 times |
| בְּרֹאשׁ֑וֹ | berosho | on head his | H7218 → | 599 times |
| וַיִּלְבַּ֞שׁ | vaiyilbash | and he put on | H3847 → | 110 times |
| בִּגְדֵ֤י | bigdei | garments of | H899 → | 217 times |
| נָקָם֙ | nakam | vengeance | H5359 → | 17 times |
| תִּלְבֹּ֔שֶׁת | tilboshet | clothing | H8516 → | |
| וַיַּ֥עַט | vaiyaat | and he wrapped himself | H5844 → | 17 times |
| כַּמְעִ֖יל | kamil | like <the> robe | H4598 → | |
| קִנְאָֽה׃ | kinah | zeal | H7068 → | 43 times |
וַיִּלְבַּ֤שׁand he put on
vaiyilbashH3847 →110 times
צְדָקָה֙righteousness
tzedakahH6666 →157 times
כַּשִּׁרְיָ֔ןlike <the> body armor
kashiryanH8302 →
וְכ֥וֹבַעand a helmet of
vekhoa'H3553 →
יְשׁוּעָ֖הsalvation
yeshuahH3444 →78 times
בְּרֹאשׁ֑וֹon head his
beroshoH7218 →599 times
וַיִּלְבַּ֞שׁand he put on
vaiyilbashH3847 →110 times
בִּגְדֵ֤יgarments of
bigdeiH899 →217 times
נָקָם֙vengeance
nakamH5359 →17 times
תִּלְבֹּ֔שֶׁתclothing
tilboshetH8516 →
וַיַּ֥עַטand he wrapped himself
vaiyaatH5844 →17 times
כַּמְעִ֖ילlike <the> robe
kamilH4598 →
קִנְאָֽה׃zeal
kinahH7068 →43 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
Ephesians 6:14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed,
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 5:8
But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of our hope of salvation.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Corinthians 6:7
in truthful speech and in the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Peter 1:13
Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober-minded. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 11:5
Righteousness will be the belt around His hips, and faithfulness the sash around His waist.
- Luke 12:35
Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:8
Through
Ephesians 6:17And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
it leads to
- Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
- Revelation 19:15
And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath…
- Isaiah 49:2
He made My mouth like a sharp sword; He hid Me in the shadow of His hand. He made Me like a polished arrow; He hid Me in His quiver.
- Hebrews 4:12
Where this verse is studied
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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 on the Book of Isaiah; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset and 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; Theodore of Heraclea, FRAGMENTS ON ISAIAH and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.