Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

ISAIAH 5:20KJV
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Isaiah 5:20 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 5:20 mean?

Isaiah 5:20 warns against people who deliberately confuse moral boundaries, calling what is evil good and what is good evil, and swapping darkness for light and bitterness for sweetness. The verse pronounces a strong warning ("woe") against those who twist what is right and wrong, making it hard to tell truth from falsehood.

Isaiah, speaking as a prophet to the people of Judah, is addressing a society where moral confusion and corruption have taken hold. The verse uses vivid contrasts—evil/good, darkness/light, bitter/sweet—to show how deeply people can distort values. This warning comes in a larger context where Isaiah lists the wrongs of his generation, showing how turning upside down what is right leads to judgment.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 5:20

  • The word "woe" (הוֹי, hoy) is a strong cry of warning or sorrow, often used by prophets to signal serious trouble ahead for those addressed.
  • "Evil" (רַע, raʿ) and "good" (טוֹב, tov) are basic Hebrew words for moral wrong and right; their reversal here highlights a complete moral breakdown.
  • "Darkness" (חֹשֶׁךְ, ḥoshekh) and "light" (אוֹר, or) are often used in the Hebrew Bible as symbols for ignorance and understanding, or for wickedness and righteousness.
  • "Bitter" (מָרוֹר, maror) and "sweet" (מָתוֹק, matoq) are concrete images from daily life, showing how even basic experiences can be twisted when people lose their moral compass.

Why Isaiah 5:20 matters

  • Isaiah 5:20 makes clear that moral confusion is not just a mistake but a serious offense that brings consequences, especially when done deliberately.
  • The verse emphasizes that God cares about how people define right and wrong, not just about outward actions.
  • This warning fits into Isaiah’s broader message about the dangers of abandoning God’s standards, helping readers see the roots of social and spiritual decay in his time.

Where else these words appear

“sweet” Hebrew H4966 · used in 11 verses

  • Judges 14:14 And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.
  • Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
  • Ecclesiastes 5:12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

“bitter” Hebrew H4751 · used in 35 verses

  • Genesis 27:34 And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.
  • 2 Samuel 2:26 Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren?
  • Ecclesiastes 7:26 And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

“Woe” Hebrew H1945 · used in 48 verses

  • Ruth 4:1 Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.
  • Isaiah 29:15 Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
  • Ezekiel 13:18 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you?

“darkness” Hebrew H2822 · used in 77 verses

  • Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
  • Job 19:8 He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths.
  • Ecclesiastes 2:14 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.