Isaiah 59:7

Their feet run to evil; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful thoughts; ruin and destruction lie in their wake.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Isaiah delivers this indictment to the people of Israel, cataloging their moral corruption as the direct cause of their separation from God. The passage moves from their physical actions to their internal motivations, framing their conduct as fundamentally opposed to righteousness.

The words — The Hebrew יָרֻ֔צוּ (ya.Ru.tzu) literally means "they run," paired with וִֽ/ימַהֲר֔וּ (vi./ma.ha.Ru), which translates to "they hasten," emphasizing the rapidity of their actions. The phrase מַחְשְׁבֽוֹתֵי/הֶם֙ (mach.she.vo.tei./Hem) denotes "their thoughts," highlighting the internal origin of their destructive conduct.

The thread — The motif of feet rushing to violence and shedding blood recurs in Proverbs 1:16 and Romans 3:15. The specific imagery of hands shedding innocent blood also appears in Proverbs 6:17.

Why it lands — The text demands recognition that destructive behavior originates in corrupted thinking before manifesting in action. It requires the reader to examine their own mental patterns as the direct precursor to their physical conduct.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

רַגְלֵיהֶם֙rag.lei./Hemfeet/ their לָרַ֣עla./Ra'to <the>/ evil יָרֻ֔צוּya.Ru.tzuthey run וִֽימַהֲר֔וּvi./ma.ha.Ruand/ they may hasten לִשְׁפֹּ֖ךְli/sh.Pokhto/ shed דָּ֣םdamblood נָקִ֑יna.Kiinnocent מַחְשְׁבֽוֹתֵיהֶם֙mach.she.vo.tei./Hemthoughts/ their מַחְשְׁב֣וֹתmach.she.Vot[are] thoughts of אָ֔וֶן'A.venwickedness שֹׁ֥דshoddevastation וָשֶׁ֖בֶרva./She.verand/ destruction בִּמְסִלּוֹתָֽם׃bi/m.si.lo.Ta/m[are] on/ highways/ their

King James Version

Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.

Cross-references

Proverbs 6:17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
Romans 3:15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
Proverbs 1:16 For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.
Mark 7:21 For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
Proverbs 15:26 The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked, but the words of the pure are pleasant to Him.
Proverbs 24:9 A foolish scheme is sin, and a mocker is detestable to men.
Isaiah 59:3 For your hands are stained with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters injustice.
Isaiah 60:18 No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders. But you will name your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.
Jeremiah 22:17 “But your eyes and heart are set on nothing except your own dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood, on practicing extortion and oppression.”
Lamentations 4:13 But this was for the sins of her prophets and the guilt of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous in her midst.