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James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

Isaiah 59:12

THE TWOFOLD BARRIER

‘For our transgressions are multiplied before Thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them.’

Isaiah 59:12

I. Towards God, sin, unatoned and unforgiven, cries ever against me, and I have nothing to answer.

II. Towards self, and in that august court of conscience that is within, the condemning voice is also heard; and here again I have no true answer to give.—So a double barrier shuts me out from God, and help, and peace, and shuts me in to gloom and self-despair. What shall I do? There is One Who can set me free, One Who can remove instantly and for ever that awful double barrier. Is it not written that His blood cleanseth from all sin? It answers for every transgression, both before God and in the Court of Conscience. Praise God for ever and ever for that Mighty Deliverer, that Atoning Blood!

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See also Isaiah 59:12 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    OUR SINS TESTIFY AGAINST US - Hebrew, ‘Answer against us.’ The idea is, that their past lives had been so depraved that they became witnesses against them (compare the notes at Isaiah 3:9). WE KNOW T...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 59 Apostasy and Confession, Jehovah's Intervention and the Coming of the Redeemer 1. _The deplorable condition of the people (Isaiah 59:1) _ 2. _The confession (Isaiah 59:9) _ 3. Jehovah's in...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    ISAIAH 59:9_ a_. THE PEOPLE CONFESS THAT THEIR PITEOUS PLIGHT IS THE FRUIT OF THEIR WRONGDOING. The poet now joins himself to his people and, speaking in their name, owns the truth of the indictment i...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    TRANSGRESSIONS. Hebrew. _pasha'._ App-44. SINS. Hebrew. _chata'._ App-44. Note that these three words occur together in Leviticus 16:21....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _our sins testify against us_ So Jeremiah 14:7. _our transgressions_are _with us_ present to our conscience, Job 12:3; Job 14:5 &c.; comp. also Psalms 5

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    2. THE CONSEQUENCES TEXT: Isaiah 59:9-15 a 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 obscu...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them; FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS ARE MULTIPLI...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    1, 2. An answer to the implied objection that the promises of restoration have not yet been fulfilled....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    WITH US] i.e. present in our thoughts....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    ISAIAH: GOD CONTROLS THE NATIONS GOD’S PROMISES TO HIS SPECIAL PEOPLE ISAIAH CHAPTER S 58 TO 66 _NORMAN HILLYER_ CHAPTER 59 WHY GOD DOES NOT ANSWER PRAYERS V1 The *Lord can still save. His pow...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Isaiah’s list of wicked deeds is a great shock to the people. They suddenly recognise that they are guilty of all those actions. Now they can understand why the *Lord is not helping them. But merely t...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS... — The parallelism with the confessions of Daniel (Isaiah 9:5) and Ezra (Isaiah 9:6) is singularly striking, but is as explicable on the hypothesis that they reproduced that o...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    כִּֽי ־רַבּ֤וּ פְשָׁעֵ֨ינוּ֙ נֶגְדֶּ֔ךָ וְ חַטֹּאותֵ֖ינוּ...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER XXIII THE REKINDLING OF THE CIVIC CONSCIENCE Isaiah 56:9; Isaiah 57:1; Isaiah 58:1; Isaiah 59:1 IT was inevitable, as so

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    INIQUITIES SEPARATE FROM GOD Isaiah 59:1-15 _Israel's sins_, Isaiah 59:1-8. Much of our suffering in life results from our sins, which cut off God's health and help. Let us not blame Providence, but...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Continuing, the prophet makes confession of moral failure. This he does first by declaring the reason for national suffering. It is not to be found in Jehovah's inability, nor in His unwillingness. Th...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our (k) sins testify against us: for our transgressions [are] with us; and [as for] our iniquities, we know them; (k) This confession is general...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Here is a long and sad account of men's revolt and transgression, which fully explains what was said before, as well as accounts for the divine corrections which followed. Men may well wait for the li...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    12._For our iniquities are multiplied before thee. _He confirms what he formerly said, namely, that the people act unjustly in accusing God of cruelty, and in not understanding that they are justly pu...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 58 AND 59. But these moral considerations rouse the indignation of the Spirit at the condition of Israel in the days of the prophecy-their sin and their hypoc...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS ARE MULTIPLIED BEFORE THEE,.... Not only an increase of immorality among the people in common, but among professors of religion; and as their transgressions are committed agains...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions [are] with us; and [as for] our iniquities, we know them; Ver. 12. _For our transgressions a...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _For our transgressions_ The word פשׁעונו, here used, signifies sins of a high nature, namely, such as were wilfully committed against light and knowledge; rebellious sins. _Are multiplied before thee...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    For our transgressions are multiplied before Thee, in their breaches of the covenant faithfulness, AND OUR SINS TESTIFY AGAINST US, as witnesses of their guilt; FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS, by which they d...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    INIQUITIES MAKE BLIND AND HELPLESS...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    9-15 If we shut our eyes against the light of Divine truth, it is just with God to hide from our eyes the things that belong to our peace. The sins of those who profess themselves God's people, are wo...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    OUR TRANSGRESSIONS: the word here signifies sins of a high nature; such as wherein there is much of man's will against light; rebellious sins. ARE MULTIPLIED BEFORE THEE: q.d. They admit of no excuse;...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Isaiah 59:12 transgressions H6588 multiplied H7231 (H8804) sins H2403 testify H6030 (H8804) transgressions H6588 iniquities...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    JUDAH/JACOB IN ITS SIN (ISAIAH 59:1 A). Isaiah 59:1 ‘Behold Yahweh's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, Nor his ear heavy that it cannot hear, But your iniquities have separated between yo...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Sins which prevented the bestowal of God's blessing and caused chastisements to fall upon Israel. CHARACTERS: God, Christ, Holy Spirit CONCLUSION: If prayers are not answered and the salva...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Isaiah 59:1. _Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save._ The failure of your fast is not with the Lord; he sees, and he can hear. Neither is the fault in the promises announced by...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ISAIAH—NOTE ON ISAIAH 59:12 FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS. The people acknowledge that their guilt is the cause of their miseries (compare Psalms 51:3)....

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ISAIAH 59:1 A GENERAL REBUKE OF ISRAEL FOR ITS MANIFOLD SINS, The command given to the prophet in Isaiah 58:1 to "show God's people the

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now in fifty-nine: Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither is his ear heavy, that it cannot hear (Isaiah 59:1): "Lord, why aren't You hearing us when we fast? Why aren'...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Thessalonians 2:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:16; Daniel 9:5; Ezekiel 16:51;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Transgressions — The word here signifies sins of an high nature, such as wherein there is much of man's will against light: rebellious sins. Multiplied — They admit of no excuse; for they are acted be...

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