Isaiah 59
ืืฉืขืืื ืคืจืง ื ืดื
Section: ื ืืืืื ยท ื ืืืืื ืืืจืื ืื | Book: Isaiah | Chapter: 59 of 66 | Day: 206 of 742
Date: September 5, 2026
ืงืืืื ืขื ืื ืดื
Isaiah 59 answers a question that chapter 58 had already raised and left burning. If the people fast, cry out and are not answered, whose failure is it? The chapter opens by shutting down the easiest explanation with a double negation: behold, the hand of the Lord is not too short to save, nor is His ear too heavy to hear (ืื ืื ืงืฆืจื ืื ืโ ืืืืฉืืข). Rashiโs gloss is a single compressed sentence - the fact that you were not saved is not from the shortness of My hand - and Radak explicitly frames the whole opening as a continuation of the previous chapterโs argument, picking up the peopleโs complaint โwhy did we fast and You did not seeโ and turning it back on them. The diagnosis comes in verse two, in one of the most theologically consequential images in Tanakh: your iniquities have become a separation between you and your God (ืขืื ืืชืืื ืืื ืืืืืืื ืืื ืืื ืืืื ืืืืืื), and your sins have hidden His face from you. Sin is not described here as provoking punishment so much as erecting a partition. The verb ืืืืืืื is the same root used for the divisions of creation and for havdalah - what iniquity does is manufacture separation where there should be relation.
What follows, verses three through eight, is one of the most concentrated catalogues of social corruption in the prophetic literature, and it is organized anatomically. Hands defiled with blood, fingers with iniquity, lips speaking falsehood, tongue muttering treachery; then feet that run to evil, and roads on which there is only ruin and destruction. Every organ of the body has been enlisted. At the center of the catalogue lies the collapse of the courts: no one sues in righteousness and none pleads in faithfulness (ืืื ืงืืจื ืืฆืืง ืืืื ื ืฉืคื ืืืืื ื), because as Metzudat David puts it bluntly, the judges pervert judgment. The imagery of verse five is memorable and grotesque - they hatch viperโs eggs and weave spider webs; whoever eats of their eggs dies, and the crushed egg hatches a snake. Radak reads this as a psychology of premeditation: like a chick that pecks slowly through its shell until it emerges, so do they occupy their hearts with evil thoughts until the thoughts break through into deeds. The spider web supplies the complementary image of futility, which verse six then exploits: their webs will not become a garment, and they will not cover themselves with their works. Cobwebs are the perfect emblem of labor that is both intricate and worthless.
At verse nine the voice shifts abruptly from accusation in the second person to confession in the first person plural, and the effect is startling. โTherefore justice is far from usโ - the people themselves take up the indictment and complete it. They describe their condition in images of blindness: we grope like the blind along a wall, we stumble at noon as in twilight, among the vigorous we are like the dead. We growl like bears and moan like doves, hoping for justice and there is none. Rashi glosses ืืื ื ืืื as an expression of wailing, and Metzudat David explains the groping as a metaphor for the darkness of troubles overwhelming them. Radak reads this whole confessional passage as spoken by the prophet in the voice of the exiles, and connects it to Jeremiahโs โour fathers sinned and are no more, and we have borne their iniquities,โ explaining the length of exile as the compounding of the sins of the fathers with the sins of the children. The confession itself is explicit and unflinching: our transgressions are many before You, and our sins testify against us; we know our iniquities (ืืขืื ืืชืื ื ืืืขื ืื). Metzudat David underlines the force of that last word - they are known to us, we recognize them, we did not commit them unwittingly.
Verses fourteen and fifteen bring the collapse to its lowest point in language that has echoed through Jewish moral discourse ever since: justice is turned back, righteousness stands afar off, truth stumbles in the public square (ืื ืืฉืื ืืจืืื ืืืช), and uprightness cannot enter. Truth is missing, and whoever turns away from evil is despoiled - Rashi reads ืืฉืชืืื as one held to be a madman by the public, so that in a thoroughly corrupt society the person who refuses to participate is not admired but treated as a fool. Radak asks why, of all the failures listed, the verse singles out the absence of justice as what displeased God, and answers that without justice the order of human society collapses altogether and civilization cannot stand; he then cites Chazal that the generation of the Flood transgressed everything, yet their decree was sealed only over chamas, robbery and violence.
The chapterโs turn comes in verse sixteen, and it is one of the most sober statements about redemption anywhere in Isaiah. God saw that there was no man, and was appalled that there was no intercessor (ืืืฉืชืืื ืื ืืื ืืคืืืข); therefore His own arm brought salvation and His righteousness sustained Him. Rashi describes God as standing silent in astonishment, looking for someone to stand in the breach and finding no one, and says plainly that the arm saved โthough we are not worthy to be saved.โ Radak devotes an unusually long comment here to the great question of whether the ingathering of exiles depends on repentance, marshalling the verses from the Torah that make it conditional against this verse and the passages in Yechezkel that make it unconditional, quoting the dispute of Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua and Rabbi Yochananโs dictum that ben David comes only in a generation entirely worthy or entirely guilty, and resolving it by suggesting that most of Israel will repent after they see the first signs of redemption. Verse seventeen then clothes God in armor - He put on righteousness as a breastplate and a helmet of salvation upon His head (ืืืืืฉ ืฆืืงื ืืฉืจืื ืืืืืข ืืฉืืขื ืืจืืฉื), garments of vengeance and a cloak of zeal. Radak reads the two sets of garments as directed to two audiences: the breastplate and helmet, worn only for the duration of a battle, correspond to the salvation of Israel; the robe and garments, worn continually, correspond to the vengeance and zeal that endure.
The last three verses turn from vengeance to universal recognition and then to covenant. From the west they will fear the name of the Lord and from the sunrise His glory; and a redeemer will come to Zion, and to those in Jacob who turn from transgression (ืืื ืืฆืืื ืืืื ืืืฉืื ืคืฉืข ืืืขืงื), a verse whose place in the daily liturgy of uva letzion has made it among the most frequently recited lines of Isaiah. Rashiโs terse comment on it is almost a warning against premature messianic claims: as long as Zion is in ruins, the redeemer has not yet come. The chapterโs closing verse is the covenant itself, and it is remarkable for what it promises. Not land, not sovereignty, not even peace, but words: My spirit that is upon you and My words that I have placed in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspringโs offspring, from now and forever. Rashi reads this as the guarantee that even in exile Torah will not be forgotten from them; Metzudat David identifies the two things guaranteed as the spirit of prophecy and the words of Torah given to be taught; Radak reports the reading of Ibn Ezra that the covenant is the spirit of prophecy, and his own fatherโs view that it is the Torah, which he prefers. A chapter that began by describing a partition built out of iniquity ends with a promise of unbroken transmission through the generations - the one channel between God and Israel that no sin can finally close.
ืคืจืง ื ืดื ยท Chapter 59
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 1
Hebrew:
ืึตึื ืึนืึพืงึธืฆึฐืจึธึฅื ืึทืึพืึฐืึนืึธึื ืึตืืึนืฉืึดึืืขึท ืึฐืึนืึพืึธืึฐืึธึฅื ืืืึฐื ึืึน ืึดืฉืึผึฐืึฝืึนืขึทื
English:
No, GODโs arm is not too short to save, Or ear too dull to hear;
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 2
Hebrew:
ืึผึดึคื ืึดืึพืขึฒืึบื ึนึฝืชึตืืึถืึ ืึธืึฃืึผ ืึทืึฐืึผึดืึดึืื ืึผึตืื ึตืึถึื ืึฐืึตึืื ืึฑืึนืึตืืึถึื ืึฐืึทืึผึนืืืชึตืืึถึื ืึดืกึฐืชึผึดึงืืจืึผ ืคึธื ึดึืื ืึดืึผึถึื ืึดืฉืึผึฐืึฝืึนืขึทื
English:
But your iniquities have been a barrier Between you and your Godโ Your sins have turned the divine face away In refusal to hear you.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 3
Hebrew:
ืึผึดึคื ืึทืคึผึตืืึถืึ ื ึฐืึนืึฒืึฃืึผ ืึทืึผึธึื ืึฐืึถืฆึฐืึผึฐืขืึนืชึตืืึถึื ืึผึถืขึธืึบึื ืฉืึดืคึฐืชึฝืึนืชึตืืึถืึ ืึผึดืึผึฐืจืึผึพืฉืึถึืงึถืจ ืึฐืฉืืึนื ึฐืึถึื ืขึทืึฐืึธึฅื ืชึถืึฐืึผึถึฝืื
English:
For your hands are defiled with crime And your fingers with iniquity. Your lips speak falsehood, Your tongue utters treachery.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 4
Hebrew:
ืึตืืึพืงึนืจึตึฃื ืึฐืฆึถึืึถืง ืึฐืึตึฅืื ื ึดืฉืึฐืคึผึธึื ืึผึถืึฑืืึผื ึธึื ืึผึธืึคืึนืึท ืขึทืึพืชึผึนึืืึผึ ืึฐืึทืึผึถืจึพืฉืึธึืึฐื ืึธืจึฅืึน ืขึธืึธึื ืึฐืืึนืึตึฅืื ืึธึฝืึถืื
English:
No one sues justly Or pleads honestly; They rely on emptiness and speak falsehood, Conceiving wrong and begetting evil.
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 5
Hebrew:
ืึผึตืืฆึตึคื ืฆึดืคึฐืขืึนื ึดืึ ืึผึดืงึผึตึืขืึผ ืึฐืงืึผืจึตึฅื ืขึทืึผึธืึดึืืฉื ืึถืึฑืจึนึืืึผ ืึธืึนืึตึคื ืึดืึผึตึฝืืฆึตืืึถืึ ืึธืึืึผืช ืึฐืึทืึผืึผืจึถึื ืชึผึดืึผึธืงึทึฅืข ืึถืคึฐืขึถึฝืื
English:
They hatch adderโs eggs And weave spider webs; Whoever eats of those eggs will die, And if one is crushed, it hatches out a viper.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 6
Hebrew:
ืงึฝืึผืจึตืืึถืึ ืึนึฝืึพืึดืึฐืึฃืึผ ืึฐืึถึืึถื ืึฐืึนึฅื ืึดืชึฐืึผึทืกึผึืึผ ืึผึฐืึทืขึฒืฉืึตืืึถึื ืึทึฝืขึฒืฉืึตืืึถืึ ืึทึฝืขึฒืฉืึตืึพืึธึืึถื ืึผืคึนึฅืขึทื ืึธืึธึืก ืึผึฐืึทืคึผึตืืึถึฝืื
English:
Their webs will not serve as a garment, What they make cannot serve as clothing; Their deeds are deeds of mischief, Their hands commit lawless acts,
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 7
Hebrew:
ืจึทืึฐืึตืืึถืึ ืึธืจึทึฃืข ืึธืจึปึืฆืึผ ืึดึฝืืึทืึฒืจึืึผ ืึดืฉืึฐืคึผึนึืึฐ ืึผึธึฃื ื ึธืงึดึื ืึทืึฐืฉืึฐืึนึฝืชึตืืึถืึ ืึทืึฐืฉืึฐืึฃืึนืช ืึธึืึถื ืฉืึนึฅื ืึธืฉืึถึืึถืจ ืึผึดืึฐืกึดืึผืึนืชึธึฝืื
English:
Their feet run after evil, They hasten to shed the blood of the innocent. Their plans are plans of mischief, Destructiveness and injury are on their roads.
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 8
Hebrew:
ืึผึถึคืจึถืึฐ ืฉืึธืืึนืึ ืึนึฃื ืึธืึธึืขืึผ ืึฐืึตึฅืื ืึดืฉืึฐืคึผึธึื ืึผึฐืึทืขึฐืึผึฐืืึนืชึธึื ื ึฐืชึดืืึฝืึนืชึตืืึถืึ ืขึดืงึผึฐืฉืึฃืึผ ืึธืึถึื ืึผึนึื ืึผึนืจึตึฃืึฐ ืึผึธึืึผ ืึนึฅื ืึธืึทึืข ืฉืึธืึฝืึนืื
English:
They do not care for the way of integrity, There is no justice on their paths. They make their courses crooked, No one who walks in them cares for integrity.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 9
Hebrew:
ืขึทืึพืึผึตึื ืจึธืึทึคืง ืึดืฉืึฐืคึผึธืึ ืึดืึผึถึื ึผืึผ ืึฐืึนึฅื ืชึทืฉืึผึดืืึตึื ืึผ ืฆึฐืึธืงึธึื ื ึฐืงึทืึผึถึคื ืึธืืึนืจึ ืึฐืึดื ึผึตืึพืึนึืฉืึถืึฐ ืึดื ึฐืึนืึืึนืช ืึผึธืึฒืคึตืึฅืึนืช ื ึฐืึทืึผึตึฝืึฐื
English:
โThat is why redress is far from us, And vindication does not reach us. We hope for light, and lo! there is darkness; For a gleam, and we must walk in gloom.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 10
Hebrew:
ื ึฐืึทืฉืึฐืฉืึธึคื ืึทึฝืขึดืึฐืจึดืืึ ืงึดึืืจ ืึผืึฐืึตึฅืื ืขึตืื ึทึืึดื ื ึฐืึทืฉืึผึตึืฉืึธื ืึผึธืฉืึทึคืึฐื ืึผ ืึทึฝืฆึผืืึณืจึทึืึดืึ ืึผึทื ึผึถึืฉืึถืฃ ืึผึธืึทืฉืึฐืึทื ึผึดึืื ืึผึทืึผึตืชึดึฝืืื
English:
We grope, like the blind along a wall; Like those without eyes we grope. We stumble at noon, as if in darkness; Among the sturdy, we are like the dead.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 11
Hebrew:
ื ึถืึฑืึถึคื ืึทืึผึปืึผึดืืึ ืึผึปืึผึธึื ืึผ ืึฐืึทืึผืึนื ึดึืื ืึธืึนึฃื ื ึถืึฐืึผึถึื ื ึฐืงึทืึผึถึคื ืึทืึผึดืฉืึฐืคึผึธืึ ืึธืึทึืึดื ืึดืืฉืืึผืขึธึื ืจึธืึฒืงึธึฅื ืึดืึผึถึฝื ึผืึผื
English:
We all growl like bears And moan like doves. We hope for redress, and there is none; For victory, and it is far from us.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 12
Hebrew:
ืึผึดึฝืึพืจึทืึผึคืึผ ืคึฐืฉืึธืขึตึืื ืึผึ ื ึถืึฐืึผึถึืึธ ืึฐืึทืึผึนืืืชึตึืื ืึผ ืขึธึฃื ึฐืชึธื ืึผึธึื ืึผ ืึผึดึฝืึพืคึฐืฉืึธืขึตึฃืื ืึผ ืึดืชึผึธึื ืึผ ืึทืขึฒืึบื ึนืชึตึืื ืึผ ืึฐืึทืขึฒื ึฝืึผืื
English:
For our many sins are before You, Our guilt testifies against us. We are aware of our sins, And we know well our iniquities:
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 13
Hebrew:
ืคึผึธืฉืึนึคืขึท ืึฐืึทืึตืฉืึ ืึผึทึฝืืึนืึธึื ืึฐื ึธืกึืึนื ืึตืึทืึทึฃืจ ืึฑืึนืึตึืื ืึผ ืึผึทืึผึถืจึพืขึนึฃืฉืึถืง ืึฐืกึธืจึธึื ืึนืจึงืึน ืึฐืึนืึืึน ืึดืึผึตึื ืึผึดืึฐืจึตืึพืฉืึธึฝืงึถืจื
English:
Rebellion, faithlessness to GOD, And turning away from our God, Planning fraud and treachery, Conceiving lies and uttering them with the throat.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 14
Hebrew:
ืึฐืึปืกึผึทึคื ืึธืืึนืจึ ืึดืฉืึฐืคึผึธึื ืึผืฆึฐืึธืงึธึื ืึตืจึธืึฃืึนืง ืชึผึทืขึฒืึนึื ืึผึดึฝืึพืึธืฉืึฐืึธึคื ืึธึฝืจึฐืืึนืึ ืึฑืึถึืช ืึผื ึฐืึนืึธึื ืึนืึพืชืึผืึทึฅื ืึธืึฝืึนืืย {ืก} ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
English:
And so redress is turned back And vindication stays afar, Because honesty stumbles in the public square And uprightness cannot enter.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 15
Hebrew:
ืึทืชึผึฐืึดึคื ืึธืึฑืึถืชึ ื ึถืขึฐืึผึถึืจึถืช ืึฐืกึธึฅืจ ืึตืจึธึืข ืึดืฉืึฐืชึผืึนืึตึื ืึทืึผึทึงืจึฐื ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืึทืึผึตึฅืจึทืข ืึผึฐืขึตืื ึธึืื ืึผึดืึพืึตึฅืื ืึดืฉืึฐืคึผึธึฝืื
English:
Honesty has been lacking, Whoever turns away from evil is despoiled.โ GOD saw and was displeased That there was no redress.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 16
Hebrew:
ืึทืึผึทืจึฐืึ ืึผึดึฝืึพืึตึฃืื ืึดึืืฉื ืึทืึผึดืฉืึฐืชึผืึนืึตึื ืึผึดึฃื ืึตึฃืื ืึทืคึฐืึผึดึืืขึท ืึทืชึผึคืึนืฉืึทึฝืขึพืืึนึ ืึฐืจึนืขึืึน ืึฐืฆึดืึฐืงึธืชึืึน ืึดึฅืื ืกึฐืึธืึธึฝืชึฐืืึผื
English:
[God] saw that there was nobody else, Gazing long, but no one intervened. Then Godโs own arm did win triumph, The victorious right hand gave support.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 17
Hebrew:
ืึทืึผึดืึฐืึผึทึคืฉื ืฆึฐืึธืงึธืึ ืึผึทืฉืึผึดืจึฐืึธึื ืึฐืึฅืึนืึทืข ืึฐืฉืืึผืขึธึื ืึผึฐืจึนืืฉืึืึน ืึทืึผึดืึฐืึผึทึืฉื ืึผึดืึฐืึตึคื ื ึธืงึธืึ ืชึผึดืึฐืึผึนึืฉืึถืช ืึทืึผึทึฅืขึทื ืึผึทืึฐืขึดึืื ืงึดื ึฐืึธึฝืื
English:
[God] donned victory like a coat of mail, Wearing a helmet of triumphโ Dressing in garments of retribution, Wrapped in zeal like a robe.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 18
Hebrew:
ืึผึฐืขึทึคื ืึผึฐืึปืืึนืชึ ืึผึฐืขึทึฃื ืึฐืฉืึทืึผึตึื ืึตืึธึฃื ืึฐืฆึธืจึธึืื ืึผึฐืึืึผื ืึฐืึนืึฐืึธึืื ืึธืึดืึผึดึืื ืึผึฐืึฅืึผื ืึฐืฉืึทืึผึตึฝืื
English:
According to their deserts, So shall fury be repaid to Godโs foes; Requital shall be made to Godโs enemies, Requital to the distant lands.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 19
Hebrew:
ืึฐืึดึฝืจึฐืึคืึผ ืึดึฝืึผึทืขึฒืจึธืึ ืึถืชึพืฉืึตึฃื ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืึผืึดืึผึดืึฐืจึทืึพืฉืึถึืึถืฉื ืึถืชึพืึผึฐืืึนืึืึน ืึผึดึฝืึพืึธืึคืึนื ืึทื ึผึธืึธืจึ ืฆึธึืจ ืจึฅืึผืึท ืึฐืึนืึธึื ื ึนึฅืกึฐืกึธื ืึฝืึนื
English:
From the west, they shall revere GODโs name, And from the east, the divine Presence. For [God] shall come like a hemmed-in stream That the wind of the ETERNAL drives on;
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 20
Hebrew:
ืึผืึธึคื ืึฐืฆึดืึผืึนืึ ืึผืึนืึตึื ืึผืึฐืฉืึธืึตึฅื ืคึถึืฉืึทืข ืึผึฐืึทึฝืขึฒืงึนึื ื ึฐืึปึื ืึฐืึนืึธึฝืื
English:
[God] shall come as redeemer to Zion, To those in Jacob who turn back from sin โdeclares GOD.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 21
Hebrew:
ืึทืึฒื ึดึื ืึนึฃืืช ืึผึฐืจึดืืชึดึคื ืืึนืชึธืึ ืึธืึทึฃืจ ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืจืึผืึดืึ ืึฒืฉืึถึฃืจ ืขึธืึถึืืึธ ืึผืึฐืึธืจึทึื ืึฒืฉืึถืจึพืฉืึทึฃืึฐืชึผึดึฝื ืึผึฐืคึดึืืึธ ืึนึฝืึพืึธืึกืึผืฉืืึผ ืึดืคึผึดึฉืืึธึฉ ืึผืึดืคึผึดึจื ืึทืจึฐืขึฒืึธึ ืึผืึดืคึผึดึจื ืึถึคืจึทืข ืึทืจึฐืขึฒืึธึ ืึธืึทึฃืจ ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืึตืขึทืชึผึธึื ืึฐืขึทืึพืขืึนืึธึฝืืย {ืก} ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
English:
And this shall be My covenant with them, said GOD: My spirit that is upon you, and the words that I have placed in your mouth, shall not be absent from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your children, nor from the mouth of your childrenโs childrenโsaid GODโfrom now on, for all time.
โถCommentaries (1)