Isaiah 59:20

20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the LORD.

Isaiah 59:20 in Other Translations

KJV
20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.
ESV
20 "And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression," declares the LORD.
NLT
20 “The Redeemer will come to Jerusalem to buy back those in Israel who have turned from their sins,” says the LORD .
MSG
20 "I'll arrive in Zion as Redeemer, to those in Jacob who leave their sins." God's Decree.
CSB
20 The Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those in Jacob who turn from transgression. [This is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the Lord's declaration.

Isaiah 59:20 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 59:20

And the Redeemer shall come to Zion
Not Cyrus, as some; but the Messiah, as it is applied in the Talmud F13 and in other Jewish writers F14, and as Aben Ezra rightly interprets it; and so Kimchi, who also understands by the enemy, in the preceding verse, Gog and Magog; and this must be understood not of the first coming of Christ to redeem his people by his blood from sin, Satan, and the law; but of his spiritual coming to Zion to the church of God in the latter day, at the time of the conversion of the Jews, as appears from the quotation, and application of it by the apostle, ( Romans 11:25 Romans 11:26 ) (See Gill on Romans 11:25) (See Gill on Romans 11:26) and with it compare ( Revelation 14:1 ) : and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord;
that is, to such among the Jews, the posterity of Jacob, who repent of their sins, and turn from them; and particularly their sin of the rejection of the Messiah, and the disbelief of him, and turn to him, and believe in him as their Saviour and King. The Targum is,

``and the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and to turn the transgressors of the house of Jacob to the law;''
but rather the turn will be to the Gospel of Christ.
FOOTNOTES:

F13 T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 98. l. & Yoma, fol. 86. 2.
F14 Echa Rabbati, fol. 47. 2.

Isaiah 59:20 In-Context

18 According to what they have done, so will he repay wrath to his enemies and retribution to his foes; he will repay the islands their due.
19 From the west, people will fear the name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the LORD drives along.
20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the LORD.
21 “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD. “My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the LORD.

Cross References 3

  • 1. S Job 19:25; Isaiah 60:16; Isaiah 63:16
  • 2. S Isaiah 52:8; S Joel 3:21
  • 3. S Job 22:23; S Isaiah 1:27; S Jeremiah 35:15; Acts 2:38-39; Romans 11:26-27*
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