Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easy to miss is that "justice" and "truth" aren't just abstract concepts here, but are personified like people who want to be present but are actively being kept away. They are depicted as figures standing "afar off" or having "fallen" in the public square, unable to enter, highlighting the complete corruption of the justice system where these virtues are literally shut out. This isn't just a lack of justice; it's an active, systemic rejection of it.
Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage comes after the people have confessed their deep sinfulness and the resulting broken relationship with God. Isaiah is articulating their admission of systemic failure: the courts have become corrupt, truth is no longer valued in public life, and justice is absent. This lament sets the stage for God's response, highlighting His desire for righteousness and His sadness over the people's moral decay.
Imagine justice and righteousness as people who are supposed to be working in your city, but they've completely clocked out. That's the picture Isaiah paints.
Isaiah uses a powerful literary device called personification to describe the state of affairs. He speaks of 'justice being turned back' and 'righteousness standing far away.' These aren't just abstract ideas; in the text, they're treated like individuals who should be present and active, especially in the places where decisions are made (like the 'public squares' or city gates mentioned in other commentaries).
Instead of being active participants, they've retreated, like workers refusing to show up for their shift. This vividly illustrates that the community has fundamentally rejected these core virtues, pushing them to the sidelines where they can no longer function.
What happens when truth itself can't even stand up in public? Isaiah shows us the grim reality of a society where honesty is a casualty.
The verse states, 'truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter.' This imagery is incredibly strong.
'Truth' isn't just absent; it has literally fallen. Imagine someone tripping and falling in a busy marketplace – they're exposed, vulnerable, and unable to get up. This suggests that truth isn't just ignored; it's actively overcome and rendered powerless in the very places where it should be defended.
'Uprightness' (or equity) can't even get in. It's barred from entry. This paints a picture of official spaces – courts, assemblies, public forums – that are closed off to any form of honest dealing or integrity. The system itself is designed to exclude what is right.
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
emet · Hebrew Noun
Faithfulness, reliability, and stability. It describes that which is firm, true, and worthy of trust, often rooted in the character of God Himself.
tsedaqah · Hebrew Noun
Conformity to a moral or legal standard, specifically God's standard. It signifies acting in a way that is right before God and other people, encompassing both internal righteousness and external justice.
meysharim · Hebrew Noun
Morally right, straight, or honest. It denotes one whose life is "straight" according to the standard of God's Word.
The prophet Isaiah is speaking into a context of deep social injustice and a breakdown of public morality. The people have experienced national trauma, exile, and the challenges of rebuilding, yet the fundamental issues of fairness and truth in their society remain unaddressed, leading to the cry in this verse.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Invasion of Judah
King Sennacherib of Assyria invades Judah, capturing many cities and besieging Jerusalem. This event created immense anxiety and highlighted the nation's vulnerability.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah, deporting many prominent citizens, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marked the beginning of Judah's decline.
c. 586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem
Babylon destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the remaining population. This was a catastrophic national trauma, leaving a profound sense of loss and a crisis of faith.
c. 538 BC
Return from Exile
Cyrus the Great allows the Judean exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. However, the returnees faced immense challenges and social injustices.
c. 450 BC— this verse
Post-Exilic Social Struggles
After the return from exile, the community in Jerusalem struggled with internal divisions, corruption, and a lack of justice. Prophets like Nehemiah addressed these issues.
This passage echoes Isaiah's lament by condemning Israel's leaders who pervert justice and exploit the vulnerable, showing a consistent theme of societal corruption leading to divine judgment.
Jeremiah 5:1-5Jeremiah describes a similar societal breakdown where 'justice is not found' and 'truth has vanished,' highlighting the pervasive injustice and deceit that characterized Judah, much like in Isaiah's prophecy.
Amos 5:24Amos famously calls for justice and righteousness to 'roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream,' offering a stark contrast to Isaiah's depiction of justice being turned away and unable to enter.
Luke 11:42-44Jesus denounces the Pharisees for prioritizing external religious observance over justice and the love of God, calling them 'woes' for neglecting the weightier matters of the law, which aligns with Isaiah's critique of a society that has lost its moral compass.
cambridgeIsaiah 59:14: "And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter."
14 . The confession, following the same order as the indictment in Isaiah 59:3-4 , proceeds from personal sins to public injustice. judgment and justice ( righteousness ) are not the divine vindication of Israel’s right (as in Isaiah 59:9 ), but the fundamental civic virtues. These, by a bold personification, are conceived as eager to take their rightf…
clarkeIsaiah 59:14: "And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter."
Justice standeth afar off - צדקה tsedakah, righteousness, put here, says Kimchi, for alms to the poor. This casts some light on Matthew 6:1 : "Take heed that you do not your alms," ελεημοσυνην. But the best copies have δικαιοσυνην, righteousness; the former having been inserted in the text at first merely as the explanation of the genuine and original…
What's easy to miss is that "justice" and "truth" aren't just abstract concepts here, but are personified like people who want to be present but are actively being kept away. They are depicted as figures standing "afar off" or having "fallen" in the public square, unable to enter, highlighting the complete corruption of the justice system where these virtues are literally shut out. This isn't just a lack of justice; it's an active, systemic rejection of it.
This passage comes after the people have confessed their deep sinfulness and the resulting broken relationship with God. Isaiah is articulating their admission of systemic failure: the courts have become corrupt, truth is no longer valued in public life, and justice is absent. This lament sets the stage for God's response, highlighting His desire for righteousness and His sadness over the people's moral decay.
This passage comes after the people have confessed their deep sinfulness and the resulting broken relationship with God. Isaiah is articulating their admission of systemic failure: the courts have become corrupt, truth is no longer valued in public life, and justice is absent. This lament sets the stage for God's response, highlighting His desire for righteousness and His sadness over the people's moral decay.
"Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter." — What's easy to miss is that "justice" and "truth" aren't just abstract concepts here, but are personified like people who want to be present but are actively being kept away. They are depicted as f…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026