TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Isaiah 1:21–31. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here, I. The woeful degeneracy of Judah and Jerusalem is sadly lamented. See, 1. What the royal city had been, a faithful city, faithful to God and the interests of his kingdom among men, faithful to the nation and its public interests. It was full of judgment; justice was duly administered upon the thrones of judgment which were set there, the thrones of the house of David, Psa 122:5. Men were generally honest in their dealings, and abhorred to do an unjust thing. Righteousness lodged in it, was constantly resident in their palaces and in all their dwellings, not called in now and then to serve a turn, but at home there. Note, Neither holy cities nor royal ones, neither places where religion is professed nor places where government is administered, are faithful to their trust if religion do not dwell in them. 2. What it had now become. That beauteous virtuous spouse was now debauched, and become an adulteress; righteousness no longer dwelt in Jerusalem (terras Astraea reliquit - Astrea left the earth); even murderers were unpunished and lived undisturbed there; nay, the princes themselves were so cruel and oppressive that they had become no better than murderers; an innocent man might better guard himself against a troop of banditti or assassins than against a bench of such judges. Note, It is a great aggravation of the wickedness of any family or people that their ancestors were famed for virtue and probity; and commonly those that thus degenerate prove the most wicked of all men. Corruptio optimi est pessima - That which was originally the best becomes when corrupted the worst, Luk 11:26; Ecc 3:16; See Jer 22:15-17. The degeneracy of Jerusalem is illustrated, (1.) By similitudes (Isa 1:22): Thy silver has become dross. This degeneracy of the magistrates, whose character is the reverse of that of their predecessors, is a great a reproach and injury to the kingdom as the debasing of their coin would be and the turning of their silver into dross. Righteous princes and righteous cities are as silver for the treasury, but unrighteous ones are as dross for the dunghill. How has the gold become dim! Lam 4:1. Thy wine is mixed with water, and so has become flat and sour. Some understand both these literally: the wine they sold was adulterated, it was half water; the money they paid was counterfeit, and so they cheated all they dealt with. But it is rather to be taken figuratively: justice was perverted by their princes, and religion and the word of God were sophisticated by their priests, and made to serve what turn they pleased. Dross may shine like silver, and the wine that is mixed with water may retain the colour of wine, but neither is worth any thing. Thus they retained a show and pretence of virtue and justice, but had no true sense of either. (2.) By some instances (Isa 1:23): "Thy princes, that should keep others in their allegiance to God and subjection to his law, are themselves rebellious, and set God and his law at defiance." Those that should restrain thieves (proud and rich oppressors, those worst of robbers, and those that designedly cheat their creditors, who are no better), are themselves companions of thieves, connive at them, do as they do, and with greater security and success, because they are princes, and have power in their hands; they share with the thieves they protect in their unlawful gain (Psa 50:18) and cast in their lot among them, Pro 1:13, Pro 1:14. [1.] The profit of their places is all their aim, to make the best hand they can of them, right or wrong. They love gifts, and follow after rewards; they set their hearts upon their salary, the fees and perquisites of their offices, and are greedy of them, and never think they can get enough; nay, they will do any thing, though ever so contrary to law and justice, for a gift in secret. Presents and gratuities will blind their eyes at any time, and make them pervert judgment. These they love and are eager in the pursuit of, Hos 4:18. [2.] The duty of their places is none of their care. They ought to protect those that are injured, and take cognizance of the appeals made to them; why else were they preferred? But they judge not the fatherless, take no care to guard the orphans, nor does the cause of the widow come unto them, because the poor widow has no bribe to give, with which to make way for her and to bring her cause on. Those will have a great deal to answer for who, when they should be the patrons of the oppressed, are their greatest oppressors.
II.A resolution is taken up to redress these grievances (Isa 1:24):
Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel - who has power to make good what he says, who has hosts at command for the executing of his purposes, and whose power is engaged for his Israel - Ah! I will ease me of my adversaries. Observe,
1.Wicked people, especially wicked rulers that are cruel and oppressive, are God's enemies, his adversaries, and shall so be accounted and so dealt with. If the holy seed corrupt themselves, they are the foes of his own house.
2.They are a burden to the God of heaven, which is implied in his easing himself of them. The Mighty One of Israel, that can bear any thing, nay, that upholds all things, complains of his being wearied with men's iniquities, Isa 43:24. Amo 2:13.
3.God will find out a time and a way to ease himself of this burden, by avenging himself on those that thus bear hard upon his patience. He here speaks as one triumphing in the foresight of it: Ah. I will ease me. He will ease the earth of the burden under which it groans (Rom 8:21, Rom 8:22), will ease his own name of the reproaches with which it is loaded. He will be eased of his adversaries, by taking vengeance on his enemies; he will spue them out of his mouth, and so be eased of them, Rev 3:16. He speaks with pleasure of the day of vengeance being in his heart, Isa 63:4. If God's professing people conform not to his image, as the Holy One of Israel (Isa 1:4), they shall feel the weight of his hand as the Mighty One of Israel: his power, which was wont to be engaged for them, shall be armed against them. In two ways God will ease himself of this grievance: -
(1.)By reforming his church, and restoring good judges in the room of those corrupt ones. Though the church has a great deal of dross in it, yet it shall not be thrown away, but refined (Isa 1:25): "I will purely purge away thy dross. I will amend what is amiss. Vice and profaneness shall be suppressed and put out of countenance, oppressors displaced, and deprived of their power to do mischief." When things are ever so bad God can set them to rights, and bring about a complete reformation; when he begins he will make an end, will take away all the tin. Observe,
[1.]The reformation of a people is God's own work, and, if ever it be done, it is he that brings it about: "I will turn my hand upon thee; I will do that for the reviving of religion which I did at first for the planting of it." He can do it easily, with the turn of his hand; but he does it effectually, for what opposition can stand before the arm of the Lord revealed?
[2.]He does it by blessing them with good magistrates and good ministers of state (Isa 1:26): "I will restore thy judges as at the first, to put the laws in execution against evil-doers, and thy counsellors, to transact public affairs, as at the beginning," either the same persons that had been turned out or others of the same character.
[3.]He does it by restoring judgment and righteousness among them (Isa 1:27), by planting in men's minds principles of justice and governing their lives by those principles. Men may do much by external restraints; but God does it effectually by the influences of his Spirit, as a Spirit of judgment, Isa 4:4; Isa 28:6. See Psa 85:10, Psa 85:11.
[4.]The reformation of a people will be the redemption of them and their converts, for sin is the worst captivity, the worst slavery, and the great and eternal redemption is that by which Israel is redeemed from all his iniquities (Psa 130:8), and the blessed Redeemer is he that turns away ungodliness from Jacob (Rom 11:26), and saves his people from their sins, Mat 1:21. All the redeemed of the Lord shall be converts, and their conversion is their redemption: "Her converts, or those that return of her (so the margin), shall be redeemed with righteousness." God works deliverance for us by preparing us for it with judgment and righteousness.
[5.]The reviving of a people's virtues is the restoring of their honour: Afterwards thou shalt be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city; that is, First, "Thou shalt be so;" the reforming of the magistracy is a good step towards the reforming of the city and the country too. Secondly, "Thou shalt have the praise of being so;" and a greater praise there cannot be to any city than to be called the city of righteousness, and to retrieve the ancient honour which was lost when the faithful city became a harlot, Isa 1:21.
(2.)By cutting off those that hate to be reformed, that they may not remain either as snares or as scandals to the faithful city. [1.] it is an utter ruin that is here threatened. They shall be destroyed and consumed, and not chastened and corrected only. The extirpation of them will be necessary to the redemption of Zion. [2.] It is a universal ruin, which will involve the transgressors and the sinners together, that is, the openly profane that have quite cast of all religion, and the hypocrites that live wicked lives under the cloak of a religious profession - they shall both be destroyed together, for they are both alike an abomination to God, both those that contradict religion and those that contradict themselves in their pretensions to it. And those that forsake the Lord, to whom they had formerly joined themselves, shall be consumed, as the water in the conduit-pipe is soon consumed when it is cut off from the fountain. [3.] It is an inevitable ruin; there is no escaping it. First, Their idols shall not be able to help them, the oaks which they have desired, and the gardens which they have chosen; that is, the images, the dunghill-gods, which they had worshipped in their groves and under the green trees, which they were fond of and wedded to, for which they forsook the true God, and which they worshipped privately in their own garden even when idolatry was publicly discountenanced. "This was the practice of the transgressors and the sinners; but they shall be ashamed of it, not with a show of repentance, but of despair, Isa 1:29. They shall have cause to be ashamed of their idols; for, after all the court they have made to them, they shall find no benefit by them; but the idols themselves shall go into captivity," Isa 46:1, Isa 46:2. Note, Those that make creatures their confidence are but preparing confusion for themselves. You were fond of the oaks and the gardens, but you yourselves shall be, 1. "Like an oak without leaves, withered and blasted, and stripped of all its ornaments." Justly do those wear no leaves that bear no fruit; as the fig-tree that Christ cursed. 2. "Like a garden without water, that is neither rained upon nor watered with the foot (Deu 11:10), that had no fountain (Sol 4:15), and consequently is parched, and all the fruits of it gone to decay." Thus shall those be that trust in idols, or in an arm of flesh, Jer 17:5, Jer 17:6. But those that trust in God never find him as a wilderness, or as waters that fail, Jer 2:31. Secondly, They shall not be able to help themselves (Isa 1:31): "Even the strong man shall be as tow not only soon broken and pulled to pieces, but easily catching fire; and his work (so the margin reads it), that by which he hopes to fortify and secure himself, shall be as a spark to his own tow, shall set him on fire, and he and his work shall burn together. His counsels shall be his ruin; his own skin kindles the fire of God's wrath, which shall burn to the lowest hell, and none shall quench it." When the sinner has made himself as tow and stubble, and God makes himself to him as a consuming fore, what can prevent the utter ruin of the sinner?
Now all this is applicable, 1. To the blessed work of reformation which was wrought in Hezekiah's time after the abominable corruptions of the reign of Ahaz. Then good men came to be preferred, and the faces of the wicked were filled with shame. 2. To their return out of their captivity in Babylon, which had thoroughly cured them of idolatry. 3. To the gospel-kingdom and the pouring out of the Spirit, by which the New Testament church should be made a new Jerusalem, a city of righteousness. 4. To the second coming of Christ, when he shall thoroughly purge his floor, his field, shall gather the wheat into his barn, into his garner, and burn the chaff, the tares, with unquenchable fire.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
(Verse 27-29.) Zion will be redeemed by justice, and they will bring her back to righteousness. And it will crush the wicked and sinners together; and those who have forsaken the Lord will be consumed. For they will be confounded by the idols to which they sacrificed, and you will be ashamed of the gardens you have chosen. Not all will be redeemed, nor will all be saved, but only the remnant, as mentioned before. However, they will be brought back to righteousness once the wicked and sinners have been crushed, and those who have forsaken the Lord will be consumed. And when they are saved, they will be ashamed of those who previously sacrificed to idols, and they will blush in the gardens they had chosen. However, it signifies places of luxury, groves and forests.
Continue studying Isaiah 1:27 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
Summary
Isaiah 1:27 stands as a powerful declaration of divine promise amidst the prophet's severe indictment against Judah's apostasy. It proclaims that Zion, representing God's covenant people, will not face utter annihilation but will undergo a profound and transformative purification. This promised redemption is uniquely achieved through God's righteous judgment, which acts as a refining force, leading to a state of profound righteousness for those who genuinely turn back to Him in repentance. The verse encapsulates God's unwavering commitment to His covenant, demonstrating that His justice ultimately serves His redemptive purposes for a faithful remnant.
Context
Literary Context
Isaiah 1:27 is strategically positioned within the opening chapter of Isaiah, which functions as a divine lawsuit against the rebellious kingdom of Judah. The preceding verses detail God's profound disappointment with His people's spiritual apostasy, hypocrisy in worship, and pervasive social injustice, likening them to the morally corrupt cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. God vehemently rejects their empty sacrifices and calls for genuine repentance and a radical commitment to justice and righteousness, as articulated in Isaiah 1:16-17. Following a lament over Jerusalem's moral decay, where the once-faithful city is depicted as having become "a harlot" (Isaiah 1:21-23), the Lord declares His resolute intent to "purge away your dross" and "remove all your tin" (Isaiah 1:25). Verse 27 then emerges as the hopeful culmination of this refining process, promising that a purified Zion will indeed be restored, thereby setting the stage for the broader prophetic themes of judgment and salvation that permeate the entire book of Isaiah.
Historical & Cultural Context
The prophet Isaiah ministered in Judah during the tumultuous 8th century BCE, a period marked by significant political instability, the rising threat of the powerful Assyrian Empire, and widespread spiritual and moral decline within Israelite society. Despite outward religious observance and a degree of material prosperity, the nation had largely abandoned the covenant stipulations given at Sinai, engaging in idolatry, oppressing the poor, and systematically perverting justice within their legal system. Jerusalem, as the capital city and the site of the sacred Temple, was considered the spiritual heart of the nation (often referred to as Zion). However, even this revered city had become spiritually defiled, reflecting the pervasive corruption throughout society. The cultural norms of the time often conflated ritualistic adherence and elaborate sacrifices with true piety, a notion that Isaiah vehemently challenged, emphasizing that God desired justice and righteousness far more than burnt offerings or new moon celebrations (Isaiah 1:11-14). The prophetic message was a stark call for a return to covenant faithfulness in a society that had strayed far from God's ways.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes that are foundational to Isaiah's prophecy. Firstly, it underscores the profound theme of Divine Judgment as Purification, illustrating that God's judgment is not merely punitive but fundamentally redemptive, serving to refine and restore His people rather than annihilate them. This concept is crucial for understanding God's character and His consistent dealings with Israel throughout the prophetic literature. Secondly, the verse highlights the indispensable theme of Repentance and Restoration, emphasizing that the beneficiaries of this promised redemption are explicitly identified as "her converts"—those who genuinely turn back to God in humility and penitence. This points to the conditional nature of covenant blessing, requiring a sincere heart of repentance and a turning from sin. Finally, it speaks to the ultimate goal of God's redemptive work: the Establishment of Righteousness. The restored Zion will be characterized by profound justice and moral integrity, reflecting God's own holy character, a glorious vision that anticipates the messianic kingdom where righteousness will prevail eternally (Isaiah 9:7).
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This primitive root (H6299) signifies "to sever," "to ransom," or "to release." In the context of Isaiah 1:27, it speaks of God's sovereign act of setting Zion free from the bondage of sin, its devastating consequences, and the impending judgment it deserved. It implies a cost or a divinely ordained process by which this freedom is achieved, not merely a simple liberation. Here, the "cost" or "means" of redemption is explicitly stated as "judgment," indicating a powerful divine intervention that separates the pure from the impure, thereby restoring the relationship.
Derived from the verb "to judge," mishpâṭ (H4941) is a remarkably rich and multifaceted term. It encompasses a verdict (favorable or unfavorable), a sentence, a formal decree, and divine law. Crucially, it also refers to justice itself, the act of setting things right, upholding righteous standards, and due order. In this verse, "judgment" is not solely punitive but functions as the active, purifying process through which God restores order, purifies His people, and establishes true justice within Zion. It is the divine means to achieve a righteous and redemptive end.
While the King James Version translates this as "converts," the underlying Hebrew root shûwb (H7725) primarily means "to turn back," "to return," or "to repent." Therefore, "her converts" refers to those within Zion who genuinely turn away from their rebellion, idolatry, and social injustice, and wholeheartedly return to God in penitence. They are the faithful remnant, the truly repentant ones, who respond positively to God's call for spiritual renewal and are thus the specific recipients of the righteousness that accompanies this divine redemption process.
Verse Breakdown
"Zion shall be redeemed with judgment"
This clause declares God's unwavering intention to restore Zion, which represents both the city of Jerusalem and, by extension, God's covenant people. The profound insight here is that this "redemption"—this act of ransoming, releasing, and restoring Zion from its spiritual and moral decay—will not occur apart from judgment, but rather through it. God's divine justice will act as a purifying agent, a refining fire that separates the righteous from the wicked, the dross from the pure metal, thereby restoring Zion to its intended holy and covenantal state. It signifies a necessary, divinely orchestrated process of correction, discipline, and purification.
"and her converts with righteousness"
This second clause specifies both the beneficiaries and the glorious outcome of this redemption. "Her converts" refers to the penitent remnant within Zion, those individuals who humble themselves, genuinely "turn back" to God in sincere repentance, and embrace His corrective discipline. For this specific group, the ultimate result of God's redemptive judgment is "righteousness." This righteousness is multifaceted: it is the manifestation of God's own holy character being established in and through them, their transformation into a people who live in accordance with God's just and holy standards, and the restoration of their right standing and relationship with Him. This implies both an imputed righteousness (a gift from God) and a lived, demonstrated righteousness (a fruit of transformation).
Literary Devices
Isaiah 1:27 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound message. The most prominent is Parallelism, specifically a form of synthetic or perhaps even antithetical parallelism, where the second clause ("and her converts with righteousness") echoes, expands upon, and clarifies the first ("Zion shall be redeemed with judgment"). This structure emphasizes the intimate relationship between the divine means (judgment) and the glorious outcome (righteousness), and between the collective entity (Zion) and the specific, repentant beneficiaries within it (her converts). Metonymy or Synecdoche is also powerfully at play, as "Zion" stands in for the entire nation of Judah, particularly its spiritual and political core, signifying that the promise of restoration applies to God's chosen people as a whole, albeit through a remnant. Furthermore, there is a striking element of Paradox or Irony in the idea that redemption comes through judgment. What might initially seem destructive or punitive is revealed as ultimately redemptive and restorative, highlighting God's complex and holy character where His justice and His mercy are inextricably intertwined in His sovereign plan for the restoration of His people.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Isaiah 1:27 profoundly reveals the intricate nature of God's character as both perfectly just and unfathomably merciful, demonstrating that His holiness necessitates judgment, yet His covenant faithfulness ultimately drives Him to redeem. This verse underscores the biblical truth that true spiritual restoration often requires a painful and purifying process. God's judgment is not an end in itself, but a divine means to a glorious end: the establishment of righteousness and the restoration of a right relationship with His people. It highlights the indispensable role of genuine repentance ("her converts") as the necessary human response that aligns with God's redemptive work, allowing His purifying judgment to yield a harvest of righteousness. This divine pattern of judgment leading to purification and ultimate restoration is a recurring motif throughout the entire sweep of Scripture, pointing to God's ultimate desire for a people who authentically reflect His holy character.
Reflection and Application
Isaiah 1:27 offers a powerful message of enduring hope and a challenging call to profound introspection for believers today. It serves as a vital reminder that God's ultimate desire for His people is their redemption and their transformation into righteousness, even if the path to that glorious state involves difficult periods of divine correction or "judgment." For those in Christ, this is not a judgment of condemnation, but rather a refining process—a sanctifying work that purges sin, pride, and unrighteousness from our individual lives and from our corporate communities. This verse calls us to humbly embrace God's corrective hand, trusting implicitly that His discipline is always for our ultimate good, meticulously designed to conform us more closely to the radiant image of Christ. True spiritual restoration begins with genuine repentance—a sincere and decisive turning back to God—which then opens the door for His transforming power to cultivate deep and abiding righteousness within us. This verse profoundly encourages us to examine our own lives and our churches, asking if we are truly "converts" who are willing to submit to God's refining work, allowing His justice to lead us into deeper holiness, authentic obedience, and right living that honors His name.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
How can redemption come through judgment?
This concept might initially seem contradictory, but it is absolutely central to biblical theology and God's character. God's judgment (Hebrew: mishpâṭ) is not solely about punishment or condemnation; it is fundamentally about setting things right, upholding divine justice, and purifying what is corrupt. For a people steeped in sin and rebellion, true and lasting redemption cannot occur without first addressing and removing the pervasive corruption. Consider the analogy of a skilled surgeon performing a painful operation to remove a cancerous tumor; the "judgment" (the precise cutting and removal) is absolutely necessary for the "redemption" (the healing and restoration to health). God's judgment acts as a refining fire that meticulously purges the dross of sin to reveal the pure metal of righteousness, as vividly described in Malachi 3:2-3. It is a process of divine discipline aimed at profound restoration, not ultimate annihilation.
Who are "her converts" in this verse?
The term "her converts" translates a Hebrew word derived from the root shûwb (H7725), which fundamentally means "to turn back," "to return," or "to repent." Therefore, "her converts" refers to the penitent remnant within Zion—those individuals who genuinely respond to God's powerful call for repentance and turn away from their rebellious ways to return wholeheartedly to Him. They are the faithful few who embrace God's purifying judgment and allow it to transform them from within. This highlights that while God's offer of redemption is broad and gracious, its full and transformative benefit is realized by those who humble themselves and truly repent, demonstrating a changed heart and a life aligned with God's will.
Is this verse only about ancient Israel, or does it have relevance for believers today?
While Isaiah 1:27 was originally addressed to the specific historical context of ancient Judah, its profound theological principles are timeless and possess immense relevance for believers today. The divine pattern of God's judgment leading to purification and righteousness is a universal truth about His immutable character and His consistent dealings with His people throughout salvation history. For Christians, the Church is often understood as the spiritual heir to Zion, the new people of God, and God continues to refine and purify His people, both individually and corporately (1 Peter 4:17). The call to repentance and the glorious promise of righteousness for those who "turn back" to God remain central to the Christian walk, emphasizing the ongoing need for sanctification and progressive conformity to the image of Christ.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Isaiah 1:27 finds its ultimate, most profound, and glorious fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The "judgment" by which Zion is redeemed is most perfectly and definitively manifested in the cross of Christ. There, the righteous judgment of God against the sin of humanity was fully and completely executed upon the sinless Lamb of God (John 1:29), allowing for the redemption of all who place their faith in Him. Jesus, in His perfect obedience, became sin for us, so that in Him, we might become the very righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). Through His atoning sacrifice, Christ bore the divine judgment, not to destroy, but to ransom, reconcile, and purify a people for Himself. The "converts" of Zion are now those who, by the sovereign power of the Holy Spirit, turn from their sin and self-reliance to embrace Christ, accepting Him as Lord and Savior. They are the new spiritual Zion, the Church, redeemed not by their own works, rituals, or merit, but by the precious, unblemished blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19). The "righteousness" promised to them is both an imputed righteousness—Christ's perfect righteousness credited to their account by grace through faith (Romans 3:22)—and a progressive, transforming righteousness empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit, enabling them to live lives increasingly pleasing to God and fulfilling the just requirements of the law (Romans 8:4). Thus, Isaiah 1:27 beautifully foreshadows the Gospel, where God's unwavering justice and boundless mercy converge at the cross to bring about a glorious redemption and a new creation in Christ.