I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.

ISAIAH 44:22KJV
Know the Bible

Isaiah 44:22 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 44:22 mean?

Isaiah 44:22 describes God’s promise to completely remove the people’s sins, comparing this forgiveness to wiping away a thick cloud, and calls them to return to Him because He has already redeemed them. The verse uses vivid imagery to show that God’s forgiveness is total and invites the people back into relationship with Him.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Isaiah to the people of Israel, who have turned away from Him and suffered because of their actions. The language of “blotting out” and “redeeming” points to God’s willingness to forgive and restore, even after serious wrongdoing. The verse stands as a reassurance that God’s mercy is greater than their failures, and that He has already acted to bring them back.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 44:22

  • “Blotted out” uses the Hebrew word מָחִיתִי (machiti), which often means to wipe away or erase completely, like erasing ink from a scroll. This emphasizes that God’s forgiveness is thorough, not partial.
  • “Transgressions” is פֶּשַׁע (pesha‘), a word that often refers to rebellious acts or willful breaking of trust, highlighting that God is forgiving even deliberate wrongs.
  • The comparison to a “thick cloud” uses עָב (av), which refers to a dense, dark cloud. This image suggests that sins can seem overwhelming and impossible to remove, but God is able to clear them away completely.
  • “Redeemed” comes from גָּאַלְתִּיךָ (ga’altikha), meaning to buy back or rescue, often used for freeing someone from slavery or debt. Here, it shows that God has already taken action to restore the people, not just promising to do so in the future.

Why Isaiah 44:22 matters

  • Isaiah 44:22 clarifies that God’s forgiveness is not just a future hope but something already accomplished—He has already redeemed His people.
  • The verse emphasizes that even the most serious sins, described as thick clouds, can be completely removed by God, countering any sense of hopelessness.
  • This verse connects to the wider message in Isaiah that God’s relationship with Israel is based on His initiative and mercy, not their ability to earn forgiveness.

Where else these words appear

“out” Hebrew H4229 · used in 32 verses

  • Genesis 6:7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
  • Deuteronomy 25:19 Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.
  • Psalms 69:28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

“cloud” Hebrew H5645 · used in 32 verses

  • Exodus 19:9 And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.
  • Job 30:15 Terrors are turned upon me: they pursue my soul as the wind: and my welfare passeth away as a cloud.
  • Proverbs 16:15 In the light of the king's countenance is life; and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain.

“cloud” Hebrew H6051 · used in 80 verses

  • Genesis 9:13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
  • Numbers 9:17 And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.
  • Job 26:9 He holdeth back the face of his throne, and spreadeth his cloud upon it.

“redeemed” Hebrew H1350 · used in 84 verses

  • Genesis 48:16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
  • Joshua 20:3 That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
  • Isaiah 35:9 No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: