Isaiah 26:10 (ASV)

Passage

Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal wrongfully, and will not behold the majesty of Jehovah.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 26:8 Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Jehovah, have we waited for thee; to thy name, even to thy memorial [name], is the desire of our soul.

Isaiah 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee earnestly: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

Isaiah 26:10 Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal wrongfully, and will not behold the majesty of Jehovah.

Isaiah 26:11 Jehovah, thy hand is lifted up, yet they see not: but they shall see [thy] zeal for the people, and be put to shame; yea, fire shall devour thine adversaries.

Isaiah 26:12 Jehovah, thou wilt ordain peace for us; for thou hast also wrought all our works for us.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "favor", "showed", "wicked", "learn", "righteousness", "land", "uprightness", and "deal". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "favor" and "showed", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 9's "With my soul have I desired thee..." into verse 11's "Jehovah thy hand is lifted up yet...", so "favor" and "showed" 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 "favor" and "showed" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.