Isaiah 59:2

Isaiah 59:2

But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

a. NLT: It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away. and will not listen anymore.

b. NIV: But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

c. YLT: But your iniquities have been separating Between you and your God, And your sins have hidden The Presence from you -- from hearing.

d. Amplified Bible: But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.

e. Septuagint: Nay, your iniquities separate between you and God, and because of your sins has he turned away [his] face from you, so as not to have mercy [upon you]

f. Stone Edition Torah/Writings/Prophets: rather, your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your transgressions have caused [Him] to hide [His] countenance from you, from hearing [you].

1. “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God…”

a. but your iniquities [5771 * ‘avon] [Strong: from 5773; perversity, i.e. (moral) evil:--fault, iniquity, mischeif, punishment (of iniquity), sin.] [Gesenius: perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity, iniquity, guilt of iniquity, guilt (as great), guilt (of condition), consequence of or punishment for iniquity.]

b. have separated [914 * badal] [Strong: a primitive root; to divide (in variation senses literally or figuratively, separate, distinguish, differ, select, etc.):-- (make, put) difference, divide (asunder), (make) separate (self, -ation), sever (out), X utterly.]

1). Albert BarnesCommentary: Have separated - The word used here (בדל bâdal) conveys the idea of division… The idea here is, that their sins were like a partition between them and God, so that there was no contact between them and him.

2). John 9:31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.

c. between [996 * beyn] [Strong: (sometimes in the plural masculine or feminine); properly, the constructive form of an otherwise unused noun from 995; a distinction; but used only as a prep, between (repeated before each noun, often with other particles); also as a conjunction, either...or:--among, asunder, at, between (-twixt...and), + from (the widest), X in, out of, whether (it be...or), within.]

d. you and your God [430 * elohiym] [Strong:  plural of 430; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:--angels, X exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty.

2. “…and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

a. and your sins [2403 * chatta’ah] [Strong:  from 2398; an offence (sometimes habitual sinfulness), and its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, or expiation; also (concretely) an offender:--punishment (of sin), purifying(-fication for sin), sin(-ner, offering).]

b. have hid [5641 * cathar] [Strong: a primitive root; to hide (by covering), literally or figuratively:--be absent, keep close, conceal, hide (self), (keep) secret, X surely.]

c. his face [6440 * paniym] [Strong: plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh {paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time), against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of), + beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), + honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, + meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on, open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street, X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s) past, (un-)to(-ward), + upon, upside (+ down), with(- in, + -stand), X ye, X you.]

d. from you that he will not hear [8085 * shama’] [Strong: a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.):--X attentively, call (gather) together, X carefully, X certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, X diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), X indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish, regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, X surely, tell, understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.]

1). Albert Barnes Commentary: And your sins have hid his face from you - Margin, 'Made him hide.' The Hebrew word here is in Hiphil, meaning 'to cause to hide.' Kimchi and Aben Ezra understand it as causing him to hide his face; Vitringa as hiding, his face. The metaphor, says Vitringa, is not taken from a man who turns away his face from one because he does not choose to attend to what is said, but from something which comes between two persons, like a dense cloud, which hides one from the other. And, according to this, the idea is, that their sins had risen up like a thick, dark cloud between them and God, so that they had no clear view of him, and no contact with him - as a cloud hides the face of the sun from us.