Isaiah Chapter 59 — Sin, Confession, and the Redeemer
Isaiah 59 details how human sin creates a separation from God, leading to a lack of justice, and concludes with God intervening as a Redeemer.
1Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it can’t save;
2But your iniquities have separated you and your God,
3For your hands are defiled with blood,
4No one sues in righteousness,
5They hatch adders’ eggs
6Their webs won’t become garments.
7Their feet run to evil,
8They don’t know the way of peace;
9Therefore justice is far from us,
10We grope for the wall like the blind.
11We all roar like bears
12For our transgressions are multiplied before you,
13transgressing and denying the LORD,
14Justice is turned away backward,
15Yes, truth is lacking;
16He saw that there was no man,
17He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
18According to their deeds,
19So they will fear the LORD’s name from the west,
20“A Redeemer will come to Zion,
21“As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD. “My Spirit who is on you, and my words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart out of your mouth, nor out of the mouth of your offspring, nor out of the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from now on and forever.”
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Isaiah 59:1-2
“Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it can’t save; but your iniquities have separated you and your God.”
It establishes the central theme that human sin, not divine inability, is the cause of spiritual distance.
Isaiah 59:17
“He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head.”
This imagery of God arming Himself for justice is a powerful depiction of divine intervention.
Isaiah 59:20
““A Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from disobedience in Jacob,” says the LORD.”
It introduces the promise of a savior for those who turn from their transgressions.
Chapter Summary
The chapter begins by clarifying that God is capable of saving, but the people's sins—specifically injustice, violence, and dishonesty—have created a barrier between them and Him. Isaiah describes a society where truth is absent, and those seeking righteousness are preyed upon. The people eventually acknowledge their transgressions, confessing that justice is far from them and they grope like the blind. Seeing that no human could provide a solution, the LORD intervenes. He puts on righteousness and salvation as armor to repay His enemies and bring redemption. The chapter concludes with a divine covenant: God promises that His Spirit and His words will remain with His people and their descendants forever.
Frequently Asked Questions
The text states that the people's iniquities and sins have created a barrier, preventing God from hearing them. It emphasizes that the issue is not a lack of power on God's part, but the moral failures of the people.
The chapter portrays a society where justice is turned away backward and truth is lacking. It describes people who do not know the way of peace and whose actions lead to confusion and darkness.
The text promises that a Redeemer will come to Zion for those who turn from their transgressions. This figure represents God's intervention to restore justice and establish an eternal covenant.
God promises that His Spirit and His words will not depart from the people or their offspring. This covenant is described as a lasting promise from God that will continue forever.
Study Note
The imagery of the breastplate of righteousness and helmet of salvation in verse 17 serves as a literary precursor to the armor of God metaphor used in the New Testament.
Related Chapters
Romans Chapter 3
Connects the description of human sinfulness in Isaiah to the New Testament's discussion of universal sin.
Ephesians Chapter 6
References the armor of God imagery which parallels the description of God's armor in Isaiah 59:17.
Isaiah Chapter 60
Continues the narrative of restoration and the glory of Zion following the arrival of the Redeemer.
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