Isaiah 64:6
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)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
While we often think of "righteous deeds" as good, the verse says even our best efforts are like a polluted garment, so useless and even offensive that they can't cover our sin. This highlights that our own attempts at goodness are insufficient to bridge the gap to God, a profound truth about our desperate need for His grace.
The prophet Isaiah is confessing the deep sinfulness of God's people, acknowledging that their state is so corrupted they are like lepers or anything unclean under the Law. Even their attempts at righteousness, like their prayers and good deeds, are tainted by sin and utterly inadequate to save them. This admission of total defilement and fading spiritual vitality, caused by their transgressions, sets the stage for a desperate plea for God to intervene and renew them.
When we look honestly at ourselves, what do we see? Isaiah paints a stark picture of humanity's condition, stripped of all pretense.
The prophet Isaiah doesn't hold back. He declares that 'we have all become like one who is unclean.' This isn't just a surface-level problem; it's a deep-seated spiritual impurity. Think of the Levitical laws concerning uncleanness—they signaled separation from God's presence. Isaiah uses this powerful imagery to show that, left to ourselves, we are in a state of separation from God.
He further illustrates this with the image of fading like a leaf. Just as a vibrant green leaf withers and falls away in autumn, our vitality, our strength, and our very existence are temporary and prone to decay when disconnected from the life-giving source.
We often try to be 'good people' and do 'good things.' But what does God say about our best efforts?
Isaiah delivers a shocking assessment of our 'righteous deeds.' He says they are 'like a polluted garment.' This isn't a small flaw; it's a complete disqualification. The imagery points to something ritually impure, perhaps like the garments worn by a menstruous woman or something similarly defiled and unusable.
Our attempts to be good in our own strength, our religious observances, our moral actions – when separated from God's grace and power – are not just inadequate; they are offensive. They don't bring us closer to God; they actually highlight our impurity and inability to reach Him on our own merits.
Beyond our fading lives and flawed deeds, there's the driving force of our wrongdoings. What power do they hold over us?
Finally, Isaiah connects our corruption and decay to the power of our 'iniquities.' He uses the vivid image of our sins being like the wind that 'takes us away.' This isn't a gentle breeze; it implies a force that sweeps us up, disorients us, and carries us away from our rightful place and purpose.
Our sins don't just sit passively; they actively propel us further into spiritual desolation. They can lead us into destructive paths, separating us from God's presence and guidance, much like a leaf caught in a gale has no control over its direction. This wind of iniquity signifies the powerful, destructive momentum of sin in our lives.
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.
The prophet Isaiah penned these words during a period of intense national crisis, likely amidst the devastating Assyrian or Babylonian invasions. The verse starkly contrasts the people's perceived good deeds with their inherent sinfulness, especially in light of their present suffering which they recognized as a consequence of their iniquities.
Late 8th Century BC
Assyrian Invasions
The northern kingdom of Israel falls to Assyria, and many Israelites are exiled. The southern kingdom of Judah is repeatedly invaded and subjected to tribute.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah, beginning the deportations of its people and treasures to Babylon.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
More Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, are exiled to Babylon.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple
Babylon destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the majority of the remaining population. This marks a devastating low point for Judah.
This passage echoes Isaiah's stark assessment of human sinfulness by stating, 'None is righteous, no, not one.' It emphasizes the universal nature of our fallen state, which Isaiah paints vividly with the images of uncleanness and fading leaves.
Philippians 3:8-9Paul's declaration that he counts all his own achievements and 'righteousnesses' as loss for Christ directly parallels Isaiah's description of our best deeds being like 'filthy rags.' Both passages highlight the inadequacy of human effort apart from God's grace.
Jeremiah 17:1This verse speaks of sin being written 'with a pen of iron' and 'with the point of a diamond,' indicating its deep, indelible mark on the human heart. This resonates with Isaiah's imagery of iniquities that powerfully and irrepressibly carry people away like the wind.
Romans 6:23The stark consequence of sin, 'the wages of sin is death,' is the grim undertone to Isaiah's lament. The fading leaf and the cleansing impurity point to a perishable existence and a deep need for divine intervention, which Paul explains is eternal life in Christ.
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…
While we often think of "righteous deeds" as good, the verse says even our best efforts are like a polluted garment, so useless and even offensive that they can't cover our sin. This highlights that our own attempts at goodness are insufficient to bridge the gap to God, a profound truth about our desperate need for His grace.
The prophet Isaiah is confessing the deep sinfulness of God's people, acknowledging that their state is so corrupted they are like lepers or anything unclean under the Law. Even their attempts at righteousness, like their prayers and good deeds, are tainted by sin and utterly inadequate to save them. This admission of total defilement and fading spiritual vitality, caused by their transgressions, sets the stage for a desperate plea for God to intervene and renew them.
The prophet Isaiah is confessing the deep sinfulness of God's people, acknowledging that their state is so corrupted they are like lepers or anything unclean under the Law. Even their attempts at righteousness, like their prayers and good deeds, are tainted by sin and utterly inadequate to save them. This admission of total defilement and fading spiritual vitality, caused by their transgressions, sets the stage for a desperate plea for God to intervene and renew them.
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 64:6 is available in the Sola app.
c. 539 BC
Edict of Cyrus
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon and issues a decree allowing exiled peoples, including the Jews, to return to their homelands.
c. 516 BC
Dedication of the Second Temple
Exiles return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple, marking a significant step in the restoration of Jewish worship and community.
"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." — While we often think of "righteous deeds" as good, the verse says even our best efforts are like a polluted garment, so useless and even offensive that they can't cover our sin. This highlights that…
