Isaiah 59:15

Isaiah 59:15

Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.

a. NLT: Yes, truth is gone, and anyone who renounces evil is attacked. The LORD looked and was displeased to find there was no justice.

b. NIV: Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice.

c. YLT: And the truth is lacking, And whoso is turning aside from evil, Is making himself a spoil. And Jehovah seeth, and it is evil in His eyes, That there is no judgment.

d. Amplified Bible: Yes, truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. And the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no justice.

e. Septuagint: And truth has been taken away, and they have turned aside [their] mind from understanding. And the Lord saw it, and it pleased him not that there was no judgment. 

f. Stone Edition Torah/Writings/Prophets: Truth became lacking and refraining from evil seemed foolish. HASHEM saw all theis and it was evil in His eyes that there is no justice.

1. “Yea, truth faileth…”

a. truth [571 * ‘emeth] [Strong: contracted from 539; stability; (figuratively) certainty, truth, trustworthiness:--assured(-ly), establishment, faithful, right, sure, true (-ly, -th), verity.]

b. faileth [5737 * ‘adar] [Strong: a primitive root; to arrange, as a battle, a vineyard (to hoe); hence, to muster and so to miss (or find wanting):--dig, fail, keep (rank), lack.] [Gesenius: to be left behind, to be lacking, to be wanting.]

1). The whole of Isaiah 59:1-15 speaks of apostasy. Each verse speaks of it, what it looks like and what it does. Truth has been left behind, men have departed from it. Truth has been rejected. Truth and falsehood, good and evil have been redefined.

a). Isaiah 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!

2. “…and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey…”

a. he that departeth [5493 * cuwr] [Strong: a primitive root; to turn off (literal or figurative):--be(-head), bring, call back, decline, depart, eschew, get (you), go (aside), X grievous, lay away (by), leave undone, be past, pluck away, put (away, down), rebel, remove (to and fro), revolt, X be sour, take (away, off), turn (aside, away, in), withdraw, be without.] [Gesenius: to turn aside, to go away, to depart]

b. from evil [7451 * ra’] [Strong: from 7489; bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral):-- adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, + displease(-ure), distress, evil((- favouredness), man, thing), + exceedingly, X great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), + mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, + not please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong. (Incl. feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.).

c. maketh himself a prey [7997 * shalal] [Strong: a primitive root; to drop or strip; by implication, to plunder:--let fall, make self a prey, X of purpose, (make a, (take)) spoil.] [Gesenius: to strip off, to spoil, to be spoiled.][Strong: to plunder:--let fall, make self a prey, X of purpose, (make a, (take)) spoil.]

1). One of the faithful signs of true repentance is departing from evil.

a). Matthew 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

2). Here Isaiah writes that those who depart from evil, those who repent make themselves a target to be attacked by those who refuse to depart from evil.

3. “…and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.”

a. the LORD [3068 * Yhovah] [Strong: from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord.]

b. saw [7200 * ra’ah] [Strong: a primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative):--advise self, appear, approve, behold, X certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, X indeed, X joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, X be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), X sight of others, (e-)spy, stare, X surely, X think, view, visions.]

c. displeased him [3415 * yara’] [ Strong: a primitive root; properly, to be broken up (with any violent action) i.e. (figuratively) to fear]  

1). [5869 * ‘ayin] [Strong: probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape):--affliction, outward appearance, + before, + think best, colour, conceit, + be content, countenance, + displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, + favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), X him, + humble, knowledge, look, (+ well), X me, open(-ly), + (not) please, presence, + regard, resemblance, sight, X thee, X them, + think, X us, well, X you(-rselves).]

d. there was no judgment [4941 * mishpat][Strong: a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant's) divine law, individual or collective), including the act, the place, the suit, the crime, and the penalty; abstractly, justice, including a participant's right or privilege (statutory or customary), or even a style:--+ adversary, ceremony, charge, X crime, custom, desert, determination, discretion, disposing, due, fashion, form, to be judged, judgment, just(-ice, -ly), (manner of) law(-ful), manner, measure, (due) order, ordinance, right, sentence, usest, X worthy, + wrong.]

1). There was no justice because men had departed from truth. When those who depart from evil become targets of those who will not depart from evil, then justice becomes rare and God is displeased about the circumstances.