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 59:1–8. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
The prophet here rectifies the mistake of those who had been quarrelling with God because they had not the deliverances wrought for them which they had been often fasting and praying for, Isa 58:3. Now here he shows,
I.That it was not owing to God.
They had no reason to lay the fault upon him that they were not saved out of the hands of their enemies; for,
1.He was still as able to help as ever: His hand is not shortened, his power is not at all lessened, straitened, or abridged. Whether we consider the extent of his power or the efficacy of it, God can reach as far as ever and with as strong a hand as ever. Note, The church's salvation comes from the hand of God, and that has not waxed weak nor is it at all shortened. Has the Lord's hand waxed short? (says God to Moses, Num 11:23). No, it has not; he will not have it thought so. Neither length of time nor strength of enemies, no, nor weakness of instruments, can shorten or straiten the power of God, with which it is all one to save by many or by few.
2.He was still as ready and willing to help as ever in answer to prayer: His ear is not heavy, that it cannot hear. Though he has many prayers to hear and answer, and though he has been long hearing prayer, yet he is still as ready to hear prayer as ever. The prayer of the upright is as much his delight as ever it was, and the promises which are pleaded and put in suit in prayer are still yea and amen, inviolably sure. More is implied than is expressed; not only his ear is not heavy, but he is quick of hearing. Even before they call he answers, Isa 65:24. If your prayers be not answered, and the salvation we wait for be not wrought for us, it is not because God is weary of hearing prayer, but because we are weary of praying, not because his ear is heavy when we speak to him, but because our ears are heavy when he speaks to us.
II.That it was owing to themselves; they stood in their own light and put a bar in their own door.
God was coming towards them in ways of mercy and they hindered him. Your iniquities have kept good things from you, Jer 5:25.
1.See what mischief sin does.
(1.)It hinders God's mercies from coming down upon us; it is a partition wall that separates between us and God. Notwithstanding the infinite distance that is between God and man by nature, there was a correspondence settled between them, till sin set them at variance, justly provoked God against man and unjustly alienated man from God; thus it separates between them and God. "He is your God, yours in profession, and therefore there is so much the more malignity and mischievousness in sin, which separates between you and him." Sin hides his face from us (which denotes great displeasure, Deu 31:17); it provokes him in anger to withdraw his gracious presence, to suspend the tokens of his favour and the instances of his help; he hides his face, as refusing to be seen or spoken with. See here sin in its colours, sin exceedingly sinful, withdrawing the creature from his allegiance to his Creator; and see sin in its consequences, sin exceedingly hurtful, separating us from God, and so separating us not only from all good, but to all evil (Deu 29:21), which is the very quintessence of the curse.
(2.)It hinders our prayers from coming up unto God; it provokes him to hide his face, that he will not hear, as he has said, Isa 1:15. If we regard iniquity in our heart, if we indulge it and allow ourselves in it, God will not hear our prayers, Psa 66:18. We cannot expect that he should countenance us while we go on to affront him.
2.Now, to justify God in hiding his face from them, and proceeding in his controversy with them, the prophet shows very largely, in the following verses, how many and great their iniquities were, according to the charge given him (Isa 58:1), to show God's people their transgressions; and it is a black bill of indictment that is here drawn up against them, consisting of many particulars, any one of which was enough to separate between them and a just and a holy God. Let us endeavour to reduce these articles of impeachment to proper heads.
(1.)We must begin with their thoughts, for there all sin begins, and thence it takes its rise: Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, Isa 59:7. Their imaginations are so, only evil continually. Their projects and designs are so; they are continually contriving some mischief or other, and how to compass the gratification of some base lust (Isa 59:4): They conceive mischief in their fancy, purpose, counsel, and resolution (thus the embryo receives its shape and life), and then they bring forth iniquity, put it in execution when it is ripened for it. Though it is in pain perhaps that the iniquity is brought forth, through the oppositions of Providences and the checks of their own consciences, yet, when they have compassed their wicked purpose, they look upon it with as much pride and pleasure as if it were a man-child born into the world; thus, when lust has conceived, it bringeth forth sin, Jam 1:15. This is called (Isa 59:5) hatching the cockatrice' egg and weaving the spider's web. See how the thoughts and contrivances of wicked men are employed, and about what they set their wits on work.
[1.]At the best it is about that which is foolish and frivolous. Their thoughts are vain, like weaving the spider's web, which the poor silly animal takes a great deal of pains about, and, when all is done, it is a weak insignificant thing, a reproach to the place where it is, and which the besom sweeps away in an instant: such are the thoughts which worldly men entertain themselves with, building castles in the air, and pleasing themselves with imaginary satisfaction, like the spider, which takes hold with her hands very finely (Pro 30:28), but cannot keep her hold.
[2.]Too often it is about that which is malicious and spiteful. They hatch the eggs of the cockatrice or adder, which are poisonous and produce venomous creatures; such are the thoughts of the wicked who delight in doing mischief. He that eats of their eggs (that is, he is in danger of having some mischief or other done him), and that which is crushed in order to be eaten of, or which begins to be hatched and you promise yourself some useful fowl from it, breaks out into a viper, which you meddle with at your peril. Happy are those that have least to do with such men. Even the spider's web which they wove was woven with a spiteful design to catch flies in and make a prey of them; for, rather than not be doing mischief, they will play at small game.
(2.)Out of this abundance of wickedness in the heart their mouth speaks, and yet it does not always speak out the wickedness that is within, but, for the more effectually compassing the mischievous design, it is dissembled and covered with much fair speech (Isa 59:3): Your lips have spoken lies; and again (Isa 59:4), They speak lies, pretending kindness where they intend the greatest mischief; or by slanders and false accusations they blasted the credit and reputation of those they had a spite to and so did them a real mischief unseen, and perhaps by suborning witnesses against them took from them their estates and lives; for a false tongue is sharp arrows, and coals of juniper, and every thing that is mischievous. Your tongue has muttered perverseness. When they could not, for shame, speak their malice against their neighbours aloud, or durst not, for fear of being disproved and put to confusion, they muttered it secretly. Backbiters are called whisperers.
(3.)Their actions were all of a piece with their thoughts and words. They were guilty of shedding innocent blood, a crime of the most heinous nature: Your hands are defiled with blood (Isa 59:3); for blood is defiling; it leaves an indelible stain of guilt upon the conscience, which nothing but the blood of Christ can cleanse it from. Now was this a case of surprise, or one that occurred when there was something of a force put upon them; but (Isa 59:7) their feet ran to this evil, naturally and eagerly, and, hurried on by the impetus of their malice and revenge, they made haste to shed innocent blood, as if they were afraid of losing an opportunity to do a barbarous thing, Pro 1:16; Jer 22:17. Wasting and destruction are in their paths. Wherever they go they carry mischief along with them, and the tendency of their way is to lay waste and destroy, nor do they care what havoc they make. Nor do they only thirst after blood, but with other iniquities are their fingers defiled (Isa 59:3); they wrong people in their estates and make every thing their own that they can lay their hands on. They trust in vanity (Isa 59:4); they depend upon their arts of cozenage to enrich themselves with, which will prove vanity to them, and their deceiving others will but deceive themselves. Their works, which they take so much pains about and have their hearts so much upon, are all works of iniquity; their whole business is one continued course of oppressions and vexations, and the act of violence is in their hands, according to the arts of violence that are in their heads and the thoughts of violence in their hearts.
(4.)No methods are taken to redress these grievances, and reform these abuses (Isa 59:4): None calls for justice, none complains of the violation of the sacred laws of justice, nor seeks to right those that suffer wrong or to get the laws put in execution against vice and profaneness, and those lewd practices which are the shame, and threaten to be the bane, of the nation. Note, When justice is not done there is blame to be laid not only upon the magistrates that should administer justice, but upon the people that should call for it. Private persons ought to contribute to the public good by discovering secret wickedness, and giving those an opportunity to punish it that have the power of doing so in their hands; but it is ill with a state when princes rule ill and the people love to have it so. Truth is opposed, and there is not any that pleads for it, not any that has the conscience and courage to appear in defence of an honest cause, and confront a prosperous fraud and wrong. The way of peace is as little regarded as the way of truth; they know it not, that is, they never study the things that make for peace, no care is taken to prevent or punish the breaches of the peace and to accommodate matters in difference among neighbours; they are utter strangers to every thing that looks quiet and peaceable, and affect that which is blustering and turbulent. There is no judgment in their goings; they have not any sense of justice in their dealings; it is a thing they make no account of at all, but can easily break through all its fences if they stand in the way of their malicious covetous designs.
(5.)In all this they act foolishly, very foolishly, and as much against their interest as against reason and equity. Those that practise iniquity trust in vanity, which will certainly deceive them, Isa 59:4. Their webs, which they weave with so much art and industry, shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves, either for shelter or for ornament, with their works, Isa 59:6. They may do hurt to others with their projects, but can never do any real service or kindness to themselves by them. There is nothing to be got by sin, and so it will appear when profit and loss come to be compared. Those paths of iniquity are crooked paths (Isa 59:8), which will perplex them, but will never bring them to their journey's end; whoever go therein, though they say that they shall have peace notwithstanding they go on, deceive themselves; for they shall not know peace, as appears by the following verses.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
(Chapter 59, Verses 1, 2) Behold, the hand of the Lord is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither is His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. (Chapter 70) Is the Lord's hand shortened, that He cannot save, or His ear heavy, that He cannot hear? But your sins have separated you from your God, and because of your sins, He has turned His face away from you, so that He will not show mercy. I could do what I said I would do: You will be confident in the Lord, and He will lift you up to the good things of the land, and He will feed you with the inheritance of Jacob your father, before the completion. For my hand is not shortened, nor is it contracted, that I cannot stretch it out to deliver my people: nor do I have deaf ears, that I cannot hear. From this it is shown that the ears of the Lord, which listen to the righteous and do not listen to sinners, are in no way similar to our ears, which equally hear the spoken word of either justice or injustice; but your sins, like a certain wall in the middle, separate you and God. And so, the Savior in His passion made both one (Ephesians 2), and by breaking down the middle wall of partition, He destroyed enmity in His flesh, so that the blood of Christ might unite those whom the wall of sin had divided. He opened the door of paradise, which had been closed for a long time (Genesis 3), and He extinguished the fiery sword with His own blood, so that the thief might hear: Today you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43). And what follows: And because of your sins, He turned His face away from you; to not hear, or to not show mercy, he demonstrates this, that he was not able to bear the stench of sins and their iniquities, but he turned his face away, so as to not see their shamefulness, and he would immediately be forced to strike. In the psalm, when the sinner desiring to see the face of the Lord says: How long, O Lord, will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? (Ps. XII, 1). And elsewhere: Show your face, and we shall be saved. (Ps. LXXIX, 4).
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Summary
Isaiah 59:1 stands as a profound and foundational declaration of God's unassailable power and perfect attentiveness, serving to immediately disarm any human doubt regarding His capacity to intervene or hear. It emphatically asserts that the Lord's ability to save is never diminished, nor is His ear ever dull to the cries of His people, thereby setting the stage for the subsequent revelation that the true impediment to divine blessing and intervention lies not with God's character or capability, but with human sin and rebellion. This verse functions as a crucial theological premise, affirming God's unchanging nature before exposing humanity's culpability.
Context
Literary Context
Isaiah 59:1 introduces a pivotal section of Isaiah's prophecy, acting as a direct response to the implied or explicit laments of the people who, facing national distress and spiritual decay, might have questioned God's ability or willingness to deliver them. It immediately follows chapter 58, which critiques the superficiality of their religious practices and calls for genuine justice and compassion, particularly towards the oppressed. By emphatically refuting any notion of divine limitation—that God's "hand" is shortened or His "ear" heavy—the prophet masterfully shifts the focus from God's character to human culpability. This verse sets the theological stage for the detailed indictment of Israel's widespread sin and moral corruption that follows in Isaiah 59:2-8. The chapter then moves towards a communal confession of sin (Isaiah 59:9-15a) and culminates in a dramatic depiction of God's personal, righteous intervention to bring salvation and justice (Isaiah 59:15b-21), powerfully demonstrating that His "hand" and "ear" are indeed fully capable and engaged.
Historical & Cultural Context
The prophetic ministry of Isaiah spanned a tumultuous era in Judah's history, from the reigns of Uzziah to Hezekiah, a period marked by the rising threat of the Assyrian Empire and significant internal moral and spiritual decline. While the precise historical setting for Isaiah 59 is debated among scholars—some placing it pre-exilic, others post-exilic—the underlying cultural context is consistent: the people of Israel, despite their covenant relationship with Yahweh, frequently faced national crises, foreign oppression, and pervasive internal corruption. In such desperate times, it was a common human tendency to question God's presence, power, or faithfulness, much like the lament found in Psalm 44:23-24. The prophet's crucial task was to correct these misconceptions, reminding the people of God's unchanging, omnipotent, and omniscient character, while simultaneously exposing their unfaithfulness as the true source of their distress and the perceived divine distance. The vivid imagery of a "shortened hand" or a "heavy ear" would have been immediately understood by the ancient audience as potent metaphors for incapacitation or indifference, directly challenging any despairing or accusatory views they might have held regarding their covenant God.
Key Themes
This foundational verse introduces and powerfully reinforces several critical themes that resonate throughout the book of Isaiah and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it unequivocally asserts God's Omnipotence and Sovereignty, declaring His limitless capacity to act, intervene, and deliver, a truth echoed profoundly in Jeremiah 32:17. Secondly, it highlights God's Omniscience and Attentiveness, assuring His perfect awareness and unwavering responsiveness to all things, including the prayers and cries of His people, a theme beautifully articulated in Psalm 65:2. Thirdly, by emphatically refuting any divine limitation, the verse implicitly but powerfully introduces the theme of Human Sin as a Barrier to God's blessings and intervention, thereby setting the stage for the explicit indictment that follows in Isaiah 59:2. This establishes a crucial theological principle: God's character and capability are never the problem; human unfaithfulness is. Finally, it underscores Divine Faithfulness, affirming God's unwavering commitment to His covenant promises and His consistent, immutable nature, even when His people are unfaithful.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word refers to the open hand, symbolizing power, means, and active intervention. In this context, it represents God's executive power and His ability to act on behalf of His people, to deliver, protect, or execute judgment. The concept of a "shortened hand" would imply a diminished capacity or an inability to reach out and effect change.
Meaning "to dock off," "curtail," or "to be short." Here, it vividly portrays a limitation, inadequacy, or inability to extend fully. The emphatic declaration that God's hand is not shortened unequivocally denies any curtailment of His infinite power or His reach to save.
Meaning "to be heavy," often implying dullness, severity, or being burdensome. When applied to the ear, it signifies an inability to perceive sound clearly, a metaphorical deafness, or indifference. The assertion that God's ear is not heavy assures His perfect, unhindered perception and responsiveness to all things, especially the cries of His people.
Verse Breakdown
"Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save;"
This clause opens with a call to attention, "Behold," emphasizing the profound and foundational truth that follows. It directly addresses the common human tendency to doubt God's power or willingness in times of distress. The "LORD'S hand" is a powerful anthropomorphism, representing God's active strength, authority, and boundless ability to intervene. The phrase "is not shortened" emphatically negates any idea of His power being diminished, limited, or insufficient. Therefore, His capacity to "save" (deliver, rescue, bring salvation) remains absolute and undiminished, irrespective of the magnitude of the challenge or the depth of human need.
"neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:"
This second parallel clause powerfully reinforces the first, shifting the focus from God's executive power to His perception and attentiveness. A "heavy ear" is a vivid metaphor for deafness or an inability to hear clearly, implying indifference, inattention, or unresponsiveness. The declaration that God's ear is "not heavy" assures that He is perfectly aware, keenly attentive, and fully capable of hearing every prayer, cry, and lament. There is no impediment to His hearing, just as there is no limit to His power. He is neither deaf nor indifferent to the plight of His people; His perception is perfect and His responsiveness assured.
Literary Devices
Isaiah 59:1 is rich in Anthropomorphism, attributing human body parts—the "hand" and the "ear"—to God. This device makes His divine attributes more comprehensible and relatable to a human audience, symbolizing His power and action (hand) and His perception and responsiveness (ear). The verse also employs striking Metaphor: a "shortened hand" serves as a metaphor for limited power or inability to reach, and a "heavy ear" is a metaphor for deafness or inattention. The structure of the verse is a prime example of Parallelism, specifically Negative Parallelism, where two distinct but complementary statements negate a false premise about God's character, reinforcing the same overarching truth through different, yet related, imagery. The verse functions as a powerful Affirmation or Declaration, directly countering potential human doubt with an emphatic statement of divine truth and capability.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Isaiah 59:1 serves as a crucial theological anchor, establishing God's unchanging nature as omnipotent and omniscient. It powerfully refutes the common human error of projecting our limitations onto the divine, reminding us that God's capacity is never the issue when His people experience distress, suffering, or seemingly unanswered prayer. Instead, the verse subtly but firmly directs attention to the human side of the equation, preparing the reader for the subsequent revelation that sin creates an impenetrable barrier between a holy God and His people. This foundational truth about God's boundless power and perfect attentiveness undergirds all His redemptive acts and covenant promises throughout scripture, assuring believers that His character is steadfast, His love unwavering, and His ability to deliver is absolute and undiminished.
Reflection and Application
Isaiah 59:1 offers profound reassurance and a vital call to introspection for believers today. In moments of personal struggle, national crisis, or when prayers seem unanswered, it is tempting to question God's power, His presence, or His care. This verse unequivocally declares that such doubts are entirely misplaced concerning God's character. His "hand" is never too short to save, nor His "ear" too heavy to hear. Therefore, any perceived distance or lack of divine intervention is never due to His weakness, indifference, or inability, but often points to unconfessed sin, unrepentant rebellion, or a misalignment of our will with His. The verse encourages us to examine our own lives, to confess any iniquities that might create a barrier to fellowship, and to approach God with unwavering confidence, knowing that He is always capable, always listening, and always ready to act according to His perfect will and timing. It calls us to persistent, faith-filled prayer, grounded in the absolute certainty of God's boundless power and perfect attentiveness.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why would the people of Isaiah's time, or even people today, think God's hand is shortened or His ear heavy?
People often project their own limitations, frustrations, or experiences of powerlessness onto God. When facing prolonged suffering, oppression, or when prayers seem to go unanswered, it is a natural human tendency to question the efficacy of divine intervention. They might conclude that God is either not powerful enough to help (His "hand is shortened") or not paying attention to their plight (His "ear is heavy"). Isaiah 59:1 directly counters this human tendency, asserting that the problem is never with God's capacity or attentiveness, but rather, as the subsequent verses explicitly explain, with the people's own sin that creates a barrier between them and their Holy God, as seen in Isaiah 59:2.
If God's hand is not shortened and His ear is not heavy, what then is the primary obstacle to His saving and hearing?
The very next verse, Isaiah 59:2, provides the direct and unambiguous answer: "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." The primary obstacle is human sin and rebellion against a holy God. God's power and attentiveness are absolute, but His perfect holiness means He cannot countenance unconfessed and unrepented sin. Sin creates a spiritual chasm, hindering the flow of His blessings and the experience of His presence. This is a consistent theme throughout scripture, emphasizing that God is always ready to save, but human unrighteousness can impede that saving work in our lives and our ability to perceive His presence.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Isaiah 59:1, while a powerful declaration of God's unchanging attributes of omnipotence and omniscience, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. He is the very embodiment of God's unshortened hand and unheavy ear, the one through whom God's saving power is fully unleashed and His perfect hearing is demonstrated. The "hand of the LORD" that is not shortened to save is most vividly seen in the incarnation, where God Himself entered human history in Jesus to accomplish salvation (John 1:14). Jesus' life, atoning death on the cross, and victorious resurrection are the supreme demonstration of God's limitless power to save humanity from the bondage of sin and death (Matthew 1:21). Furthermore, as the Great High Priest, Jesus perfectly represents humanity before God, ensuring that the Father's "ear" is never heavy to the cries of His people. Through Christ, believers have confident and unhindered access to the Father, knowing that their prayers are heard and their needs are known by Him who intercedes on their behalf (Hebrews 4:15-16 and 1 Timothy 2:5). Thus, Isaiah 59:1 points forward to the Lamb of God, who not only demonstrates God's infinite capacity to save but also removes the very barrier of sin that had separated humanity from Him, making true reconciliation possible.