Isaiah 59 9

Isaiah 59:9 kjv

Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.

Isaiah 59:9 nkjv

Therefore justice is far from us, Nor does righteousness overtake us; We look for light, but there is darkness! For brightness, but we walk in blackness!

Isaiah 59:9 niv

So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.

Isaiah 59:9 esv

Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us; we hope for light, and behold, darkness, and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.

Isaiah 59:9 nlt

So there is no justice among us,
and we know nothing about right living.
We look for light but find only darkness.
We look for bright skies but walk in gloom.

Isaiah 59 verses

Isaiah 59 9 Meaning

Isaiah 59:9 describes the lament of the people over the consequences of their unrighteousness, acknowledging that divine justice and righteousness are absent from their experience. Despite their earnest hope for God's divine favor, truth, and salvation, they encounter only gloom and remain mired in spiritual and practical darkness, unable to attain the spiritual enlightenment and righteous governance they yearn for. It highlights a state of spiritual alienation and consequence directly tied to their actions described in the preceding verses.

Isaiah 59 9 Context

Isaiah 59 stands as a stark indictment of the people of Judah for their rampant unrighteousness and injustice. The chapter begins by clarifying that God's power to save is not limited, nor is His ear deaf, but rather "your iniquities have separated between you and your God" (Isa 59:2). The preceding verses (Isa 59:3-8) detail a catalogue of their sins: hands defiled with blood, lips speaking lies, injustice in the courts, venomous plotting, and the pervasive nature of sin as a destructive force.

Verse 9 directly follows this confession of national sin. The "Therefore" (Hebrew lachen) explicitly links the present lament—the absence of justice and the experience of darkness instead of light—to the catalogue of their iniquities. The people themselves are experiencing the covenant curses and consequences promised for disobedience, a withdrawal of God's blessing, manifested as a lack of true justice and an enduring state of spiritual blindness and moral obscurity. It reflects a moment of corporate recognition of their spiritual predicament, acknowledging the grim reality that has fallen upon them as a direct result of their actions, even as they retain a longing for God's intended light and order.

Isaiah 59 9 Word analysis

• Therefore (לָכֵן, lachen): This is a strong causal conjunction. It directly establishes that the consequences described in this verse (lack of judgment, absence of justice, experience of darkness) are a direct, logical, and inevitable outcome of the sins detailed in the preceding verses (Isa 59:1-8). It functions as a declarative statement of cause and effect, where their actions have provoked God's withdrawal.
• is judgment (מִשְׁפָּט, mishpat): Refers to divine justice, righteous governance, equitable law, and ethical decisions. In this context, it speaks to the absence of the correct administration of justice in society and, more profoundly, the lack of God's salvific and vindicating judgment acting on their behalf. The mishpat they expect (or deserve from God if they were righteous) is "far from us."
• far from us: Indicates an experience of distance or withholding. The desired divine intervention, equitable societal order, and a sense of God's protective justice are not present within their immediate reality. It implies a sense of abandonment or lack of divine engagement from their perspective due to their unfaithfulness.
• neither doth justice (צְדָקָה, tzedakah): While often translated as "righteousness" in a moral sense, tzedakah also carries the connotation of God's salvific righteousness, vindication, or acts of deliverance. In the prophetic context, it can refer to God's saving intervention to set things right. The implication here is that God's acts of salvation or the righteousness He provides has not "overtaken" or reached them.
• overtake us: To reach or come upon. This signifies that God's desired acts of vindication, blessing, or establishing righteousness have failed to reach the people or make an impact on their lives due to their iniquities. They are not experiencing the tangible benefits of a righteous relationship with God.
• we wait for (וּנְקַוֶּה, unqavveh): From the verb qavah, meaning to eagerly look, hope, or expect with longing. This highlights a persistent but unfulfilled longing on the part of the people. Despite their lamentable state, there is still an anticipation of something better.
• light (לָאוֹר, la'or): Represents divine favor, salvation, spiritual truth, understanding, hope, and God's guiding presence. It is the antithesis of the darkness they experience. It is the spiritual enlightenment and prosperity that accompanies God's presence.
• but behold (וְהִנֵּה, vehinneh): An emphatic particle, often translated as "behold," which signals a sudden, unexpected, or striking contrast to what was hoped for. It introduces the disheartening reality that clashes with their expectation.
• obscurity (חֹשֶׁךְ, choshek): Refers to literal or figurative darkness, gloom, misery, distress, and a state of ignorance or judgment. It directly negates the "light" they hoped for, symbolizing a state devoid of God's blessing, truth, and presence.
• for brightness (לִנֹגָה, linogah): Similar to 'or, referring to shining, splendor, a radiant light, often associated with glory or clearer manifestation. It emphasizes an even greater expectation of God's radiant presence and manifest blessing.
• but we walk (נְהַלֵּךְ, nehallel): From halak, meaning "to walk," often used metaphorically for one's manner of life, conduct, or general experience. It implies a continuous, lived reality.
• in darkness (וְבָאֲפֵלוֹת, uva'afellot): An intensive form of darkness, suggesting deep gloom, thick shadows, or oppressive darkness. It intensifies the reality of their condition, not merely an absence of light, but an active dwelling in profound darkness. This refers to a life characterized by spiritual blindness, moral confusion, and practical misfortune due to sin.

Words-group analysis:

• "Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us": This pairing directly attributes the societal and spiritual lack of equity and salvation to their prior sins. It highlights the divine absence not as God's inability but as a direct consequence of their actions, indicating a judicial and ethical void. They perceive that God's ordering hand is not active for them.
• "we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness": This exhibits strong poetic parallelism and antithesis, a common feature in prophetic literature. It emphasizes the profound spiritual disillusionment: an earnest desire for spiritual clarity, divine truth, and prosperity ("light," "brightness") is consistently met with the opposite reality—a pervasive state of spiritual confusion, moral degradation, and adversity ("obscurity," "darkness"). The switch from passively waiting to actively "walking in darkness" illustrates the immersive, continuous nature of their lamentable condition.

Isaiah 59 9 Bonus section

The collective pronouns "us" and "we" throughout this verse are significant. They underscore a corporate acknowledgment of the national predicament and the shared experience of judgment and darkness. This is not the complaint of a righteous remnant against an evil majority, but a lament from within the collective, indicating a recognition that "we" as a nation are steeped in this spiritual consequence. This shared confession is a vital step toward potential national repentance and spiritual renewal. The vivid imagery of contrasting light and darkness speaks directly to a theological concept central to the Bible: God is light, and sin is darkness (1 John 1:5). This verse emphasizes the antithetical nature of sin to God's character and the inescapable consequences of that opposition in the human experience.

Isaiah 59 9 Commentary

Isaiah 59:9 acts as a solemn lament, acknowledging the profound spiritual and societal decay within Judah directly caused by their own pervasive sinfulness, previously cataloged in detail. The lament expresses a bitter reality: God's righteous judgment and salvific justice are withheld ("far from us," "doth not overtake us"), not because of divine inability, but due to human iniquity. The "Therefore" establishes an inescapable chain of cause and effect: sin inevitably severs the people from the blessings of God's ordered and righteous rule.

Despite their spiritual desolation, the verse reveals a persisting, though unfulfilled, longing within the people for "light" and "brightness"—metaphors for divine presence, truth, prosperity, and the manifestation of God's redemptive power. However, their reality is a harsh contradiction: instead of enlightenment, they encounter "obscurity"; instead of radiant glory, they "walk in darkness." This signifies not just a passive lack of light but an active experience of profound spiritual and moral gloom, characterized by confusion, despair, and an inability to perceive or enact what is good and righteous. It points to a corporate recognition of a national blindness that hinders their path, demonstrating the real-world, daily consequences of a people separated from their covenant God by their unrepented sin. This poignant admission serves as a prelude to God's ultimate declaration in the chapter of His intent to personally intervene (Isa 59:16) where humanity fails, leading to both judgment and ultimate redemption for those who turn to Him.