Chapter 59 This chapter presents a theme common to previous text in the book of Isaiah, namely rebellious Israel. The chapter presents first Israel's rebellious deeds (v. 1-8), the confession of the repentant among rebellious Israel (v. 9-15b), the Lord's response to Israel's actions (v. 15c-21), with v. 21 being presented as the end result of the Lord's activities. This chapter, and its chiastic parallel, both have the Day of the Lord as their subject. This chapter also serves to answer some difficult questions that are frequently posed: Why has God allowed so much evil in the world? Why does God allow war, and disease and injustice and so on? The response in this chapter informs the reader that the Lord refuses to intervene because those suffering are unrighteous as well. The result here is we have a classical covenantal malediction. The Lord's people have lapsed into apostasy and are subsequently punished. Only upon their repentance and return to the Lord are they spared the trials and turmoil of wickedness. So long as they remain in wickedness the Lord turns away from them. This pattern is established in Lev. 26. So, the next time someone tries to blame their misfortune on God or say "I cannot believe in God because there is so much misery in the world", tell them to look a little closer to home for the source and reason for the misery. v1-8 These verses are presented as though Isaiah is answering some charge leveled against the Lord. It is as though Israel is once again in the wilderness with Moses and is questioning him, "Is the Lord with us or not?" (cp. Exod. 17:7). This kind of confrontational tone indicates that Israel feels they have been unfairly treated by the Lord, unjustly abandoned, or that the Lord is too weak and therefore unworthy of being worshipped by them. Isaiah's response to their heretical fault-finding is right to the point: you have no one to blame but yourselves. This response forms an expansion on the question from 58:3a-b where Israel asks "Why aren't you paying attention to our fasts?" (also cp. 40:27). The sins detailed here are similar to the list appearing in 58:3- 9, but Isaiah's comments here are considerably more caustic. See Jer. 9:4-5 for a similar statement indicating social decay. v1 Israel accuses the Lord of not being strong enough to deliver them or of being deaf to their suffering. Isaiah indicates their opinions are incorrect. Compare 50:2, Num. 11:23 for similar statements. v2 Isaiah indicates that there is no weakness in the Lord, but rather it is in His accusers (i.e. apostate Israel). Isaiah faced repeated rejection during his ministry, so he knows the blindness and deafness of Israel. He has seen firsthand the fulfillment of the prediction of 6:9-10 in their deliberate rejection of the Lord's servant. v3a-b We would assume the crime/blood and iniquity referenced here is murder via cross reference with v. 7b. See also 1:15 for a similar statement. v3c-d Similar to Psalmic comments on deceptive speech, cp. Ps. 101:7, 109:2, 120:2. v4-6 Compare 30:12, 32:6-7. v4d "Conceiving wrong and begetting evil", the Hebrew here very much suggests the image of procreation as does the JPS choice of words in the translation. The image intended here is likely that of 57:3. v5-6 Compare the list of evil deeds here with that from Prov. 1:10- 19. The text also indicates the substanceless nature of these evil acts, they accomplish nothing. Consider the usage of the term "vanity" in the KJV rendering of Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes in how it characterizes the meaninglessness of the carnal nature in man, cf. Ps. 7:14, 12:3-4, 41:7, 144:8, Prov. 21:6, Eccl. 1:14. See also Ezek. 13:8 and Zech. 10:2. v5 Some of the text from the Qumran scrolls presents an interpretation on this verse as being evil conniving words and plots, or spoken abominations, see _The Dead Sea Scrolls in English_ by G. Vermes, page 86. v5d If one attempts to smash the eggs hatched by these wicked men, the result is they produce an even more venomous viper. The theme here is probably along the lines of Prov. 9:7-8. v7-8 The general description here is similar to that found in ch. 28 where the "drunkards of Ephraim" are the target. v7 Paul quotes part of this verse in Romans 3:15-16. v8a Compare 26:10. v9-15b The repentant among Israel confess their sins. Notice the threefold repetition in v. 9a-b, 11c-d and 14a-b on the lack of redress (Heb:mishpat) and vindication/victory (Heb:sedaqa/?). Recall the triple repeat is the method of establishing a superlative in Hebrew, cf. 6:3. This group acknowledges Isaiah's statements from v. 1-8 and confesses that his assessment is accurate three times over to emphasize their penitence. This indicates how the repentant behave when rebuked by the Lord's prophet. Unlike the rebellious, this group confesses their guilt. One might assume that the lack of redress and vindication would mean that there was a lack of intervention on the Lord's part. But, v. 15c-d indicates that this lack of redress and vindication is in fact on the part of Israel. These things are not found among Israel because the people are not standing up for what is right and just. v9-10 Compare 63:15. v9c-d On the imagery of light and darkness cp. 50:10-11, Jer. 14:19. v10 For references regarding blindness cp. 6:9-10, 29:10 (ct. 29:18), 30:9-10, 42:18-20, 43:8, Deut. 28:29, Jer. 8:16, Lam. 4:17, Amos 5:18- 20. v10d "like the dead", compare 8:19-22. Also note the JPS emendation in the footnotes established by synthetical parallel. v11a-b The reference to growling like a bear is unparalleled in the scriptures. The only other ref. to a bear in Isa. is 11:7. A similar reference to the mourning like a dove is found in 38:14. v12 The WB states, "The accumulation of words for 'sin' is very noticeable: `few chapters in the Bible are so rich and diverse in their vocabulary of sin (cf. Ps. 51)'.... Taken by itself, v. 12 confesses sin with a directness and seriousness such as we find in Ps. 51 or Ps. 90, of which there are even reminiscences in various words and phrases used.... The two [sections 12a-b and 12c-d] are coordinated as follows: v. [12a-b] depicts the grievousness or actual presence of sin, while [12c-d] expresses the consciousness of it, the sinner's admission of guilt." Thus, the repentant here are characterized by Isaiah as truly mourning. We may assume these people are some of those described in v. 1-8 who were formerly in denial over their condition. See also 64:6-7. v14 Compare 48:18. v15b "He who turns away from evil is despoiled", i.e., the repentant one among Israel who tries to be just and do good is despoiled by the unrepentant majority. v15c-20 The Lord's response to Israel's activities. v15c-d indicates the "redress" the Lord was looking for was individual acts of justice and vindication performed by the people among Israel, not by the Lord. The Lord looked at Israel and saw that it was wholly corrupt as in Isaiah's description in v. 1-8, also cp. 10:1-2. v16a-b The Lord looked for Israel to be righteous, but He could not find a single one. For similar statements cp. 50:2, 63:5 and 12. Also see 3:6-7. v16c-d Given the preceding text indicates a complete lack of anyone able or willing to do what is just or right it seems unlikely that this character would be any other than the Lord Himself. The subsequent text portrays the Lord as preparing Himself for war and as being the redeemer to repentant Israel. The chiastic counter in ch. 63 would also push for this character being the Lord. Also cp. 52:10. v17 The AB renders this verse: He put on righteousness like a coat of mail, and the helmet of salvation was on his head; Garments of vengeance are his dress, and he wrapped himself in jealousy like a mantle. Then states, "The text is commonly emended by the omission of "tilboset", "garment", a hapax legomenon, as a gloss. D. N. Freeman suggests that a rare word is probably not used as a gloss; and that the omission of "wayyilbas", "he put on" at the beginning of the line as a dittography from the preceding line gives an almost perfect chiastic structure for the four cola of this verse. This reading is unquestionably superior." Compare the description here with that found in the chiastic parallel, 63:1-4. See also 34:5-7, 42:13-15, 52:10, Exod. 15:3. Paul probably used this verse as a source for his references to the christian armor referenced in Eph. 6:14-17 and 1 Thes. 5:8. See also D&C 27:15-18. v18 The chapter has by and large been aimed at the rebellious among Israel, but this verse broadens the indictment by saying the Lord will take vengeance all of His enemies even in distant lands. v19 The Assyrian onslaught is similarly described in 8:7-8 and Assyria is called a tool in the Lord's hand in ch. 10. Joel also develops a similar theme in Joel 1-2:11. See also 30:27-28. v19a-b "west", "east", the thought here appears to be more along the lines of complete coverage, all nations, all points of the compass rather than any particular nation. v19d "wind", the JPS renders the Hebrew "ruah" as "wind" but it can also be rendered "spirit". v20-21 Paul partially quotes these verses and places them in an eschatological setting in Romans 11:25-27. v20 As the verse states clearly the Lord will be a Redeemer to those who turn back from sin. Who are these? These are the people described in v. 9-15c who confess their sins when rebuked by the prophet. Compare 1:27. v21 The end result of the Lord's work (i.e. the destruction of the wicked and the redemption of the repentant), the millennial day. This verse serves to segue into the substance of ch. 60 very nicely. Note the JPS footnotes on this verse, they indicate the translators consider this v. to be eschatological. For similar statements cp. 51:16, Num. 11:29, Jer. 31:33-34, Ezek. 36:26-27.