Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom,

ISAIAH 65:6KJV
Know the Bible

Isaiah 65:6 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 65:6 mean?

Isaiah 65:6 describes God declaring that He has a record of the people's actions and will not remain silent, but will repay them fully for what they have done. The verse emphasizes that God’s response will be personal and direct, giving back into their “bosom,” meaning their own lives or experience.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Isaiah to the people of Israel, addressing their persistent wrongdoing. The situation is one where the people have repeatedly ignored God’s ways, and now God states that He will take action rather than overlook their behavior. The phrase about recompensing “into their bosom” highlights the certainty and closeness of the coming consequences.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 65:6

  • "Written" (כָּתוּב, kātûv): This word means something has been recorded or documented, stressing that God keeps a careful account and nothing is forgotten.
  • "Silence" (חָשָׁה, ḥāšāh): This word refers to holding back or not responding. God says He will not stay quiet, meaning judgment or response is now unavoidable.
  • "Recompense" (שָׁלַם, shālam): Used twice for emphasis, this word means to repay or make whole, often in the sense of giving back what is deserved. The repetition underlines the certainty and completeness of God’s response.
  • "Bosom" (חֵיק, ḥēq): This refers to the fold of one’s garment or the chest area, often used in Hebrew to mean something given directly to a person, making the repayment very personal and inescapable.

Why Isaiah 65:6 matters

  • The verse clears up any idea that God is unaware or indifferent to wrongdoing; it stresses that everything is “written before” Him and will be addressed.
  • The double use of “recompense” highlights the seriousness and thoroughness of God’s response, not a half-measure or distant consequence.
  • This verse connects to the larger context of Isaiah 65, where God contrasts the fate of those who ignore Him with those who serve Him, setting up a theme of justice and accountability.

Where else these words appear

“silence” Hebrew H2814 · used in 16 verses

  • Judges 18:9 And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land.
  • Nehemiah 8:11 So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.
  • Isaiah 42:14 I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.

“bosom” Hebrew H2436 · used in 34 verses

  • Genesis 16:5 And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.
  • 1 Kings 3:20 And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
  • Proverbs 17:23 A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment.

“recompense” Hebrew H7999 · used in 107 verses

  • Genesis 44:4 And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?
  • 1 Kings 9:25 And three times in a year did Solomon offer burnt offerings and peace offerings upon the altar which he built unto the LORD, and he burnt incense upon the altar that was before the LORD. So he finished the house.
  • Proverbs 6:31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.