Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 59:9

"Therefore is justice far from us, neither doth righteousness overtake us: we look for light, but, behold, darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity." — Isaiah 59:9 (ASV)

Therefore judgment is far from us — This is the confession of the people that they were suffering not unjustly on account of their crimes. The word ‘judgment’ here is evidently to be taken in the sense of vengeance or vindication. The idea is this: ‘We are subjected to calamities and oppressions by our enemies. In our distresses we cry to God, but on account of our sins he does not hear us, nor does he come to vindicate our cause.’

Neither does justice overtake us — That is, God does not interpose to save us from our calamities and to deliver us from the hand of our enemies. The word justice here is not to be regarded as used in the sense that they had a claim on God, or that they were now suffering unjustly. Instead, it is used to denote the attribute of justice in God. The idea is that the just God, the avenger of wrongs, did not come forth to vindicate their cause and to save them from the power of their foes.

We wait for light — The idea here is that they anxiously waited for returning prosperity.

But behold obscurity — Darkness. Our calamities continue, and relief is not afforded us.

For brightness — That is, for brightness or splendor like the shining of the sun, an emblem of happiness and prosperity.