Isaiah 5:20
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse isn't just about mistakenly swapping good and bad; it points to a deliberate reversal, a deep-seated corruption where wrong is not just tolerated but celebrated, and right is dismissed or attacked. It highlights how easily our moral compass can become so warped that we actively champion what is destructive and despise what is life-giving.
Isaiah has just finished describing the consequences of Israel's greed and luxurious living, detailing how their actions have brought about God's judgment. This verse introduces a new woe, focusing on a profound moral and spiritual corruption where people deliberately distort right and wrong, preferring falsehood and sin over truth and righteousness. This perversion sets the stage for further prophecies about God's judgment on those who have lost their moral compass.
Have you ever felt like the world's moral compass is spinning wildly? Isaiah calls out a specific danger: when right and wrong get flipped.
The Core Problem: Reversed Morality
Isaiah 5:20 paints a stark picture of a society that has lost its grip on truth. The prophet uses powerful, contrasting pairs – evil/good, darkness/light, bitter/sweet – to highlight this deep-seated confusion.
This isn't just about making a mistake; it's about a deliberate twisting of values. It’s calling what is harmful and destructive,
Why would anyone choose darkness over light? Isaiah reveals it's a choice that comes with devastating consequences, masking danger as safety.
Embracing Error as Truth
The metaphor of 'darkness for light' speaks to a profound deception. Light in Scripture represents truth, understanding, and God's presence. Darkness symbolizes ignorance, error, and sin.
When people call evil good, they are essentially choosing darkness. They mistake harmful ideologies, destructive behaviors, or false teachings for something beneficial and true. This inversion makes it impossible to navigate life’s challenges with wisdom because the very tools for discernment have been corrupted.
We all crave what's sweet and good in life. But Isaiah warns that confusing the two can lead us to embrace what is ultimately destructive.
The Illusion of Pleasure, The Reality of Pain
The contrast between 'bitter' and 'sweet' highlights the deceptive nature of sin. What might seem appealing or pleasant in the moment – perhaps a quick gain, an easy way out, or a forbidden pleasure – is in reality 'bitter.' It carries a painful consequence, a spiritual poison.
Conversely, what might seem difficult or 'bitter' at first – obedience to God, self-discipline, or repentance – is truly 'sweet.' It leads to life, peace, and lasting joy. This verse calls us to re-evaluate our desires and recognize that true sweetness is found in God's ways, not in the fleeting allurements of evil.
Understand the original words
ra · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
Anything that is morally corrupt, wicked, or ethically deficient, standing in opposition to the nature and will of God.
tob · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
That which conforms to the nature of God; it is morally excellent, beneficial, and acceptable in His sight.
choshek · Hebrew Noun
A symbol of ignorance, secrecy, sin, and separation from God; it is the absence of divine revelation or moral truth.
or · Hebrew Noun
A symbol of God’s presence, truth, holiness, and revelation; it exposes sin and guides the righteous in the way of life.
The people of Judah, living in a time of political turmoil and spiritual decay, were actively choosing to twist right and wrong. This verse highlights a dangerous moral blindness where societal leaders and influencers were reversing God's clear standards, leading them further into destruction.
c. 740 BC— this verse
Isaiah Prophesies in Judah
Isaiah begins his prophetic ministry during a time of relative peace and prosperity in Judah, but also amidst growing social injustice and spiritual complacency.
c. 734-732 BC
Syro-Ephraimite War
The northern kingdom of Israel (Ephraim) and Syria attack Judah. King Ahaz of Judah, despite Isaiah's counsel, seeks military aid from Assyria, leading to Judah becoming a vassal state.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom of Israel, exiling its people and scattering them. This event serves as a stark warning to Judah about the consequences of disobedience.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Invasion of Judah
King Sennacherib of Assyria invades Judah, conquering many cities and besieging Jerusalem. Though Jerusalem is miraculously spared, Judah is severely weakened.
This passage echoes Isaiah's warning by describing people who, because they 'did not see fit to acknowledge God,' were 'given over to a debased mind' to do what is improper, mirroring the willful confusion of good and evil.
Proverbs 17:15This proverb directly parallels the confusion of good and evil, stating, 'He who justifies the wicked and condemns the righteous is an abomination to the Lord,' highlighting the moral inversion Isaiah condemns.
Matthew 23:25-28Jesus confronts the religious leaders of His day for their hypocrisy, calling them 'blind guides' who meticulously clean the outside of cups but are full of greed and self-indulgence. This demonstrates a similar outward appearance of righteousness while inwardly being corrupt, a form of calling evil good.
1 John 4:4This verse offers a hopeful counterpoint, reminding believers that 'he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.' It empowers us to discern truth from error, light from darkness, which is crucial when facing the kind of moral confusion Isaiah describes.
gillIsaiah 5:20: "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil,.... That call evil actions good, and good actions evil; that excuse the one, and reproach the other; or that call evil men good, and good men evil; to which the Targum agrees. Some understand this of false prophets rejecting the true worship of God, and recommending false worship;…
barnesIsaiah 5:20: "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"
Wo unto them that call evil good ... - This is the fourth class of sins denounced. The sin which is reprobated here is that of "perverting and confounding" things, especially the distinctions of morality and religion. They prefer erroneous and fake doctrines to the true; they prefer an evil to an upright course of conduct. The Cha…
This verse isn't just about mistakenly swapping good and bad; it points to a deliberate reversal, a deep-seated corruption where wrong is not just tolerated but celebrated, and right is dismissed or attacked. It highlights how easily our moral compass can become so warped that we actively champion what is destructive and despise what is life-giving.
Isaiah has just finished describing the consequences of Israel's greed and luxurious living, detailing how their actions have brought about God's judgment. This verse introduces a new woe, focusing on a profound moral and spiritual corruption where people deliberately distort right and wrong, preferring falsehood and sin over truth and righteousness. This perversion sets the stage for further prophecies about God's judgment on those who have lost their moral compass.
Isaiah has just finished describing the consequences of Israel's greed and luxurious living, detailing how their actions have brought about God's judgment. This verse introduces a new woe, focusing on a profound moral and spiritual corruption where people deliberately distort right and wrong, preferring falsehood and sin over truth and righteousness. This perversion sets the stage for further prophecies about God's judgment on those who have lost their moral compass.
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"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" — This verse isn't just about mistakenly swapping good and bad; it points to a deliberate reversal, a deep-seated corruption where wrong is not just tolerated but celebrated, and right is dismissed o…
