Isaiah 1:21 kjv

How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

Isaiah 1:21 nkjv

How the faithful city has become a harlot! It was full of justice; Righteousness lodged in it, But now murderers.

Isaiah 1:21 niv

See how the faithful city has become a prostitute! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her? but now murderers!

Isaiah 1:21 esv

How the faithful city has become a whore, she who was full of justice! Righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers.

Isaiah 1:21 nlt

See how Jerusalem, once so faithful,
has become a prostitute.
Once the home of justice and righteousness,
she is now filled with murderers.

Isaiah 1 verses

Isaiah 1 21 Meaning

Isaiah 1:21 is a lament from God, spoken through the prophet Isaiah, over Jerusalem, referred to as the "faithful city" (Zion). It mourns the city's profound moral and spiritual degeneration. Once characterized by unwavering loyalty to God, and filled with divine justice and righteousness, Jerusalem has tragically transformed into a "harlot"—a vivid metaphor for covenant betrayal, idolatry, and deep corruption. Instead of justice lodging within her, the city is now populated by "murderers," symbolizing extreme social injustice, violence, and oppression. This verse serves as a shocking declaration of Judah's departure from its covenant responsibilities and a direct confrontation of its fallen state.

Isaiah 1 21 Context

Isaiah 1 serves as a sweeping introduction to the book, setting the stage for Isaiah's prophecies concerning Judah and Jerusalem. This opening chapter, often called "The Great Indictment," vividly depicts the nation's spiritual rebellion and moral decay. The verse "How the faithful city has become a harlot!" appears amidst divine chastisements and laments. Prior to verse 21, God accuses His people of widespread rebellion, comparing them to sick and festering bodies (v. 5-6) and even to Sodom and Gomorrah due to their depravity (v. 10). He condemns their empty religious rituals performed while their hands are full of blood and injustice (v. 11-17). Verse 21 highlights the dramatic decline from a past state of righteousness to current violence and unfaithfulness. Historically, this prophecy emerged during a period of relative prosperity but deep moral decline in Judah, spanning the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (8th century BCE). The nation had a form of religion but lacked true covenant fidelity, practicing social injustice, corruption, and at times, idolatry. Isaiah confronts the hypocrisy of outward religious observance masking internal corruption and exploitation, setting the tone for the entire book's emphasis on God's call for justice, righteousness, and true faith amidst judgment and the promise of future redemption.

Isaiah 1 21 Word analysis

• How: This opening word (אֵיכָה, ʾēyḵâ) expresses deep lament, sorrow, and rhetorical shock. It is often translated as "Alas" or "Oh, how," emphasizing despair over a fallen state, echoing other laments like those in the book of Lamentations.
• the faithful (נֶאֱמָנָה, ne'emanah): Derived from the root אָמַן (ʾaman), meaning to be firm, trustworthy, reliable, secure. It speaks of Jerusalem's historical covenant fidelity, established reputation, and the trustworthiness expected from a city in special relationship with God.
• city (קִרְיָה, qiryah): A poetic or archaic term for "city," often specifically used for Jerusalem or Zion. It evokes a sense of sacredness or historical importance attached to the capital city and center of Yahweh worship.
• has become (הָיְתָה, hayetah): A strong verb indicating a completed and decisive transformation or state of being. The change is not partial or temporary, but a tragic, full transition.
• a harlot (לְזוֹנָה, l'zonah): From the root זָנָה (zanah), meaning to commit fornication or harlotry. In prophetic language, it's a profound metaphor for spiritual adultery: covenant unfaithfulness, idolatry, breaking loyalty to Yahweh by pursuing foreign gods, engaging in oppressive practices, or relying on political alliances over divine trust. It represents a scandalous betrayal of the most sacred relationship.
• She who was full of (מְלֵאֲתִי, m'le'atiy): Implies abundance or overflowing. Jerusalem was previously saturated, characterized by these virtues.
• justice (מִשְׁפָּט, mishpat): More than just legal fairness; it encompasses societal order based on divine law, ethical governance, equitable treatment of all, and ensuring the rights of the vulnerable (widows, orphans, foreigners). It's righteousness in action within society.
• righteousness (צֶדֶק, tzedeq): Moral rectitude, conformity to God's standards, integrity, and upright conduct. It denotes an inner disposition that manifests as right relationship with God and others.
• lodged (יָלִין, yalin): From the root לוּן (lun), meaning to lodge overnight, reside, or abide. This signifies that righteousness didn't just pass through the city, but it made its home there, settled in, and was deeply ingrained in its fabric. It implies a steady, consistent presence.
• in her (בָּהּ, bah): Referring directly to the city of Jerusalem.
• but now (וְעַתָּה, ve'attah): A stark temporal contrast, highlighting the dramatic shift from the past to the present deplorable state.
• murderers (מְרַצְּחִים, meratz'chîm): Literally "those who shed blood" or "killers." This points to a pervasive presence of violent individuals. Beyond literal homicide, in the prophetic context, it often refers to those who perpetrate social and economic injustice that effectively "kills" the poor, oppresses the weak, perverts justice in courts, or metaphorically "kills" the spirit and well-being of the nation through systemic corruption. This is the antithesis of mishpat and tzedeq.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "How the faithful city": This phrase laments the transformation of Jerusalem, which, as Zion, was meant to embody unwavering devotion and covenant reliability as God's chosen dwelling. The lament reflects the profound disappointment in its spiritual fall.
• "has become a harlot!": This is a powerful, offensive metaphor that graphically depicts the city's betrayal of its covenant with God. It speaks of religious infidelity, worshipping other gods (idolatry), and seeking illicit political alliances that contradicted trust in Yahweh. This harlotry led to widespread societal corruption.
• "She who was full of justice, righteousness lodged in her": This segment emphasizes Jerusalem's ideal, past state and the standard by which it is judged. "Justice" and "righteousness" were not mere temporary visitors but were integral, deep-rooted characteristics of its society and governance, reflecting God's own attributes.
• "but now murderers!": This is the devastating contrast. The shift from a city dwelling in justice and righteousness to one filled with "murderers" signifies a complete breakdown of moral order and an active perpetration of grave evils, representing extreme social decay, exploitation, and shedding of innocent blood through corrupted legal and social systems.

Isaiah 1 21 Bonus section

The shock value of "harlot" replacing "faithful city" would have been profound to Isaiah's original audience. Jerusalem, with the Temple at its heart, was considered the physical embodiment of God's dwelling place and His covenant promises. To call it a "harlot" was the ultimate insult, signaling complete moral depravity and an utter failure of its spiritual purpose. It implied a desecration of its holy status. This prophetic imagery also contains a deep emotional appeal from God, expressing pain over the betrayal of a beloved.

The progression from "justice" and "righteousness" being "full in her" and "lodged in her" to simply "murderers" being now in her emphasizes the active expulsion of good by evil. It's not just an absence of justice; it's the active presence of its opposite. The verbs chosen (became, full, lodged, but now) meticulously trace the spiritual trajectory from faithfulness and goodness to absolute moral corruption. This lament establishes a core theme throughout the prophetic books: God's covenant relationship with His people is reciprocal, demanding both internal devotion and outward manifestation in ethical and just living. The judgment is not arbitrary but a direct consequence of their betrayal.

Isaiah 1 21 Commentary

Isaiah 1:21 is a searing prophetic indictment and a lament, laying bare the moral collapse of Jerusalem. The phrase "How the faithful city has become a harlot!" instantly encapsulates the tragic descent. Jerusalem, once the bastion of covenant fidelity and divine presence—a bride faithful to her divine groom—has fallen into profound unfaithfulness. The metaphor of "harlotry" encompasses not only literal idolatry (worshipping foreign gods) but also any betrayal of the covenant relationship through unrighteous living, such as pursuing political alliances instead of trusting Yahweh, or perpetrating social injustice that contradicts God's law. This highlights that faithfulness to God must manifest in righteous actions toward fellow humans, particularly the vulnerable.

The second part of the verse sharply contrasts Jerusalem's glorious past with its deplorable present: "She who was full of justice, righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers!" Justice (mishpat) and righteousness (tzedeq) were not superficial elements; they were expected to be deeply embedded, forming the very essence of the city's societal fabric and governance. God's standard for His people included an impartial legal system, fair economic practices, and care for the marginalized. However, Isaiah declares that these core virtues have been entirely replaced by "murderers." This doesn't necessarily limit itself to individual acts of killing; in a broader prophetic sense, "murderers" represent systemic corruption, oppression, violence, and the shedding of innocent blood through judicial perversion and exploitation of the poor. Those who should administer justice have become perpetrators of grave injustice.

This verse reveals God's heartbreak over His people's defection and underscores the inseparability of true worship from righteous living. It also sets a pattern for much of Isaiah's message: severe judgment for sin, alongside an underlying promise of a future, restored "faithful city" where justice and righteousness will truly reign, led by the Messiah.

• Practical application: This verse challenges believers today: is our "city" (our lives, communities, churches) truly reflecting Christ's faithfulness, justice, and righteousness, or has it become unfaithful, filled with spiritual compromises or moral failures? Are we merely going through religious motions, while neglecting true justice and compassion for others?