Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 59:13
In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
13. The sins referred to in Isa 59:12 are enumerated in a series of infinitives (cf. Isa 59:4), which should be construed as in apposition to the terms “sin,” “iniquities,” &c. employed in the general confession of Isa 59:12.
Rebellion and denial of Jehovah,
and turning back from after our God, etc.
It is doubtful if there is any reference here to the sin of idolatry; the charge of apostasy is perhaps rather to be understood of offences against social morality, which amounted to a renunciation of the authority of Jehovah.
The last two lines deal with sins of speech, committed against men.
revolt is literally “defection,” and appears to be used in the same general sense as Deu 19:16 of declension from truth and right.
uttering from the heart ] The verb here is identical in form with that rendered “mutter” in Isa 59:3 and “mourn” in Isa 59:11. The vocalisation of both the verbs in this clause is anomalous, and should probably be changed (read hr, hg).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
In transgressing – That is, we have been guilty of this as a continuous act.
And lying against the Lord – We have proved false to Yahweh. Though we have been professedly his people, yet we have been secretly attached to idols, and have in our hearts been devoted to the service of false gods.
And departing away from our God – By the worship of idols, and by the violation of his law.
Speaking oppression and revolt – Forming plans to see how we might best take advantage of the poor and the defenseless, and to mature our plans of revolt against God.
Conceiving and uttering from the heart – (See the notes at Isa 59:4). The idea is, that they had formed in their hearts schemes of deception, and that in their conversation and their lives they had given utterance to them. All this is the language of genuine contrition, where there is a consciousness of deep guilt in the sight of God. There is an overpowering sense of the evil of sin. and a willingness to make the most full and ample acknowledgment, however mortifying it may be, of the errors and follies of the life.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
He now enumerates some of those particular sins they profess themselves to be convinced of, whereby he doth not mean the sins of some particular persons, or some slight sins, but a general defection and corruption of the whole body.
In transgressing: properly, we rebel against God, so the word is Isa 1:2, and have persisted in our rebellion.
Lying; being true to none of their engagements, vows, and promises. Some make transgressing here and lying to be one and the same thing, inasmuch as in their transgressing of the law of God they did break their solemn engagement to God upon Mount Sinai, Exo 19:8; 24:3, and elsewhere frequently, which is a downright lying against God; for wherein do we more lie to God than in a perfidious withdrawing from him? So that by transgressing here he doth mean not a breach of One or another of the laws of God, but their being as it were fugitives, that would be under no yoke.
Departing, i.e. turning from God to idols.
Speaking; as it were talking of little else one among another but how to oppress their neighbours, and apostatize from God.
Conceiving and uttering, i.e. first contriving and forging in their heart false accusations to the ruin of their neighbour, and false worship to the dishonour of God, laying the contrivance so that it might be effectual; and then uttering it, or venting themselves one to another in their discourses, thereby encouraging each other in their perverse ways; see Isa 59:3; and whereas it is said
from the heart, it notes a resoluteness in their wickedness, being a great deal worse than now and then to deal falsely upon some occasion or temptation.
From the heart words of falsehood: they are called words of falsehood, both with reference to men, and so signify slanders and false accusations; as also to God, and so signify their dealing falsely with God, as an adulteress doth with her husband: hence idolaters are called the seed of falsehood, Isa 57:3-5; and it is said from the heart, to show that when they dealt with men in ways of fraud, it was from the heart, but when they spake with God, it was but from the lip.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. The particulars ofthe sins generally confessed in Isa59:12 (Isa 48:8; Jer 2:19;Jer 2:20). The act, the word, andthe thought of apostasy, are all here marked: transgressionand departing, c. lying (compare Isa59:4), and speaking, c. conceiving and utteringfrom the heart.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
In transgressing and lying against the Lord,…. The word of the Lord, as the Targum; they transgress the doctrine of Christ, as well as the law of God, and deny him the only Lord God, even our Lord Jesus Christ, his proper deity, his righteousness, and satisfaction, which is notorious in our days; so the Syriac version renders it,
we have denied the Lord; the Lord that bought them: this is the case of many under a profession of Christ:
and departing away from our God: from following him, from walking in his ways, from attending his worship, word, and ordinances; so the Targum,
“from the worship of our God;”
from Immanuel, God with us, God in our nature; from him the living God, as every degree of unbelief is a departing from him; and especially he is departed from when his divine Person is denied; when neglected as the Saviour; his Gospel corrupted; his ordinances perverted, and his worship, or the assembly of the saints, forsaken:
speaking oppression and revolt: such who are in public office, speakers in the church of God; these speak what is oppressive and burdensome to the minds and consciences of those who are truly gracious; make their hearts sad, whom God would not have made sad, by their false doctrines; and which have a tendency to cause men to revolt from the Lord, and turn their backs on him: or “speak calumny and defection” e, as some render it; calumniate, reproach, and revile the few faithful ones, and draw off many from the truths of the Gospel, and a profession of them. The Targum renders it, “falsehood and apostasy”; false doctrine, which leads to apostasy from Christ; with which the next clause agrees:
conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood; false doctrines; such as agree not with, but are contrary to, the word of God; these are of their own conceiving and contriving; the produce of their own brains; the fruit of their own fancy and imaginations; and which, out of the abundance of their hearts, they utter, even premeditated falsehoods, studied lies, as in Isa 59:3,
[See comments on Isa 59:3].
e “calumniam et perversitatem”, Pagninus; “calumniam et defectionem”, Montanus; “calumniam et transgressionem”, V. L.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
13. We have done wickedly. Here he enumerates certain classes of sins, in order to arouse the people more keenly to an acknowledgment of their sin. It must be regarded as monstrous, that men, who have been chastised and almost crushed by the hand of God, are still proud, and so obstinate that they cannot bend or be humbled by a conviction of their sin. The Lord endeavors to soften our obduracy by stripes and wounds; but when chastisements do us no good, our case must be given up as hopeless. Isaiah therefore labors to show how wretched is the condition of the people, who, while they endured severe hardships, yet murmured against God, and did not suffer themselves to be brought into a state of obedience. And therefore he frequently repeats this warning, and reproves sharply, in order to subdue this obstinacy of the people.
And we have lied to Jehovah. By a variety of terms he rebukes their vices, and enumerates classes of them, after having pointed out in a general manner that corruption which everywhere prevailed.: Nor does he mention only slight faults, or those of a small number of persons, but a universal revolt. By these words he pronounces them to have been so deeply corrupted, that no sincerity, uprightness, fear, or conscience remained in them. For what is meant by “lying to God,” but to revolt treacherously from him, as if all obedience were refused? Thus he does not reproach them with one or a few transgressions of the Law, but says that, like fugitives, they have forsaken God, so that they do not follow him when he calls.
Conceiving and uttering from the heart. He now adds that they were devoted to the invention of mischief, and thoroughly imbued with falsehood; for “to utter a lie from the heart,” is far worse than to tell lies thoughtlessly, or even to deceive when an occasion presents itself. (142) Nor is there any room to doubt that those reproofs grievously offended the Jews, who, puffed up with pride, imagined that they were exceedingly holy. But it was proper to treat their hypocrisy in this manner, because mere doctrine produced little effect upon them. Taught by this example, pastors, when they see the Church of God corrupt, and men pleasing themselves and flattering their vices, ought to make strenuous opposition, accompanied by loud and sharp reproof.
(142) “What they think in their heart, and utter from the thought to speech and to action, that is, their thoughts, and words, and actions, are falsehoods.” Kimchi.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(13) In transgressing . . .The clauses point respectively (1) to false and hypocritical worship; (2) to open apostacy; (3) to sins against man, and these subdivided into (a) sins against truth, and (b) sins against justice.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 59:13 In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
Ver. 13. In transgressing and lying against the Lord. ] Or, Dealing disloyally with him. This is to lay on load, to be full in the mouth, to enter into particulars, and to confess them all with utmost aggravation.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
lying: Isa 32:6, Isa 48:8, Isa 57:11, Psa 78:36, Jer 3:10, Jer 42:20, Eze 18:25, Hos 6:7, Hos 7:13, Hos 11:12, Act 5:3, Act 5:4
departing: Isa 31:6, Psa 18:21, Jer 2:13, Jer 2:19-21, Jer 3:20, Jer 17:13, Jer 32:40, Eze 6:9, Hos 1:2, Heb 3:12
speaking: Jer 5:23, Jer 9:2-5, Mat 12:34-36, Mar 7:21, Mar 7:22, Rom 3:10-18, Jam 1:15, Jam 3:6
Reciprocal: Gen 34:13 – deceitfully Lev 6:2 – deceived Job 21:31 – repay Psa 12:1 – faithful Psa 14:3 – all gone Psa 140:3 – sharpened Ecc 4:1 – and considered Ecc 5:8 – regardeth Isa 59:4 – they conceive Jer 9:3 – they bend Jer 9:5 – they will Dan 9:5 – departing Hos 4:1 – no truth Hos 5:7 – dealt Hos 10:4 – thus Amo 5:7 – turn Amo 5:11 – treading Amo 6:12 – for Hab 1:4 – for Zep 3:1 – to the Mal 2:8 – ye are Mat 12:10 – that Mat 15:11 – but Mat 22:16 – we know
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
59:13 In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of {l} falsehood.
(l) That is, against our neighbours.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The people acknowledged sins against God and against other people. They also admitted sins of omission and sins of commission, sins of action and sins of attitude, sins of the mouth and sins of the hands.