Isaiah 59 · Verse 16

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.
Isaiah 59:16, King James Version

Isaiah 59:16 in other translations

BSBHe saw that there was no man; He was amazed that there was no one to intercede. So His own arm brought salvation, and His own righteousness sustained Him.
WEBHe saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor. Therefore his own arm brought salvation to him; and his righteousness sustained him.
ASVAnd he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his own arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it upheld him.
YLTAnd He seeth that there is no man, And is astonished that there is no intercessor, And His own arm giveth salvation to Him, And His righteousness--it sustained Him.
DARBYAnd he saw that there was no man, and he wondered that there was no intercessor; and his arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness, it sustained him.
BBEAnd he saw that there was no man, and was surprised that there was no one to take up their cause: so his arm gave salvation, and he made righteousness his support.
WebsterAnd he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation to him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.

What does Isaiah 59:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
16. no man--namely, to atone by his righteousness for the unrighteousness of the people. "Man" is emphatic, as in 1Ki 2:2; no representative man able to retrieve the cause of fallen men (Is 41:28; 63:5, 6; Jr 5:1; Eze 22:30). no intercessor--no one to interpose, "to help ... uphold" (Is 63:5). his arm--(Is 40:10; 51:5). Not man's arm, but His alone (Psa 98:1; 44:3). his righteousness--the "arm" of Messiah. He won the victory for us, not by mere might as God, but by His invincible righteousness, as man having "the Spirit without measure" (Is 11:5; 42:6, 21; 51:8; 53:11; 1Jo 2:1).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 And wondered that there was no intercessor - This and the following verses some of the most eminent rabbins understand as spoken of the Messiah. Kimchi says that Rabbi Joshua ben Levi proposes this objection: "It is written, 'Behold, he will come in the clouds of heaven as the son of man,' Dan 7:13; and elsewhere it is written, 'He cometh lowly, and riding upon an ass,' Zac 9:9. How can these texts be reconciled? Thus: If the Jews have merit, he will come unto them in the clouds of heaven; but if they be destitute of merit, he will come unto them riding upon an ass." Now out of their own mouth they may be condemned. They were truly destitute of all merit when Jesus Christ came into Jerusalem riding upon an ass, according to the letter of the above prophecy; and they neither acknowledged nor received him. And that they were destitute of merit their destruction by the Romans, which shortly followed their rejection of him, sufficiently proves.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 59:16-21
This passage is connected with the following chapters. It is generally thought to describe the coming of the Messiah, as the Avenger and Deliverer of his church. There was none to intercede with God to turn away his wrath; none to interpose for the support of justice and truth. Yet He engaged his own strength and righteousness for his people. God will make his justice upon the enemies of his church and people plainly appear. When the enemy threatens to bear down all without control, then the Spirit of the Lord shall stop him, put him to flight. He that has delivered, will still deliver. A far more glorious salvation is promised to be wrought out by the Messiah in the fulness of time, which all the prophets had in view. The Son of God shall come to us to be our Redeemer; the Spirit of God shall come to be our Sanctifier: thus the Comforter shall abide with the church for ever, John 14:16. The word of Christ will always continue in the mouths of the faithful; and whatever is pretended to be the mind of the Spirit, must be tried by the Scriptures. We must lament the progress of infidelity and impiety. But the cause of the Redeemer shall gain a complete victory even on earth, and the believer will be more than conqueror when the Lord receives him to his glory in heaven.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Isaiah 59:16 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.

וַיַּרְא֙vai.yaR'and he sawH7200
כִּֽי\־ki-thatH3588
אֵ֣ין'einthere notH369
אִ֔ישׁ'Ish[was] anyoneH376
וַיִּשְׁתּוֹמֵ֖םvai.yish.to.Memand he was appalledH8074
כִּ֣יkithatH3588
אֵ֣ין'einthere notH369
מַפְגִּ֑יעַmaf.Gi.a'[was one who] interposedH6293
וַתּ֤וֹשַֽׁעva.To.o.sha'and it gave victoryH3467
לוֹ֙loto him
זְרֹע֔וֹze.ro.'Oown arm hisH2220
וְצִדְקָת֖וֹve.tzid.ka.Toand own righteousness hisH6666
הִ֥יאhi'itH1931
סְמָכָֽתְהוּ\׃se.ma.Kha.te.huit sustained himH5564

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

Cross references for Isaiah 59:16

  • Ezekiel 22:30

    And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

  • Isaiah 64:7

    And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.

  • Psalms 106:23

    Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.

  • Psalms 98:1

    A Psalm. O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.

  • Isaiah 63:3-5

    I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.

  • Isaiah 52:10

    The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

  • Isaiah 41:28

    For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counsellor, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word.

  • Mark 6:6

    And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

  • Genesis 18:23-32

    And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. …

  • Isaiah 50:2

    Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.

  • Jeremiah 5:1

    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.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
he saw.
50:2; 64:7; Ge 18:23-32; Ps 106:23; Jer 5:1; Eze 22:30; Mr 6:6
therefore.
52:10; 63:3-5; Ps 98:1

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

Context

  • 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.

  • Isaiah 59:17

    For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.

Read all of Isaiah 59

Isaiah 59:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y vió que no había hombre, y maravillóse que no hubiera quien se interpusiese; y salvólo su brazo, y afirmóle su misma justicia.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et il vit qu’il n’y avait personne, et il s’étonna de ce qu’il n’y ait pas d’intercesseur; et son bras le sauva, et sa justice le soutint.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und er sah, daß kein Mann da war; und er staunte, daß kein Vermittler vorhanden. Da half ihm sein Arm, und seine Gerechtigkeit, sie unterstützte ihn.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et vidit quia non est vir, et aporiatus est, quia non est qui occurrat; et salvavit sibi brachium suum, et justitia ejus ipsa confirmavit eum.