Isaiah 64 6

Isaiah 64:6 kjv

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Isaiah 64:6 nkjv

But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

Isaiah 64:6 niv

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

Isaiah 64:6 esv

We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Isaiah 64:6 nlt

We are all infected and impure with sin.
When we display our righteous deeds,
they are nothing but filthy rags.
Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall,
and our sins sweep us away like the wind.

Isaiah 64 verses

Isaiah 64 6 Meaning

This verse profoundly illustrates humanity's inherent sinfulness, describing all our righteous acts as soiled garments, akin to menstrual impurity in Hebrew culture. It conveys that despite our best efforts and good deeds, they are insufficient to cleanse us before a holy God. True righteousness must come from an external source, not our own works.

Isaiah 64 6 Context

This verse appears in the closing chapter of Isaiah, a prophetic book that spans a wide historical period, including prophecies before, during, and after the Babylonian exile. Chapter 64 itself is a prayer offered by the people of Judah, lamenting their sins and their resultant suffering. They cry out to God, acknowledging His power and presence but also confessing their own iniquity and the ways in which they have strayed from Him. The prophet's words here serve as a stark, honest confession of humanity's fallen state and the inadequacy of self-generated righteousness to appease a holy God. The historical context is one of post-exilic or nearing exilic lamentation, where the people are reflecting on their corporate sin and its consequences.

Isaiah 64 6 Word Analysis

• And: Hebrew conjunction (וְ - ve) indicating connection and continuation.

• we: First-person plural pronoun (אֲנַחְנוּ - anachnu), representing the speaker and the community.

• are: Hebrew verb "to be" (הָיָה - hayah), indicating state or existence.

• all: Hebrew adverb/pronoun (כֹּל - kol), emphasizing entirety, completeness.

• as: Hebrew preposition/conjunction (כְּ - ke), indicating similarity or comparison.

• an: Hebrew indefinite article, functioning similarly to English "a" or "an."

• unclean: Hebrew adjective (טָמֵא - tame'), signifying ritual impurity, contamination, defilement.

  • Significance: The word 'tame'' carried significant ritual and spiritual implications in ancient Israel, pointing to anything that rendered a person or object unfit for sacred purposes or divine proximity.

• thing: Hebrew noun (דָּבָר - dabar), meaning word, thing, matter, or affair.

  • Significance: Here, it generalizes the concept of uncleanness to all of their being.

• and: Hebrew conjunction (וְ - ve).

• all: Hebrew adverb/pronoun (כֹּל - kol).

• our: First-person plural possessive pronoun.

• righteousnesses: Hebrew noun (צְדָקָה - tzedakah) in plural form.

  • Transliteration and Meaning: "Tzedakah" means righteousness, justice, or doing what is right. However, in its plural form here, especially contrasted with uncleanness, it implies actions or efforts presented as righteous.
  • Significance: The term "tzedakah" is multifaceted, often encompassing not just personal piety but also social justice and acts of charity. However, when applied to their own efforts for divine acceptance, these acts are declared insufficient.

• are: Hebrew verb "to be" (הָיָה - hayah).

• as: Hebrew preposition/conjunction (כְּ - ke).

• filthy: Hebrew adjective (בְּגָדִים - begadim) used in a specific idiom here. Literally, "clothing," but the context makes it "filthy rags." The specific sense of "filthy" comes from the ensuing phrase.

  • Significance: The use of "clothing" points to that which covers or is worn.

• rags: Hebrew noun (צוֹאָה - tso'ah), meaning excrement, dung, or feces.

  • Transliteration and Meaning: "Tso'ah" refers to bodily waste or excrement.
  • Significance: This is a visceral and graphic image of extreme impurity, far worse than mere ritual defilement. It directly links their deeds to something repulsive and defiling.

• Words-Group Analysis:

  • "we are all as an unclean thing": This collective statement highlights the pervasive nature of sin within the entire community. No individual is exempted.
  • "all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags": This is a powerful indictment of human effort in achieving salvation or divine favor. The juxtaposition of "righteousnesses" (our efforts) with "filthy rags" (excrement) is a devastating critique of any system that relies on human works for justification. It equates their best actions with the most impure and contemptible substances.

Isaiah 64 6 Bonus Section

The specific Hebrew word for "rags" (צוֹאָה - tso'ah) has a direct connection to menstrual impurity and excrement. This makes the comparison exceptionally potent within ancient Near Eastern culture, where such states signified profound ritual uncleanness, demanding separation and cleansing before approaching God. This graphic metaphor underscores that human attempts to appear righteous before God are, in themselves, defiling and offensive to His holiness. It also prefigures the New Testament emphasis that no one is righteous through the works of the Law (Romans 3:20), and that our salvation comes through God's grace by faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9), who alone is truly righteous and whose sacrifice purifies us. The prophet's prayer acknowledges this dire state, preceding his plea for God to rend the heavens and come down (Isaiah 64:1). This anticipation of divine intervention points towards the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, who is God coming down to earth to provide the righteousness that humanity desperately needs and cannot generate on its own.

Isaiah 64 6 Commentary

Isaiah 64:6 presents a fundamental theological truth about human nature and our standing before God. It declares that without divine intervention, all human efforts, however well-intentioned or seemingly moral, are inherently tainted by sin. The imagery of "filthy rags" or "menstrual cloths" (as some translations interpret 'begadim' in this context) powerfully conveys this deep-seated impurity. This isn't to say good deeds are meaningless, but rather that they cannot atone for sin or meet God's perfect standard for acceptance. Our only hope lies in a righteousness that is imputed to us through faith in Christ, a righteousness that God Himself provides, cleansing us from our inherent sinfulness. The New Testament echoes this by stating "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), and that we are justified by faith apart from the works of the law (Romans 3:28).

• Practical Usage: This verse should foster humility. It encourages reliance on God's grace rather than self-reliance for spiritual acceptance. It highlights the need for the cleansing power of Jesus' sacrifice for true righteousness.