Isaiah 26:7 (ASV)

Passage

The way of the just is uprightness: thou that art upright dost direct the path of the just.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 26:5 For he hath brought down them that dwell on high, the lofty city: he layeth it low, he layeth it low even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust.

Isaiah 26:6 The foot shall tread it down; even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy.

Isaiah 26:7 The way of the just is uprightness: thou that art upright dost direct the path of the just.

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.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "just", "uprightness", "thou", "dost", "direct", and "path". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "just" and "uprightness", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "The foot shall tread it down even..." into verse 8's "Yea in the way of thy judgments...", so "just" and "uprightness" 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 "just" and "uprightness" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.