Isaiah 59:14
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 page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The verse personifies abstract concepts like justice and truth, showing them as if they were individuals desperately trying to enter the public square where disputes were settled, only to be blocked by the pervasive corruption. This isn't just about laws being broken, but about the very qualities of justice and truth being actively excluded from public life.
This passage is part of Isaiah's lament and confession for the sins of his people. Following a description of their widespread iniquity, the prophet now personifies abstract virtues like justice and truth as being unable to function in a corrupt society. The verses immediately before detail the people's transgressions, and those that follow will describe how God views their sin and promises a future Redeemer.
Imagine a courtroom where the guilty walk free and the innocent are condemned. This isn't a distant nightmare; it's the reality Isaiah describes.
Isaiah uses powerful imagery to paint a picture of a society where the very foundations of fairness have crumbled.
Inverted Virtues
This isn't about a lack of laws, but a profound breakdown in their application and spirit. The systems designed to uphold what is right have become instruments of its opposite.
What happens when honesty itself becomes a liability, tripping and falling in the very places it should thrive?
The passage vividly personifies abstract virtues, showing their dire state in the public sphere.
The Public Collapse of Integrity
This paints a picture of societal decay where deception and corruption are rampant, and genuine integrity is an unwelcome stranger.
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 during a time of profound societal breakdown in Judah, likely leading up to or during the Babylonian exile. The verse paints a stark picture of a people who have lost their moral compass, where justice and truth are absent from public life, creating a desperate situation that has led to God's judgment.
c. 700-600 BC
Pre-Exilic Judah
The period leading up to the Babylonian exile, characterized by a decline in faithfulness and social justice among the people of Judah. Prophets like Isaiah warned of impending judgment due to widespread corruption.
597 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon deports King Jehoiachin and many skilled citizens of Judah to Babylon. This event marked the beginning of the end for the Kingdom of Judah.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Second Deportation
The Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and its temple, exiling most of the remaining population. This was a catastrophic event for the Judean people and their identity.
c. 586-538 BC
Babylonian Exile
The Judean people live in exile in Babylon, grappling with their faith and identity. During this time, prophetic voices like Ezekiel and Jeremiah offered messages of hope and future restoration.
This passage echoes Isaiah's lament, describing a society where 'all lay in wait for blood, each hunts his neighbor with a net,' highlighting the pervasive corruption and lack of justice.
Psalm 82:3-4These verses directly address the failure of leaders to uphold justice, stating, 'Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.' This mirrors Isaiah's description of justice being turned away.
Amos 5:10-12Amos powerfully indicts those who 'hate him who reproves in the gate, and detest him who tells the truth,' showing how truth and justice are rejected in public spaces, much like in Isaiah's prophecy.
Jeremiah 5:1This verse describes a similar search for the righteous and truthful in Jerusalem, finding none: 'Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, look and take note! Search her squares, if you can find one who does justice, one who seeks truth, that I may pardon her.'
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…
The verse personifies abstract concepts like justice and truth, showing them as if they were individuals desperately trying to enter the public square where disputes were settled, only to be blocked by the pervasive corruption. This isn't just about laws being broken, but about the very qualities of justice and truth being actively excluded from public life.
This passage is part of Isaiah's lament and confession for the sins of his people. Following a description of their widespread iniquity, the prophet now personifies abstract virtues like justice and truth as being unable to function in a corrupt society. The verses immediately before detail the people's transgressions, and those that follow will describe how God views their sin and promises a future Redeemer.
This passage is part of Isaiah's lament and confession for the sins of his people. Following a description of their widespread iniquity, the prophet now personifies abstract virtues like justice and truth as being unable to function in a corrupt society. The verses immediately before detail the people's transgressions, and those that follow will describe how God views their sin and promises a future Redeemer.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Isaiah 59:14 is available in the Sola app.
539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon, paving the way for the return of the exiles.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus and Return from Exile
Cyrus allows the Judean exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple. This marked the beginning of the Second Temple period.
"Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter." — The verse personifies abstract concepts like justice and truth, showing them as if they were individuals desperately trying to enter the public square where disputes were settled, only to be blocked…
