Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 59:4

Albert Barnes Commentary

Isaiah 59:4

1798–1870
Presbyterian
Albert Barnes
Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes Commentary

Isaiah 59:4

1798–1870
Presbyterian
SCRIPTURE

"None sueth in righteousness, and none pleadeth in truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity." — Isaiah 59:4 (ASV)

None calls for justice - Or rather, there is no one who brings a suit with justice; no one who goes into court for the purpose of obtaining justice. There is a love of litigation; a desire to take all the advantage which the law can give; a desire to appeal to the law, not for the sake of having strict justice done, but for the sake of doing injury to others, and to take some undue advantage.

Nor any pleads for truth - Or, no one pleads with truth. He does not state the cause as it is. He makes use of cunning and falsehood to gain his cause.

They trust in vanity - They confide in quirks and evasions rather than in the justice of their cause.

They conceive mischief - They form plans of evil, and they execute them when they are fully ripe. Compare (Job 15:35), where the same phrase occurs. The sense is, that they form plans to injure others, and that they expect to execute them by fraud and deceit.