Isaiah 65:6 · Bible study
Isaiah 65:6 Commentary: The Written Record and Divine Repayment
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What does it mean that God records sins before Him? Isaiah 65:6 reveals the certainty of His justice and the personal nature of His repayment.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God has recorded the people's sins before Him and declares that He will not stay silent but will repay them fully and directly.
- Key words: “written” (כְּתוּבָה, kethuvah, recorded permanently), “silence” (אֶחֱשֶׂה, echeseh, to be still/inactive), “recompense” (שִׁלַּמְתִּי, shillamti, to repay fully), “bosom” (חֵיק, cheq, fold of garment, personal space).
- Main debate: Whether “it is written” refers to the record of sins itself or the divine decree of judgment (most commentators favor the record of sins).
- Theological theme: The certainty and personal nature of divine justice; God's patience has a limit, but he also preserves a remnant.
- Best use: A sobering call to repentance and a reminder that God's justice is both precise and personal, balanced by hope for those who serve Him.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will pay it back into their laps,
WEB World English Bible 2000
“Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will repay, yes, I will repay into their bosom
KJV King James Version 1769
Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom,
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, yea, I will recompense into their bosom,
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Lo, it is written before Me: `I am not silent, but have recompensed; And I have recompensed into their bosom,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom,
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Behold it is written before me: I will not be silent, but I will render and repay into their bosom.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
He aquí que escrito está delante de mí; no callaré, antes retornaré, y daré el pago en su seno,
Eis que está escrito diante de mim: Não me calarei; mas eu pagarei, e lhes pagarei diretamente e por completo,
Voici ce que j’ ai résolu par devers moi:
Siehe, es steht vor mir geschrieben: Ich will nicht schweigen, sondern bezahlen; ja, ich will ihnen in ihren Busen bezahlen,
Ziet, het is voor Mijn aangezicht geschreven; Ik zal niet zwijgen, maar Ik zal vergelden, ja, in hun boezem zal Ik vergelden;
Ecco, tutto ciò sta scritto dinanzi a me; io non mi tacerò, anzi vi darò la retribuzione, sì, vi verserò in seno la retribuzione
Oto zapisano to przedemną: Nie zamilczę, ale oddam i odpłacę na łono ich.
Вот что написано пред лицем Моим: не умолчу, но воздам, воздам в недро их
看哪，這都寫 在我面前。我必不 靜默， 必 施行報應，必將你們的罪孽 和你們列祖 的罪孽，就是 在 山 上燒香，在 岡 上褻瀆我的罪孽，一同 報應 在 他們後人懷中，我先 要把他們所行的 量 給 他們；這是耶和華 說的。
See, it is recorded before me, says the Lord: I will not keep back my hand, till I have sent punishment,
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 65:6
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators consistently understand the opening "Behold, it is written before me" as a divine record of the people's sins. Adam Clarke notes that their sin "is registered in heaven, calling aloud for the punishment due to it." Barnes adds that the phrase alludes to the custom of kings recording decrees, and the record is kept before God (Dan. 7:10; Rev. 20:12). The Cambridge Bible agrees, stating that "the sins mentioned above stand recorded in the heavenly books, calling constantly for punishment." Keil and Delitzsch affirm that the reference is to "their idolatrous conduct … ever before Him, written in indelible characters." On "recompense into their bosom," Barnes explains the Oriental custom where the loose garment fold served as a pocket, meaning God would repay fully into the person's own lap. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown add that this signifies "repaying to the very person from whom it has emanated." The repetition of "recompense" in the Hebrew emphasizes the certainty and completeness of God's justice.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Record of sins: Most commentators (Clarke, Barnes, Cambridge, Keil & Delitzsch) point to the imagery of heavenly books (Ps 56:8, Dan 7:10, Rev 20:12) as a record of human deeds.
- Divine decree: Some interpreters (Vitringa, referenced by Keil & Delitzsch) read it as God's written decree of judgment, citing passages where 'written' refers to a royal decree (Isa 10:1, Job 13:26).
What is clear: God will not stay silent forever; he will repay the guilty directly and fully, and he distinguishes between rebels and his servants (Isaiah 65:8-10).
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The meaning of 'written before me' | The phrase indicates that God has a permanent record or knowledge of the people's sins or of the judgment they deserve. | Most commentators (Barnes, Cambridge, Keil & Delitzsch) understand it as a record of sins; some (Vitringa, cited by Keil & Delitzsch) view it as the divine decree of judgment. |
| The significance of repayment 'into their bosom' | This means God will repay the guilty personally and directly, using the image of the loose garment fold used as a pocket. | Some (Gesenius, cited by Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) emphasize it as repayment 'to the very person from whom it emanated'; others (Rosenmuller) stress the abundance of punishment, requiring the whole bosom to contain it. |
| God's silence and its duration | God has been patient and silent, but he will eventually speak by executing judgment. | Christians from traditions emphasizing free will (e.g., Arminian) may focus on God's patience as a chance to repent; those from Reformed traditions may underscore that God's silence is a stage in the decree of judgment that was always determined. |
| The role of past generations' sins (verse 7) | God includes the sins of the fathers in the judgment, showing the cumulative weight of rebellion. | Some see this as collective responsibility (God judges the community for its history of sin); others emphasize that each generation adds its own guilt, and the judgment falls on those who continue in the same sins. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah 65 stands as God's answer to the lament of the faithful remnant in chapter 64, who pleaded for divine intervention. In verses 1-7, God distinguishes between the righteous and the persistent rebels. Verses 2-5 describe people who blatantly provoke God: sacrificing in gardens, sitting among graves, eating pig's flesh, and claiming a false holiness (65:5). Their defiance is public and unrelenting.
The phrase "it is written before me" draws on a familiar Old Testament image. In Exodus 17:14, God commands Moses to write a memorial of Amalek's sin; in Psalms 56:8, the psalmist says God collects tears in a bottle and records them in a book. Daniel 7:10 and Revelation 20:12 develop the courtroom scene where books are opened. Here, the "writing" likely refers to a permanent, divine record of Israel's sins that demands justice.
The bosom (חֵיק, “cheq”) refers to the wide fold in the front of an Oriental garment, used as a pocket for carrying grain, money, or gifts (Exodus 4:6-7; Proverbs 6:27). When God says he will repay “into their bosom,” it means the punishment will be delivered directly to the guilty party, full measure and personally. As Jamieson-Fausset-Brown note, the intention is to show that the sin returns to the sinner's own account. The repetition of the verb (שִׁלַּמְתִּי ... וְשִׁלַּמְתִּי) underscores the certainty: God's payment is both what they deserve and what he has decreed.
The silence God breaks is the patient restraint described in Isaiah 42:14 and 64:12, a silence that now gives way to open judgment.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note a minor textual variant in the preposition before “bosom.” In the first occurrence of “into their bosom” (verse 6), the Masoretic Text reads ‛al (“upon”), but ten manuscripts and five editions have ’el (“into”). In the second occurrence (at the end of verse 6), seventeen manuscripts and four editions read ’el. The difference does not affect the meaning, as both prepositions are used interchangeably in similar contexts (Psalm 79:12; Jeremiah 32:18). The consulted sources note no other significant variants.
Reception History
Isaiah 65:6 has been cited across Christian tradition as a sobering reminder of God's omniscience and the certainty of divine justice. Early church fathers used it to warn against presuming on God's patience, often linking it with the imagery of heavenly books (Revelation 20:12). During the Reformation, commentators like Matthew Henry and John Wesley saw in this verse a clear assertion that God keeps a record of sin and will not be mocked. The phrase “into their bosom” became a common metaphor in hymns and sermons for the personal nature of judgment: each person receives exactly what they have stored up. In liturgical contexts, the verse has been read during penitential seasons, drawing attention to the need for confession before the open book of God's justice.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Record: God knows every sin and keeps a permanent account before Him.
- The Repayment: God does not stay silent forever; He repays fully and directly into the bosom, personally and completely.
- The Residue: Even in judgment, God preserves a remnant for His servants (Isaiah 65:8-10), showing justice does not cancel mercy.
Five-point outline
- The Open Book: “It is written before me”, God's omniscient record of sin.
- The Breaking Silence: “I will not keep silence”, God's patience has a limit.
- The Precise Payment: “Recompense into their bosom”, punishment lands squarely on the guilty.
- The Cumulative Guilt: Verse 7 adds the sins of the fathers, showing the weight of inherited and persistent rebellion.
- The Gracious Distinction: Verses 8-10 reveal God's servants are spared, pointing to hope amid judgment.
Illustration hooks
- A teacher keeps a gradebook. The student may think the grade is hidden, but it is recorded and will be given back at the end of the term.
- A bank statement shows every transaction. We cannot hide our spiritual debts from the one who keeps the books.
- A parent who has been patient with a child's repeated disobedience finally addresses the behavior. The child receives the consequence directly, not vaguely.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God really see and remember every wrong I have done?
- If God is silent now, does that mean he approves of my sin?
- How does God's justice leave room for his mercy for those who are faithful?
Leading a Discussion
This verse reveals God's perfect knowledge of our sin and his certain justice. But the surrounding context shows that God also distinguishes between the rebellious and his servants. As a group, explore what this means for how we understand both judgment and hope.
Discussion questions
- Read Isaiah 65:1-7 aloud. What specific sins does God list? Why does he call them “written before me”?
- The word “bosom” refers to the fold of a garment used as a pocket. What does it communicate about God's repayment when he says he will pay “into their bosom”?
- Why does God say he will not keep silent? What does his previous silence imply about his patience (see Isaiah 42:14; 64:12)?
- How does the repetition of “recompense” in the Hebrew affect how we hear this promise of judgment?
- Compare this verse with Psalm 79:12 and Jeremiah 32:18. What do these passages teach about God's justice?
- Read Isaiah 65:8-10. How does God's treatment of his servants differ from his treatment of the rebels? What does this reveal about his character?
- How does the certainty of God's recorded justice affect the way we live today? Does it bring fear, comfort, or both?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 17:14 | Yahweh said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under the sky.” |
| Deuteronomy 32:34 | “Isn’t this laid up in store with me, sealed up among my treasures? |
| Psalms 50:3 | Our God comes, and does not keep silent. A fire devours before him. It is very stormy around him. |
| Psalms 50:21 | You have done these things, and I kept silent. You thought that I was just like you. I will rebuke you, and accuse you in front of your eyes. |
| Psalms 56:8 | You count my wanderings. You put my tears into your container. Aren’t they in your book? |
| Psalms 79:12 | Pay back to our neighbors seven times into their bosom their reproach with which they have reproached you, Lord. |
| Isaiah 42:14 | “I have been silent a long time. I have been quiet and restrained myself. Now I will cry out like a travailing woman. I will both gasp and pant. |
| Isaiah 64:12 | Will you hold yourself back for these things, Yahweh? Will you keep silent and punish us very severely? |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke explains that "into their bosom" refers to the place where people in the East kept their pockets, unlike Western clothing with skirts. Their loose garments had no such pocket area, so the recompense is pictured as being placed directly into the fold of the robe.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws attention to the ancient practice of keeping royal decrees recorded and present before a king, so they would not be forgotten. He applies that custom to God’s impartial record of human deeds. The repeated word “recompense” is Hebrew emphasis for certainty, and the phrase “into their bosom” refers to the loose front of Oriental garments used like pockets for carrying punishment.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible School notes that the sins of the reprobates are written before God in heavenly books, constantly demanding punishment. The phrase about recompensing into their bosom forms a distinct new sentence, signaled by the Hebrew verb's consecutive perfect form.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note emphasizes that God keeps a personal record of every sin, written before Him. He will not remain silent or inactive but will fully repay the punishment directly into the sinner's own bosom, making the retribution personal and certain.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that when God says their sins are written before him, it means they are constantly in his sight and that punishment is already decreed. God will not merely threaten but will execute judgment, giving full and just recompense. Gill adds the Targum's note that this refers to the second death.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch insists that the phrase “written before me” refers to the indelible record of Israel’s idolatrous deeds on mountains and hills, not to a divine decree. They argue God will repay both the sins of the current generation and their fathers together, measuring their punishment first into their own bosom as the primary demand of His justice.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry leans on the Apostle Paul's interpretation to identify this passage as a prophecy of Gentiles being brought in and Jews being rejected through the gospel. He highlights that Isaiah was remarkably bold to foretell such an improbable turn of events directly to the Jews, who would take it as an insult to their nation.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley draws a sharp contrast between how humans perceive God's attention and how God actually acts. Like a prince writing down important matters so he will not forget, God takes deliberate note of everything people do. His remembrance is certain and intentional, not casual or absent.