Isaiah 59:15 Meaning: When Doing Right Makes You a Target
Yes, truth is lacking; and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Yahweh saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.
Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.
Yea, truth is lacking; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey. And Jehovah saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.
And the truth is lacking, And whoso is turning aside from evil, Is making himself a spoil. And Jehovah seeth, and it is evil in His eyes, That there is no judgment.
And truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey. And Jehovah saw [it], and it was evil in his sight that there was no judgment.
Meaning in one sentence
When truth is missing and the righteous become prey, God sees and is displeased. He does not stay silent.
Context
Isaiah 59 confronts a people whose sins have built a wall between them and God. The prophet lays bare a society where justice is pushed back, truth has stumbled in the streets, and no one can enter with honesty. By verse 15, the situation is at its worst: truth is not just scarce but gone, and anyone who turns from evil finds themselves plundered, as if they were game. This is the moment the Lord looks. He sees the whole broken system. The next verses show He does not leave it there.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words carry the weight here. Emet means far more than factual accuracy, it carries firmness, faithfulness, reliability. When emet is gone, the glue that holds a community together has dissolved. Sur means to turn aside, to depart. The person who turns from evil is not being overly scrupulous; they are making a choice for faithfulness in a place that has abandoned it. Mishtolel comes from a root meaning to strip or plunder. The righteous person is not acting foolishly; he is being looted by those around him. These three words together name a terrible inversion: the faithful person becomes the victim, and God sees it all.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions agree this verse describes a desperate social collapse. Matthew Henry stresses that sin is the root of the problem. Gill points out that the righteous are often ‘reckoned a madman’ by the world. The Cambridge Bible notes how the verse sets the stage for God’s sudden intervention in the next lines. Keil and Delitzsch emphasize that the people are confessing their own moral depravity. Both readings point to human helplessness and the need for a divine response that only God can bring.
A common misunderstanding
Some read ‘makes himself a prey’ as though the righteous person is foolishly bringing trouble on themselves. In fact, the Hebrew word means he is plundered by others. The fault lies with the society, not with his faithfulness.
Living This Out
This week, pay attention when honesty costs you. Maybe you tell the truth in a meeting and face discipline for it. Maybe you refuse to join in gossip and find yourself excluded. The prophet names that experience. He does not tell you to change course. He tells you that the Lord saw it, and He was displeased, not with you, but with the absence of justice. You can hold onto that. God is not unaware of the price you pay for doing what is right.
Main takeaway: God sees when doing good makes you a target, and He is not indifferent to injustice.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Sometimes when you try to do the right thing, others might be mean to you. That is hard. God sees it, and He cares.
For ages 9, 12
This verse says that in a broken world, doing what is right can actually make you a target. That doesn’t seem fair. But notice who is watching: God. He sees the whole picture, and He is not okay with injustice. Even when no one else stands with you, He does. You can trust Him with that.
Questions People Ask
What does 'makes himself a prey' mean in Isaiah 59:15?
It means he is plundered or stripped by others. The Hebrew word (mishtolel) describes what people do to him because he refuses to join their evil.
Why does God allow the righteous to suffer in this verse?
The verse does not explain why; it describes the reality. But it shows that God sees the suffering and is displeased with the injustice, and in the next verses He intervenes to set things right.
What does 'truth is lacking' mean?
The Hebrew word for truth, emet, includes faithfulness and reliability. To say truth is lacking means these qualities have vanished from society entirely.
How does this verse connect to the New Testament?
Many Christians see a parallel to Jesus, who perfectly turned from evil and became prey. God saw that injustice and acted through the resurrection to bring final justice.
What is the 'no justice' at the end of the verse?
The word mishpat means judgment, justice, and right order. The absence of this grieves God deeply and prompts Him to act.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study