Isaiah 59:1

Amplified Bible

Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short That it cannot save, Nor His ear so impaired That it cannot hear.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Look, the Lord 's power is enough to save you. He can hear you when you ask him for help.

New Living Translation
Listen! The Lord 's arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call.

Update Bible Version
Look, Yahweh's hand is not shortened, that it can't save; neither his ear heavy, that it can't hear:

New Century Version
Surely the Lord 's power is enough to save you. He can hear you when you ask him for help.

New English Translation
Look, the Lord 's hand is not too weak to deliver you; his ear is not too deaf to hear you.

Webster's Bible Translation
Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

World English Bible
Behold, Yahweh's hand is not shortened, that it can't save; neither his ear heavy, that it can't hear:

English Standard Version
Behold, the Lord 's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Lo! the hoond of the Lord is not abreggid, that he mai not saue, nether his eere is maad hard, that he here not;

English Revised Version
Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

Berean Standard Bible
Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear.

Contemporary English Version
The Lord hasn't lost his powerful strength; he can still hear and answer prayers.

American Standard Version
Behold, Jehovah's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

Bible in Basic English
Truly, the Lord's hand has not become short, so that he is unable to give salvation; and his ear is not shut from hearing:

Complete Jewish Bible
Adonai 's arm is not too short to save, nor is his ear too dull to hear.

Darby Translation
Behold, Jehovah's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear;

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear;

King James Version (1611)
Beholde, the Lords hand is not shortened, that it cannot saue: neither his eare heauie, that it cannot heare.

New Life Bible
See, the Lord's hand is not so short that it cannot save, and His ear is not closed that it cannot hear.

New Revised Standard
See, the Lord 's hand is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Beholde, the Lordes hande is not shortened, that it can not saue: neither is his eare heauie, that it cannot heare.

George Lamsa Translation
BEHOLD, the LORDS hand is not so short, that it cannot save; neither is his ear dull that it cannot hear;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Lo! the hand of Yahweh is not too short to say, - Neither is his ear too heavy to hear.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Behold the hand of the Lord is not shortened that it cannot save, neither is his ear heavy that it cannot hear.

Revised Standard Version
Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Beholde, the Lordes hande is not so shortened that it can not helpe, neither is his eare so stopped that it may not heare:

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Has the hand of the Lord no power to save? or has he made his ear heavy, so that he should not hear?

Good News Translation
Don't think that the Lord is too weak to save you or too deaf to hear your call for help!

Christian Standard Bible®
Indeed, the Lord’s arm is not too weak to save,

Hebrew Names Version
Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it can't save; neither his ear heavy, that it can't hear:

King James Version
Behold, the Lord 's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

Lexham English Bible
Look! The hand of Yahweh is not too short to save, and his ear is not too dull to hear.

Literal Translation
Behold, the hand of Jehovah is not shortened from saving, nor is His ear heavy from hearing.

Young's Literal Translation
Lo, the hand of Jehovah Hath not been shortened from saving, Nor heavy his ear from hearing.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Beholde the LORDES honde is not so shortened yt it can not helpe, nether is his eare so stopped yt it maye not heare.

THE MESSAGE
Look! Listen! God 's arm is not amputated—he can still save. God 's ears are not stopped up—he can still hear. There's nothing wrong with God; the wrong is in you. Your wrongheaded lives caused the split between you and God. Your sins got between you so that he doesn't hear. Your hands are drenched in blood, your fingers dripping with guilt, Your lips smeared with lies, your tongue swollen from muttering obscenities. No one speaks up for the right, no one deals fairly. They trust in illusion, they tell lies, they get pregnant with mischief and have sin-babies. They hatch snake eggs and weave spider webs. Eat an egg and die; break an egg and get a snake! The spider webs are no good for shirts or shawls. No one can wear these weavings! They weave wickedness, they hatch violence. They compete in the race to do evil and run to be the first to murder. They plan and plot evil, think and breathe evil, and leave a trail of wrecked lives behind them. They know nothing about peace and less than nothing about justice. They make tortuously twisted roads. No peace for the wretch who walks down those roads!

New American Standard Bible
Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.

New King James Version
Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.

Legacy Standard Bible
Behold, the hand of Yahweh is not so shortThat it cannot save;Nor is His ear so dullThat it cannot hear.

Contextual Overview

¹Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short That it cannot save, Nor His ear so impaired That it cannot hear.²But your wickedness has separated you from your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear. ³For your hands are defiled with blood And your fingers with wickedness [with sin, with injustice, with wrongdoing]; Your lips have spoken lies, Your tongue mutters wickedness. ⁴No one sues righteously [but for the sake of doing injury to others—to take some undue advantage], and no one pleads [his case] in truth; [but rather] They trust in empty arguments and speak lies; They conceive trouble and bring forth injustice. ⁵They hatch vipers' eggs and weave the spider's webs; He who eats of their eggs dies, And from an egg which is crushed a viper breaks out. ⁶Their webs will not serve as clothing, Nor will they cover themselves with what they make; Their works are works of wickedness [of sin, of injustice, of wrongdoing], And the act of violence is in their hands. ⁷Their feet run to evil, And they rush to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of wickedness [of sin, of injustice, of wrongdoing]; Devastation and destruction are in their highways. ⁸They do not know the way of peace, And there is no justice in their tracks. They have made them into crooked paths; Whoever walks on them does not know peace.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the Lord's: Isaiah 50:2, Genesis 18:14, Numbers 11:23, Jeremiah 32:17

that it cannot save: Isaiah 63:1, Hebrews 7:25

his ear: Isaiah 6:10, Matthew 13:15

Reciprocal: Genesis 48:10 - dim Numbers 32:23 - be sure your sin Deuteronomy 1:42 - for I am not Judges 6:13 - why then Judges 16:20 - the Lord Judges 20:27 - the ark Ezra 5:12 - But after Ezra 7:6 - according to Psalms 18:41 - General Isaiah 24:5 - because Isaiah 40:28 - the ends Isaiah 42:24 - General Isaiah 50:1 - for your iniquities Jeremiah 7:9 - steal Jeremiah 14:9 - cannot Jeremiah 21:2 - according Jeremiah 29:4 - whom Jeremiah 30:15 - for the Micah 1:5 - the transgression of Jacob Micah 2:7 - is Micah 3:4 - he will even Mark 6:5 - General Acts 11:21 - the hand

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,.... It is not for want of power in the Lord, that he has not as yet destroyed the enemies of his people, antichrist, and the antichristian states, and saved them out of their hands, and made them to triumph over them; or brought on the glorious state of the church, and fulfilled the promises of good things, suggested in the latter part of the preceding chapter. His hand is as long as ever, and as able to reach his and their enemies in the greatest height of power, or at the greatest distance, and to do every good thing for them; his power is as great as ever, and not in the least abridged or curtailed.

Neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: the prayers of his people, their cries unto him on their fast days, of which he seemed to take no notice, complained of Isaiah 58:3, this is not owing to any want of attention in him, or of readiness to hear prayer made unto him; for he is a God hearing and answering prayer, and is ready to help his people in every time of need, who apply to him in a proper and suitable manner; his eyes are upon them, and his ears are open to their cries. And this is introduced with a "behold", as requiring attention, and deserving the notice and consideration of his people. The Targum is,

"behold, not through defect of hand (or power) from the Lord ye are not saved; nor because it is heavy to him to hear, that your prayer is not received.''

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened - On the meaning of this phrase, see the notes at Isaiah 50:2.

Neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear - On the meaning of this phrase, see the notes at Isaiah 6:10.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER LIX

This chapter contains a more general reproof of the wickedness

of the Jews, 1-8.

After this they are represented confessing their sins, and

deploring the unhappy consequences of them, 9-15.

On this act of humiliation God, ever ready to pardon the

penitent, promises that he will have mercy on them; that the

Redeemer will come, mighty to save; and that he will deliver

his people, subdue his enemies and establish a new and

everlasting covenant, 16-21.

The foregoing elegant chapter contained a severe reproof of the Jews, in particular for their hypocrisy in pretending to make themselves accepted with God by fasting and outward humiliation without true repentance; while they still continued to oppress the poor, and indulge their own passions and vices; with great promises however of God's favour on condition of their reformation. This chapter contains a more general reproof of their wickedness, bloodshed, violence, falsehood, injustice. At Isaiah 59:9 they are introduced as making, themselves, an ample confession of their sins, and deploring their wretched state in consequence of them. On this act of humiliation a promise is given that God, in his mercy and zeal for his people, will rescue them from this miserable condition, that the Redeemer will come like a mighty hero to deliver them; he will destroy his enemies, convert both Jews and Gentiles to himself, and give them a new covenant, and a law which shall never be abolished.

As this chapter is remarkable for the beauty, strength, and variety of the images with which it abounds; so is it peculiarly distinguished by the elegance of the composition, and the exact construction of the sentences. From the first verse to the two last it falls regularly into stanzas of four lines, (see Prelim. Dissert. p. xxi.,) which I have endeavoured to express as nearly as possible in the form of the original. - L.

NOTES ON CHAP. LIX