Isaiah 59 · Verse 15

Isaiah 59:15

Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.
Isaiah 59:15, King James Version

Isaiah 59:15 in other translations

BSBTruth is missing, and whoever turns from evil becomes prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice.
WEBYes, truth is lacking; and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.
ASVYea, truth is lacking; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey. And Jehovah saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.
YLTAnd the truth is lacking, And whoso is turning aside from evil, Is making himself a spoil. And Jehovah seeth, and it is evil in His eyes, That there is no judgment.
DARBYAnd truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey. And Jehovah saw it, and it was evil in his sight that there was no judgment.
BBEYes, faith is gone; and he whose heart is turned from evil comes into the power of the cruel: and the Lord saw it, and he was angry that there was no one to take up their cause.
WebsterYes, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.

What does Isaiah 59:15 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
15. faileth--is not to be found. he that departeth ... prey--He that will not fall in with the prevailing iniquity exposes himself as a prey to the wicked (Psa 10:8, 9). Lord saw it--The iniquity of Israel, so desperate as to require nothing short of Jehovah's interposition to mend it, typifies the same necessity for a Divine Mediator existing in the deep corruption of man; Israel, the model nation, was chosen to illustrate his awful fact.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 15 And the Lord saw it "And Jehovah saw it" - This third line of the stanza appears manifestly to me to be imperfect by the loss of a phrase. The reader will perhaps more perfectly conceive my idea of the matter if I endeavor to supply the supposed defect, I imagine it might have stood originally in this manner: - לו ויחר יהוה וירא lo veyachar Yehovah vaiyar משפט אין כי בעיניו וירע mishpat ein ki beeyinaiv veyera "And Jehovah saw it, and he was wroth; And it displeased him, that there was no judgment." We have had already many examples of mistakes of omission; this, if it be such, is very ancient, being prior to all the versions. - L.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 59:9-15

If we shut our eyes against the light of Divine truth, it is just with God to hide from our eyes the things that belong to our peace. The sins of those who profess themselves God's people, are worse than the sins of others. And the sins of a nation bring public judgments, when not restrained by public justice. Men may murmur under calamities, but nothing will truly profit while they reject Christ and his gospel.

Read the full comment on Isaiah 59:9-15 →

Isaiah 59:15 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.

וַתְּהִ֤יva.te.Hiand it wasH1961
הָֽאֱמֶת֙ha.'e.Met<the> truthH571
נֶעְדֶּ֔רֶתne'.De.retlackingH5737
וְסָ֥רve.Sarand [one who] turned asideH5493
מֵרָ֖עme.Ra'from evilH7451
מִשְׁתּוֹלֵ֑לmish.to.Lel[was] plunderedH7997
וַיַּ֧רְאvai.Yar'and he sawH7200
יְהוָ֛הYah.wehYahwehH3068
וַיֵּ֥רַעvai.Ye.ra'and it was displeasingH7489
בְּעֵינָ֖יוbe.'ei.Navin view hisH5869
כִּֽי\־ki-thatH3588
אֵ֥ין'einthere notH369
מִשְׁפָּֽט\׃mish.Pat[was] justiceH4941

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

Cross references for Isaiah 59:15

  • Micah 7:2

    The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.

  • Hebrews 11:36-38

    And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

  • Jeremiah 7:28

    But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.

  • 1 John 3:11-12

    For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

  • Romans 8:36

    As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

  • Psalms 5:9

    For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.

  • Jeremiah 5:1-2

    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. And though they say, The Lord liveth; surely they swear falsely.

  • Psalms 12:1-2

    To the chief Musician upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David. Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men. They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.

  • Isaiah 48:1

    Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness.

  • Mark 3:21

    And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.

  • Acts 9:23

    And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:

  • 2 Corinthians 5:13

    For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
truth.
48:1; Ps 5:9; 12:1,2; Jer 5:1,2; 7:28; Ho 4:1,2; Mic 7:2
he that.
Hab 1:13,14; Ac 9:1,23; Ro 8:36; Heb 11:36-38; 1Jo 3:11,12
maketh himself a prey. or, is accounted mad.
2Ki 9:11; Jer 29:26; Ho 9:7; Mr 3:21; Joh 8:52; 10:20; Ac 26:24
2Co 5:13
displeased him. Heb. was evil in his eyes.
Ge 38:10; 2Sa 11:27; 2Ch 21:7; *marg:

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

Context

  • Isaiah 59:14

    And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.

  • Isaiah 59:15

    Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.

  • Isaiah 59:16

    And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.

Read all of Isaiah 59

Isaiah 59:15 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y la verdad fué detenida; y el que se apartó del mal, fué puesto en presa: y viólo Jehová, y desagradó en sus ojos, porque pereció el derecho.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et la vérité fait défaut, et celui qui se retire du mal devient une proie. Et l’ Éternel l’a vu: et ce fut mauvais à ses yeux qu’il n’y ait pas de juste jugement.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und die Wahrheit wird vermißt; und wer das Böse meidet, setzt sich der Beraubung aus. Und Jehova sah es, und es war böse in seinen Augen, daß kein Recht vorhanden war.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et facta est veritas in oblivionem, et qui recessit a malo, prædæ patuit. Et vidit Dominus, et malum apparuit in oculis ejus, quia non est judicium.