Isa 59:9-15 | JFB | STEP | 9. judgment far-- retribution in kind because they had shown "no judgment in their goings" ( ). "The vindication of our just rights by God is withheld by Him from us." us-- In and previous verses, it was "they," the third person; here, "us ... we," the first person. The nation here speaks: God thus making them out of their own mouth condemn themselves; just as He by His prophet had condemned them before. Isaiah includes himself with his people and speaks in their name. justice-- God's justice bringing salvation ( ). light-- the dawn of returning prosperity. obscurity-- adversity ( ).

‏ Isaiah 59:9-15

9. judgment far--retribution in kind because they had shown "no judgment in their goings" (Is 59:8). "The vindication of our just rights by God is withheld by Him from us."

us--In Is 59:8 and previous verses, it was "they," the third person; here, "us ... we," the first person. The nation here speaks: God thus making them out of their own mouth condemn themselves; just as He by His prophet had condemned them before. Isaiah includes himself with his people and speaks in their name.

justice--God's justice bringing salvation (Is 46:13).

light--the dawn of returning prosperity.

obscurity--adversity (Jr 8:15).

10. grope--fulfilling Moses' threat (De 28:29).

stumble at noon ... as ... night--There is no relaxation of our evils; at the time when we might look for the noon of relief, there is still the night of our calamity.

in desolate places--rather, to suit the parallel words "at noonday," in fertile (literally, "fat"; Ge 27:28) fields [Gesenius] (where all is promising) we are like the dead (who have no hope left them); or, where others are prosperous, we wander about as dead men; true of all unbelievers (Is 26:10; Lu 15:17).

11. roar--moan plaintively, like a hungry bear which growls for food.

doves--(Is 38:14; Eze 7:16).

salvation--retribution in kind: because not salvation, but "destruction" was "in their paths" (Is 59:7).

12. (Da 9:5, &c.).

thee ... us--antithesis.

with us--that is, we are conscious of them (Job 12:3, Margin; Job 15:9).

know--acknowledge they are our iniquities.

13. The particulars of the sins generally confessed in Is 59:12 (Is 48:8; Jr 2:19, 20). The act, the word, and the thought of apostasy, are all here marked: transgression and departing, &c.; lying (compare Is 59:4), and speaking, &c.; conceiving and uttering from the heart.

14. Justice and righteousness are put away from our legal courts.

in the street--in the forum, the place of judicature, usually at the gate of the city (Zec 8:16).

cannot enter--is shut out from the forum, or courts of justice.

15. faileth--is not to be found.

he that departeth ... prey--He that will not fall in with the prevailing iniquity exposes himself as a prey to the wicked (Psa 10:8, 9).

Lord saw it--The iniquity of Israel, so desperate as to require nothing short of Jehovah's interposition to mend it, typifies the same necessity for a Divine Mediator existing in the deep corruption of man; Israel, the model nation, was chosen to illustrate his awful fact.