Isaiah 1 · Verse 17

Isaiah 1:17

Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
Isaiah 1:17, King James Version

Isaiah 1:17 in other translations

BSBLearn to do right; seek justice and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.”
WEBLearn to do well. Seek justice. Relieve the oppressed. Defend the fatherless. Plead for the widow.”
ASVlearn to do well; seek justice, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
YLTSeek judgment, make happy the oppressed, Judge the fatherless, strive for the widow.
DARBYlearn to do well: seek judgment, gladden the oppressed, do justice to the fatherless, plead for the widow.
BBETake pleasure in well-doing; let your ways be upright, keep down the cruel, give a right decision for the child who has no father, see to the cause of the widow.
WebsterLearn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

What does Isaiah 1:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
17. seek judgment--justice, as magistrates, instead of seeking bribes (Jr 22:3, 16). judge--vindicate (Psa 68:5; Jas 1:27).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 Relieve the oppressed "Amend that which is corrupted" - אשרו חמוץ asheru chamots. In rendering this obscure phrase I follow Bochart, (Hieroz. Part i., lib. ii., cap. 7), though I am not perfectly satisfied with this explication of it.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 1:16-20

Not only feel sorrow for the sin committed, but break off the practice. We must be doing, not stand idle. We must be doing the good the Lord our God requires. It is plain that the sacrifices of the law could not atone, even for outward national crimes. But, blessed be God, there is a Fountain opened, in which sinners of every age and rank may be cleansed. Though our sins have been as scarlet and crimson, a deep dye…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 1:16-20 →

Isaiah 1:17 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

לִמְד֥וּlim.Du<you> learnH3925
הֵיטֵ֛בhei.Tevto do goodH3190
דִּרְשׁ֥וּdir.ShuseekH1875
מִשְׁפָּ֖טmish.PatjusticeH4941
אַשְּׁר֣וּ'a.she.Ruset rightH833
חָמ֑וֹץcha.Motz[the] oppressorH2541
שִׁפְט֣וּshif.TuvindicateH8199
יָת֔וֹםya.Tom[the] fatherlessH3490
רִ֖יבוּRi.vuconduct a case forH7378
אַלְמָנָֽה\׃\ \ס'al.ma.Nah[the] widowH490

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 1:17

  • 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?

  • Jeremiah 22:3

    Thus saith the Lord; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.

  • Psalms 82:3-4

    Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.

  • Proverbs 31:9

    Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

  • Isaiah 1:23

    Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

  • Zechariah 7:9-10

    Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.

  • Jeremiah 22:15-16

    Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him? He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the Lord.

  • Daniel 4:27

    Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.

  • Zechariah 8:16

    These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:

  • Zephaniah 2:3

    Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
seek.
23; Ps 82:3,4; Pr 31:9; Jer 22:3,15,16; Da 4:27; Mic 6:8; Zep 2:3
Zec 7:9,10; 8:16
relieve. or, righten.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Isaiah 1:16

    Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

  • Isaiah 1:17

    Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

  • Isaiah 1:18

    Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Read all of Isaiah 1

Isaiah 1:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Aprended á hacer bien; buscad juicio, restituid al agraviado, oid en derecho al huérfano, amparad á la viuda.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		apprenez à bien faire; recherchez le juste jugement, rendez heureux l’opprimé; faites droit à l’orphelin, plaidez la cause de la veuve.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Lernet Gutes tun, trachtet nach Recht, leitet den Bedrückten; schaffet Recht der Waise, führet der Witwe Sache!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		discite benefacere; quærite judicium, subvenite oppresso, judicate pupillo, defendite viduam.