Isaiah 59:12

For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them; FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS ARE MULTIPLIED BEFORE THEE, AND OUR SINS TESTIFY AGAINST US - (, etc.) THEE ... US - antithesis. FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS (ARE) WITH US - i:e., we are conscious of them (margin, ; ). AND (AS FOR) OUR INIQUITIES, WE KNOW THEM - acknowledge they are our iniquities....

12._For our iniquities are multiplied before thee. _He confirms what he formerly said, namely, that the people act unjustly in accusing God of cruelty, and in not understanding that they are justly punished for their iniquities, the huge mass of which towers up to heaven; and in this sense the Prophet says that they “are multiplied.” There is also much weight in the phrase “before thee;” for the Prophet descends into himself, and acknowledges the righteous judgment of God, which was hidden from men. Thus he intended to point out an implied contrast between the judgment of God and the judgment of men, who flatter themselves, and do not consider their sins; but God, who is a just judge, does not the less on that account reprove them, or pay any attention to the frivolous excuses under which they endeavor to shelter themselves. For this reason he does not reckon it enough simply to condemn...

9-15 If we shut our eyes against the light of Divine truth, it is just with God to hide from our eyes the things that belong to our peace. The sins of those who profess themselves God's people, are worse than the sins of others. And the sins of a nation bring public judgments, when not restrained by public justice. Men may murmur under calamities, but nothing will truly profit while they reject Christ and his gospel....

OUR SINS TESTIFY AGAINST US - Hebrew, ‘Answer against us.’ The idea is, that their past lives had been so depraved that they became witnesses against them (compare the notes at Isaiah 3:9). WE KNOW THEM - We recognize them as our sins, and we cannot conceal from ourselves the fact that we are transgressors....

EXPOSITION ISAIAH 59:1 A GENERAL REBUKE OF ISRAEL FOR ITS MANIFOLD SINS, The command given to the prophet in Isaiah 58:1 to "show God's people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins "—partly executed in Isaiah 58:4 and Isaiah 58:13—is now further carried out by a scathing denunciation of various forms of wickedness, more or less prevalent in Israel, the effect of which has been to separate between Israel and God, to "shorten God's hand" and "make his ear

FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS ARE MULTIPLIED BEFORE THEE,.... Not only an increase of immorality among the people in common, but among professors of religion; and as their transgressions are committed against the Lord, so they are in his sight taken notice of and observed by him, are loathsome and abominable to him, and call aloud for his judgments on them: AND OUR SINS TESTIFY AGAINST US; God is a witness against us, in whose sight our sins are done; and our consciences are witnesses against us, which are as a thousand witnesses; and there is no denying facts; our sins stare us in the face, and we must confess our guilt: or, "our sins answer against us" c; as witnesses called and examined answer to the questions put, so our sins, being brought as it were into open court, answer and bear testimony against us; or it must be owned, our punishment for our sins answers to them; it is the echo of o...

CHAPTER 59 Apostasy and Confession, Jehovah's Intervention and the Coming of the Redeemer 1. _The deplorable condition of the people (Isaiah 59:1) _ 2. _The confession (Isaiah 59:9) _ 3. _Jehovah's intervention (Isaiah 59:16) _ 4. _The coming of the Redeemer (Isaiah 59:20) _ The corruption of the people during the end time is first described. But grace is at work and a part of the people confess their sins. They confess that they are in darkness, that they are blind, that they stumble and are like dead men. They confess that salvation is far from them. They confess their lying, their departure from God

ISAIAH 59:9_ a_. THE PEOPLE CONFESS THAT THEIR PITEOUS PLIGHT IS THE FRUIT OF THEIR WRONGDOING. The poet now joins himself to his people and, speaking in their name, owns the truth of the indictment in Isaiah 59:1. True! that is why we do not attain our right, and victory is not ours! No gleam of hope lightens our darkness. We grope like blind men along a wall instead of treading firmly. We stumble in broad daylight. We moan and murmur like growling bears or cooing doves. Right and deliverance seem ever further off, for our numberless rebellions bear witness before Thee against us. Their guilt is ever on our hearts rebellion and transgression against Yahweh, uttering perverseness (so read for oppression), defection, and lying words. So Right turns her back upon us and Victory keeps her distance,

TRANSGRESSIONS. Hebrew. _pasha'._ App-44. SINS. Hebrew. _chata'._ App-44. Note that these three words occur together in Leviticus 16:21....

_our sins testify against us_ So Jeremiah 14:7. _our transgressions_are _with us_ present to our conscience, Job 12:3; Job 14:5 &c.; comp. also Psalms 51:3 ("my transgressions I know, and my sin is before me continually")....