Isaiah 59:14 kjv
And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.
Isaiah 59:14 nkjv
Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter.
Isaiah 59:14 niv
So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter.
Isaiah 59:14 esv
Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter.
Isaiah 59:14 nlt
Our courts oppose the righteous,
and justice is nowhere to be found.
Truth stumbles in the streets,
and honesty has been outlawed.
Isaiah 59 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 59:14 | That judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity can not enter. | Isaiah 1:23 (corrupt judges) |
| Isaiah 59:14 | and equity can not enter. | Proverbs 1:20 (wisdom’s cry) |
| Isaiah 59:14 | and righteousness is found nowhere. | Job 24:2 (injustice prevails) |
| Isaiah 59:14 | for truth is fallen in the street | Jeremiah 7:28 (perverted truth) |
| Isaiah 59:14 | that judgment is turned away backward | Deuteronomy 16:19 (partiality) |
| Isaiah 59:15 | Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil is accounted a fool. | Proverbs 28:17 (unjust gain) |
| Isaiah 59:15 | and he that departeth from evil is accounted a fool. | 1 Samuel 17:29 (derision for good) |
| Isaiah 59:16 | And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor. | Ezekiel 22:30 (lack of intercessor) |
| Isaiah 59:16 | and wondered that there was no intercessor: | Psalm 106:23 (Moses intercedes) |
| Isaiah 59:17 | For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head. | Ephesians 6:14 (armor of God) |
| Isaiah 59:17 | and He Himself will provide the deliverance and salvation. | John 3:16 (God's salvation) |
| Isaiah 61:8 | For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering. | Psalm 11:5 (God hates evil) |
| Jeremiah 5:1 | Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it. | Jeremiah 5:1-2 (seeking a righteous man) |
| Micah 6:8 | He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? | Micah 6:8 (doing justly) |
| Amos 5:24 | But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. | Amos 5:24 (ideal justice) |
| Romans 3:23 | For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. | Romans 3:23 (universal sin) |
| Romans 10:4 | For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. | Romans 10:4 (Christ as end of law) |
| Matthew 5:6 | Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. | Matthew 5:6 (hunger for righteousness) |
| 1 John 3:10 | In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. | 1 John 3:10 (righteousness and God's children) |
| Philippians 4:7 | And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. | Philippians 4:7 (peace of God) |
Isaiah 59 verses
Isaiah 59 14 Meaning
Justice is perverted, and no one calls out for right. Violence pervades society, with people bearing false witness and plotting wickedness. God observes this widespread unrighteousness and grieves that there is no one to intervene or uphold what is just.
Isaiah 59 14 Context
Chapter 59 of Isaiah depicts a people who have strayed from God's ways, leading to national calamity and exile. The people confess their sins, acknowledging their iniquity and the resulting consequences. This specific verse, 59:14, highlights the deep societal decay and spiritual corruption prevalent among them, where the very foundations of justice and truth have collapsed. God observes this void of righteousness and the absence of any willing intercessor, lamenting the state of His people. The broader context of Isaiah is God's unwavering judgment on sin and His ultimate promise of redemption through a coming Messiah.
Isaiah 59 14 Word Analysis
and: (Hebrew: וְ, wə) A conjunction connecting clauses and ideas, often indicating sequence, consequence, or addition.
judgment: (Hebrew: מִשְׁפָּט, mishpat) Denotes justice, right, equity, or legal decision. Here, it refers to the proper administration of justice, which has been corrupted.
is turned: (Hebrew: שׁוּב, shuv) A verb indicating turning back, returning, or becoming. The judgment has been perverted or forced to retreat.
away backward: This phrase emphasizes the unnatural reversal of justice; instead of advancing, it is forced into retreat or hidden.
and: (Hebrew: וְ, wə) Conjunction.
justice: (Hebrew: צֶדֶק, tzedek) Signifies righteousness, equity, and fairness.
standeth afar off: (Hebrew: עָמַד, amad; רָחוֹק, rachok) Implies that true justice is distant, inaccessible, and ineffective in the societal arena.
for: (Hebrew: כִּי, ki) A causal conjunction, indicating the reason for justice being distant.
truth: (Hebrew: אֱמֶת, emet) Means faithfulness, truthfulness, reality, steadfastness.
is fallen: (Hebrew: נָפַל, naphal) Indicates a collapse or downfall. Truth has failed or been suppressed.
in the street: (Hebrew: בַּחוּץ, bachuץ) Refers to public places, the open square, symbolizing the complete lack of concealment for wrongdoing or the failure of truth to be upheld openly.
and: (Hebrew: וְ, wə) Conjunction.
equity: (Hebrew: יוֹשֶׁר, yosher) Means uprightness, integrity, straightness.
can not enter: (Hebrew: לֹא, lo + בּוֹא, bo) Suggests that equity is excluded or unable to penetrate the corrupted system.
Groups of Words:
- "judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off": This idiom paints a vivid picture of systemic failure where the very mechanisms of justice have become twisted and inoperative, rendering them distant and ineffective.
- "truth is fallen in the street, and equity can not enter": This further illustrates the utter breakdown of moral order. Truth, a fundamental public value, is suppressed or discredited in the open, and integrity is barred from influencing societal affairs.
Isaiah 59 14 Bonus Section
The absence of anyone stepping into the breach is a crucial point. It echoes the prophetic concern for leadership that embodies integrity. The prophet Isaiah himself often acts as a voice crying out against injustice, yet even he laments the lack of general participation in righteousness. This void is what the coming Messiah, the ideal intercessor and restorer of justice, would eventually fill, aligning with themes in Isaiah 61 where the Spirit of the Lord is upon Him to bring justice and comfort.
Isaiah 59 14 Commentary
This verse profoundly captures the essence of societal apostasy. It is not merely that people fail to do good, but that the structures meant to uphold goodness and fairness are actively subverted. The collapse of truth in public view signifies an erosion of public trust and honesty. The inability of equity to enter speaks to the deliberate exclusion of fairness and impartiality from the workings of society. God's perspective here is one of sorrow and alarm at this spiritual and moral vacuity, highlighting the need for divine intervention when human institutions fail so catastrophically.