Isaiah 59 6

Isaiah 59:6 kjv

Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.

Isaiah 59:6 nkjv

Their webs will not become garments, Nor will they cover themselves with their works; Their works are works of iniquity, And the act of violence is in their hands.

Isaiah 59:6 niv

Their cobwebs are useless for clothing; they cannot cover themselves with what they make. Their deeds are evil deeds, and acts of violence are in their hands.

Isaiah 59:6 esv

Their webs will not serve as clothing; men will not cover themselves with what they make. Their works are works of iniquity, and deeds of violence are in their hands.

Isaiah 59:6 nlt

Their webs can't be made into clothing,
and nothing they do is productive.
All their activity is filled with sin,
and violence is their trademark.

Isaiah 59 verses

Isaiah 59 6 Meaning

Isaiah 59:6 proclaims the utter futility and inherent sinfulness of the actions performed by those described in the chapter. Their self-manufactured "works"—symbolized as flimsy spider webs—are incapable of providing any spiritual covering, protection, or justification. Instead of righteousness, their deeds are intrinsically tainted by iniquity and characterized by acts of violence. This verse underscores humanity's inability to achieve salvation or righteousness through personal efforts and highlights the corrupt nature of human sin.

Isaiah 59 6 Context

Isaiah chapter 59 vividly portrays the state of moral and spiritual corruption within Judah, detailing how their sins have separated them from God and hindered His intervention. The chapter begins with God affirming His power to save (v. 1) but immediately shifts to pinpointing the reason for His apparent silence: their iniquities (v. 2). The people's hands are defiled with blood, and their fingers with iniquity; their lips speak lies, and their tongue murmurs wickedness (v. 3). Justice is lacking (v. 4a), and instead, they hatch evil plans. Verse 5 uses the metaphor of hatching adder's eggs and weaving spider's webs to illustrate the dangerous and futile nature of their schemes and efforts. Verse 6 specifically focuses on these "webs" and "works," stripping away any pretense of them being beneficial or righteous. It reveals the true character of their self-reliance—it's not only useless but actively evil. This passage serves as a corporate confession of sin, articulating the pervasive brokenness of their society.

Isaiah 59 6 Word analysis

• Their webs (קורים - qûrîm): This Hebrew word specifically refers to spider webs. It evokes imagery of extreme fragility, intricacy, and an inability to provide genuine substance or warmth. Spiders tirelessly weave, yet their creations are utterly impractical for human use, especially for clothing. This symbolizes human efforts and schemes—painstakingly constructed but ultimately flimsy and useless for lasting purpose, particularly in seeking divine favor or true righteousness.
• will not become garments (בֶּגֶד - beged): The negation "will not" emphatically declares the inadequacy of these "webs." A beged is a piece of clothing or covering. Garments provide warmth, protection, dignity, and a public appearance. The verse asserts that their works cannot supply any of these vital needs in a spiritual sense; they cannot clothe one in righteousness or conceal the nakedness of sin before God.
• nor will they cover themselves: This phrase reiterates the previous point with active verb. It highlights the attempt to use these works for self-covering, self-justification, or self-protection, and the definitive failure of that attempt. It rejects the idea of any self-made righteousness as a viable spiritual covering.
• with their works (מַעֲשִׂים - maʿăśîm): This is a broad term for deeds, actions, or achievements. Here, it refers to all that the people produce, accomplish, or strive for through their own strength and initiative. The parallel structure strongly connects these "works" to the "webs" imagery, further reinforcing their ineffectual nature.
• their works are works of iniquity (אָוֶן - ʾāwen): This phrase uses emphatic repetition ("works are works"). ʾāwen signifies wickedness, evil, mischief, trouble, and moral perversion. It suggests that the very essence or character of their deeds is sin. They are not just misguided; they are inherently corrupt and ethically bankrupt from God's perspective.
• and the act of violence (חָמָס - ḥāmās) is in their hands (יָד - yād): ḥāmās denotes active, aggressive wrongdoing, injustice, and oppression, often involving physical harm. This grounds the abstract "iniquity" in concrete, tangible actions of oppression and lawlessness. "In their hands" (yād) is a Hebrew idiom that designates the origin and instrument of their actions, emphasizing that their hands, meant for productive work or justice, are instead agents of harm. This is not just internal sin but outward, harmful expression.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Their webs will not become garments, nor will they cover themselves with their works": This segment focuses on the futility and inadequacy of human effort to provide spiritual covering or righteousness. The double negation underscores the complete failure of self-justification, comparing it to attempting to dress with ephemeral spider silk.
• "their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands": This segment delves into the inherent nature and manifestation of these condemned works. It reveals that far from being righteous, the very fabric of their actions is characterized by evil and results in tangible acts of violence and injustice. It highlights both the inner corruption (iniquity) and its external, aggressive expression (violence).

Isaiah 59 6 Bonus section

The condemnation of "works of iniquity" in Isa 59:6 touches on the Old Testament concept of human yetzer (inclination), often interpreted as a disposition towards evil post-Fall. This inherent human leaning explains why, apart from divine intervention, even seemingly good works can be tainted by self-interest, pride, or a lack of true obedience, making them akin to the "filthy rags" described in Isaiah 64:6. The strong imagery also contrasts sharply with the "robe of righteousness" that God provides (Isa 61:10), which represents true and complete spiritual covering. The prophet highlights that what humans produce for themselves—painstakingly (like weaving) but self-centeredly—is utterly ineffective and reflects a nature corrupted by ʾāwen (iniquity) and expressed in ḥāmās (violence).

Isaiah 59 6 Commentary

Isaiah 59:6 delivers a piercing indictment against human self-reliance in the face of divine righteousness. The imagery of spider webs (qûrîm) for clothing is highly symbolic, immediately conveying extreme fragility and inadequacy. While intricate and self-spun, such "garments" provide no warmth, protection, or covering, let alone the spiritual covering of righteousness needed to stand before a holy God. The repeated assertion that "their works are works of iniquity" is a devastating theological claim. It states that human effort, when separated from God's grace and guided by a fallen nature, produces not good but inherently sinful outcomes. This iniquity, moreover, manifests concretely as ḥāmās, "violence"—active injustice and oppression, clearly seen in the people's "hands," the instrument of their actions. Thus, the verse effectively dismantles any notion of salvation or justification through human deeds, presenting such attempts as not merely insufficient, but actively perverse and contributing to the moral decay it describes. It implicitly sets the stage for the need for a divine solution, foreshadowing the need for God's own covering of righteousness.