Isaiah 1:22 (ASV)

Passage

Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 1:20 but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it.

Isaiah 1:21 How is the faithful city become a harlot! she that was full of justice! righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers.

Isaiah 1:22 Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water.

Isaiah 1:23 Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; every one loveth bribes, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

Isaiah 1:24 Therefore saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "silver", "become", "dross", "wine", "mixed", and "water". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "silver" and "become", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 21's "How is the faithful city become a..." into verse 23's "Thy princes are rebellious and companions of...", so "silver" and "become" belong inside that flow. In Isaiah context, the local focus is the Holy One of Israel, judgment and restoration, the servant of the LORD, and Zion's hope.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "silver" and "become" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.