Isaiah 59:6 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 59:6 mean?

Isaiah 59:6 says that the things people make—described as "webs" and "works"—cannot protect or justify them, because their actions are sinful and violent. The verse pictures their efforts as useless for covering themselves, since everything they do is marked by wrongdoing.

Isaiah is speaking God's message to the people of Israel, confronting them about their corrupt behavior. The verse uses the image of spider webs, which are too flimsy to serve as clothing, to show that the people's attempts to hide their guilt or make themselves right are empty. The focus is on how their actions, filled with iniquity and violence, leave them exposed and unprotected before God.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 59:6

• "Webs" (קֹרִים, qorim): This word refers to spider webs, highlighting how fragile and insubstantial the people's efforts are—just as a web cannot be used as clothing.
• "Garments" (בֶּגֶד, beged): This word means clothing, emphasizing that what the people produce cannot truly cover or protect them.
• "Cover" (כָּסָה, kasah): This verb means to cover or conceal, underlining that their works cannot hide their wrongdoing.
• "Works" (מַעֲשֶׂה, ma'aseh): Used repeatedly, this word points to their deeds or actions, which are described as being fundamentally corrupt.
• "Iniquity" (אָוֶן, aven): This word means wickedness or moral evil, making clear that their actions are not just ineffective but also wrong.
• "Violence" (חָמָס, chamas): This word means violence or wrongdoing, showing the destructive nature of their actions.

Why Isaiah 59:6 matters

• Isaiah 59:6 makes it clear that outward actions or efforts cannot cover up inner corruption; only genuine righteousness can provide true protection.
• The verse highlights the theme running through Isaiah 59, where the people's separation from God is caused by their own unjust and violent behavior.
• This verse helps correct the misunderstanding that religious or moral "works" alone can make someone right before God, especially when those works are tainted by injustice.