We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse doesn't just call our good deeds "filthy rags," it uses a term that specifically refers to garments made unclean by bodily fluids. This intense imagery highlights how our supposed "righteousness" is utterly contaminated and unusable before God, not because good deeds are inherently bad, but because our sin taints everything we do.
We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet is speaking on behalf of the people of Israel, confessing their deep sinfulness and acknowledging God's righteous judgment. Following a powerful prayer of lament and a plea for God to return and renew them, Isaiah declares that their own "righteous deeds" are utterly insufficient to save them from their corrupted state. This verse serves as a stark admission of their spiritual bankruptcy, immediately preceding a plea for God's intervention based on His own covenant faithfulness, not their merit.
Have you ever done something you thought was really good, only to realize later it was flawed or even harmful? Isaiah uses incredibly strong imagery to describe how even our best actions fall short in God's eyes.
The Problem of 'Righteous Deeds'
Isaiah doesn't just say their sins were bad; he says their righteous deeds were like filthy rags. This is a profound statement. It doesn't mean that doing good is wrong, but that when we try to save ourselves or earn God's favor through our own efforts, our 'goodness' is tainted.
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We all experience the fleeting nature of life – beauty fades, strength wanes. Isaiah connects this natural decay to the destructive power of our sins.
Fading Like a Leaf, Swept by Wind
Isaiah uses two powerful images to capture human weakness and the consequence of sin:
Fading Like a Leaf: This speaks to the transience of human life and strength. Just as leaves in autumn lose their vibrancy and fall, so do our abilities, our health, and eventually our lives. There's a sense of inherent mortality and decay in our natural state.
Iniquities Like the Wind: This image portrays the active, destructive force of sin. Our wrongdoings aren't just passive flaws; they are like a powerful wind that sweeps us away. This wind can represent:
Understand the original words
tame' · Hebrew Adjective
Refers to a state of being ritually or morally unfit to approach God or participate in communal worship, often caused by sin, disease, or contact with death. In a theological sense, it signifies the comprehensive separation between fallen humanity and a holy God.
tsedaqah · Hebrew Noun
Refers to actions performed in accordance with God's law. In the context of human sinfulness, even acts that appear good are considered insufficient or tainted when compared to the absolute perfection of God's holiness.
avon · Hebrew Noun
A metaphor for human rebellion and violation of God’s law. It carries the weight of guilt and perversion, signifying that humans have missed the mark of God's standard and thus deserve judgment.
This passage, likely written during Isaiah's ministry, reflects a profound awareness of sin's corruption. It speaks to the people's spiritual condition both before the Babylonian exile and the lingering sense of impurity and brokenness that would follow their return and the rebuilding of the Temple. The imagery vividly portrays how deeply ingrained sin makes all human efforts, even good deeds, utterly inadequate before a holy God.
c. 740 BC— this verse
Isaiah's Prophetic Ministry
Isaiah delivers prophecies during a time of significant political and social upheaval in Judah, including threats from Assyria.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Fall of Northern Kingdom
The capital of the northern kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrians, leading to the exile of its people and the scattering of the ten tribes.
c. 701 BC
Sennacherib's Invasion of Judah
The Assyrian king Sennacherib invades Judah, conquering many cities and besieging Jerusalem, though the city is miraculously spared.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and First Temple
The Babylonian Empire, under Nebuchadnezzar II, destroys Jerusalem and the First Temple, exiling many Judeans to Babylon.
c. 539 BC
Cyrus the Great's Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon, allowing exiled peoples, including the Judeans, to return to their homelands.
c. 516 BC
Dedication of the Second Temple
The Second Temple is dedicated in Jerusalem, marking the return of Jewish worship after the Babylonian exile.
This passage echoes Isaiah's sentiment by stating that 'all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,' directly paralleling the idea that everyone, and even their good deeds, are corrupted by sin.
Luke 18:9-14Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector highlights the contrast between self-righteousness and humble repentance. The Pharisee's pride in his 'righteous deeds' is rebuked, much like Isaiah's critique of Israel's 'filthy rags.'
Philippians 3:7-9Paul describes his own former reliance on his heritage and adherence to the law as 'loss' and 'rubbish' compared to knowing Christ. This powerfully illustrates Isaiah's point that even the most esteemed 'righteous deeds' are worthless before God without Christ.
Psalm 90:5-6This Psalm uses a similar metaphor of fading to describe human life, comparing people to grass that sprouts in the morning and withers by evening. It complements Isaiah's image of fading like a leaf, emphasizing the transience and frailty of human existence apart from God.
Galatians 3:10This verse declares that 'all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse,' directly supporting Isaiah's assessment of human righteousness as inadequate and ultimately corrupting when used as a basis for standing before God.
barnesIsaiah 64:6: "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."
But we are all as an unclean thing - We are all polluted and defiled. The word used here (טמא ṭâmē'), means properly that which is polluted and defiled in a Levitical sense; that is, which was regarded as polluted and abominable by the law of Moses Leviticus 5:2 ; Deuteronomy 14:19 , and may refer to animals,…
gillIsaiah 64:6: "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."
But we are all as an unclean thing,.... Or "we have been" (t); so all men are in a state of nature: man was made pure and holy, but by sinning became impure; and this impurity is propagated by natural generation, and belongs to all, none are free from it; and there is no cleansing from it but by the grace of God a…
The verse doesn't just call our good deeds "filthy rags," it uses a term that specifically refers to garments made unclean by bodily fluids. This intense imagery highlights how our supposed "righteousness" is utterly contaminated and unusable before God, not because good deeds are inherently bad, but because our sin taints everything we do.
The prophet is speaking on behalf of the people of Israel, confessing their deep sinfulness and acknowledging God's righteous judgment. Following a powerful prayer of lament and a plea for God to return and renew them, Isaiah declares that their own "righteous deeds" are utterly insufficient to save them from their corrupted state. This verse serves as a stark admission of their spiritual bankruptcy, immediately preceding a plea for God's intervention based on His own covenant faithfulness, not their merit.
The prophet is speaking on behalf of the people of Israel, confessing their deep sinfulness and acknowledging God's righteous judgment. Following a powerful prayer of lament and a plea for God to return and renew them, Isaiah declares that their own "righteous deeds" are utterly insufficient to save them from their corrupted state. This verse serves as a stark admission of their spiritual bankruptcy, immediately preceding a plea for God's intervention based on His own covenant faithfulness, not their merit.
"We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away." — The verse doesn't just call our good deeds "filthy rags," it uses a term that specifically refers to garments made unclean by bodily fluids. This intense imagery highlights how our supposed "righteou…
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Last reviewed October 2026