Isaiah 57:16 kjv
For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.
Isaiah 57:16 nkjv
For I will not contend forever, Nor will I always be angry; For the spirit would fail before Me, And the souls which I have made.
Isaiah 57:16 niv
I will not accuse them forever, nor will I always be angry, for then they would faint away because of me? the very people I have created.
Isaiah 57:16 esv
For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would grow faint before me, and the breath of life that I made.
Isaiah 57:16 nlt
For I will not fight against you forever;
I will not always be angry.
If I were, all people would pass away ?
all the souls I have made.
Isaiah 57 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 57:16 | "For I will not contend forever, nor will I be angry forever..." | The steadfast love of God endures despite human sinfulness. (Psalm 103:8-9) |
| Isaiah 57:16 | "...for the spirit would fail before me, and the souls that I have made." | God's preservation of His creation, preventing total destruction. (Gen 1:26-27) |
| Isaiah 57:17 | "Because of his iniquity his greed I was angry and struck him..." | God's righteous anger against sin and iniquity. (Jer 3:3, Rev 14:10) |
| Isaiah 57:18 | "I have seen his ways, and I will heal him; I will lead him..." | God's ultimate desire to heal and restore His people. (Jer 30:17, Luke 4:18) |
| Psalm 30:5 | "For his anger is but for a moment, his favor is for a lifetime..." | The temporary nature of God's anger contrasted with His lasting favor. |
| Psalm 103:8 | "The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding..." | God's characteristic patience and mercy. |
| Psalm 103:9 | "He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever." | Reinforces God's unwillingness to remain angry indefinitely. |
| Jeremiah 3:12 | "Return, O faithless Israel, declares the LORD. I will not look..." | God's willingness to receive back the unfaithful. |
| Jeremiah 3:14 | "Return, O faithless children, declares the LORD. For I rule..." | A call to return and a promise of God's guidance. |
| Jeremiah 15:18 | "Why is my pain perpetual? Why is my wound incurable...?" | Expression of human suffering due to sin, eliciting divine compassion. |
| Hosea 11:8 | "How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O..." | God's deep fatherly affection and reluctance to abandon His people. |
| Hosea 11:9 | "I will not execute my burning anger; I will not again destroy..." | God's restraint of His full wrath for the sake of His name. |
| Micah 7:18 | "Who is a god like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over..." | Praise for God's unique capacity for forgiveness. |
| Matthew 12:20 | "A bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick..." | Jesus' gentle and compassionate ministry, reflecting God's character. |
| Matthew 18:33 | "Should not you also have had mercy on your fellow servant..." | The parable of the unforgiving servant illustrating the importance of mercy. |
| Mark 3:29 | "but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has..." | The gravity of unforgivable sin, highlighting the contrast with God's mercy. |
| Luke 15:20 | "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and..." | The parable of the prodigal son, a powerful picture of God's welcoming love. |
| Ephesians 4:30 | "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were..." | The seriousness of grieving the Spirit through sinful actions. |
| 1 Peter 1:6 | "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to..." | God's empowering presence and enablement for believers. |
| 1 John 1:9 | "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us..." | The assurance of forgiveness upon confession of sins. |
| Revelation 14:7 | "and he said with a loud voice, 'Fear God and give him glory...'" | A call to worship God, acknowledging His power and judgment. |
| Revelation 21:4 | "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall..." | The ultimate hope of no more sorrow or death in God's presence. |
Isaiah 57 verses
Isaiah 57 16 Meaning
For I will not contend forever, nor will I be angry forever; for the spirit would fail before me, and the souls that I have made.
Isaiah 57 16 Context
This verse from Isaiah 57 speaks within the context of God's ongoing dealings with His people, who have strayed into sin and idolatry. Isaiah is a prophet of judgment but also of hope and restoration. This particular passage (Isaiah 57:14-21) follows a severe condemnation of the people's sins, particularly their spiritual unfaithfulness and reliance on human strength rather than God. Despite their transgressions, God declares His intention not to remain angry indefinitely. He acknowledges the frailty of humanity, the "spirit" and "souls" that He Himself created. This restraint is not born out of indifference but from His merciful nature and His ultimate plan for redemption, which will involve healing and restoring them, not through endless contention, but through divine intervention and a path of peace. The historical backdrop is likely the period leading up to or during the Babylonian exile, a time of great suffering for Judah due to their covenant unfaithfulness.
Isaiah 57 16 Word Analysis
For (Hebrew: ki) - A common conjunction introducing a reason or explanation.
I (Hebrew: 'anokiy) - Emphatic first-person singular pronoun, highlighting God speaking personally.
will not (Hebrew: lo') - Expresses negation and a strong prohibition.
contend (Hebrew: riv / riyb) - Means to strive, plead, quarrel, or contend in judgment. It speaks of God's righteous judgment and legal dispute with His people over their sins.
forever (Hebrew: la`etsad / la`ad) - Indicates perpetuity, always, to eternity. Used here with negation, it means "not forever."
nor (Hebrew: wegam-lo') - A compound negation, adding to the previous negative statement, further emphasizing the limited duration of divine displeasure.
will I be (Hebrew: huwa - to be) - Indicates a state of being.
angry (Hebrew: `aph / `eniyf) - Refers to God's wrath, His holy opposition to sin and rebellion. It implies a righteous displeasure, not merely human temper.
forever (Hebrew: la`etsad / la`ad) - As before, indicating the temporary nature of this anger.
for (Hebrew: ki) - Introducing the reason for His limited anger.
the spirit (Hebrew: ruwach) - Can refer to breath, wind, spirit (human or divine), disposition, or life force. In this context, it most likely refers to the inner disposition, life-force, or even the collective spirit of humanity.
would fail (Hebrew: `athap / `athaph) - To be faint, to languish, to fail, to be overthrown. Implies a breaking down under prolonged pressure.
before (Hebrew: mi-la / mi-paney) - From my presence, before me, implying being under God's direct observation and influence.
me (Hebrew: : ) - God's self-reference.
and (Hebrew: we) - Conjunction.
the souls (Hebrew: nephesh) - Refers to the self, life, being, appetite, or inner person. It emphasizes the vital essence of individuals.
that (Hebrew: ’asher) - Relative pronoun.
I (Hebrew: 'anokiy) - God speaking.
have made (Hebrew: bara' / `asah) - In the Hebrew Old Testament, bara' often signifies creation out of nothing, but `asah can mean to make, fashion, or do. In the context of "souls," bara' could emphasize divine origin. Here, combined with the concept of nephesh, it implies God as the originator and sustainer of life and individual being.
God's restraint from perpetual contention/anger: The verse emphasizes that God's anger, while real and righteous, is not infinite. It is tempered by His understanding of human nature and His commitment to His own creation.
The vulnerability of humanity: The phrase "the spirit would fail before me, and the souls that I have made" highlights human frailty. Under relentless divine judgment or opposition, humanity as a whole, the very beings God created, would be utterly crushed and cease to exist.
Divine wisdom and mercy: This declaration reflects God's profound wisdom and mercy in not permitting His judgment to utterly destroy those whom He created and in whom He breathed life. It speaks to His enduring love for His creation, even in its fallen state.
The purpose of divine discipline: God's contention and anger are corrective, not purely retributive. The ultimate purpose is to lead His people to repentance and restoration, as further detailed in the subsequent verses.
Isaiah 57 16 Bonus Section
This verse resonates with the theological concept of God's kenosis (self-emptying) in a foundational sense. While often applied to Christ, the principle is present here: God voluntarily limits the expression of His infinite power and wrath because of His created beings, who are made in His image. His "spirit" of love and mercy prevents Him from "destroying" completely the "souls" He has made. It connects to the divine commitment to preserve creation, ensuring that human sin, though deserving of severe judgment, does not result in absolute annihilation of His handiwork, paving the way for redemption. The passage also anticipates the New Testament message of grace, where God's intervention through Christ provides a permanent solution to sin and its consequences, preventing the "failure" of human souls.
Isaiah 57 16 Commentary
Isaiah 57:16 is a profound statement of divine compassion amidst judgment. It assures the people that God’s righteous anger, while necessary for addressing sin, is not unending. God understands the limits of human endurance, recognizing that His creation, comprised of spirits and souls He Himself fashioned, cannot withstand His wrath forever without perishing. This truth underscores God's nature as a patient and merciful God, who restrains His full fury because of His love and His intention to ultimately restore rather than annihilate. His anger is a tool for correction and a means to bring about healing, not an end in itself. This verse highlights God’s profound understanding of the beings He created, a sensitivity to their inherent weakness when faced with His perfect holiness, and His sovereign decision to temper His response to preserve them for a future of renewal.