Isaiah 26:10 (GNV)

Passage

Let mercie bee shewed to the wicked, yet hee will not learne righteousnesse: in the land of vprightnesse will he do wickedly, and will not beholde the maiestie of the Lord.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 26:8 Also we, O Lord, haue waited for thee in the way of thy iudgemets: the desire of our soule is to thy Name, and to the remembrance of thee.

Isaiah 26:9 With my soule haue I desired thee in the night, and with my spirit within mee will I seeke thee in the morning: for seeing thy iudgements are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world shall learne righteousnesse.

Isaiah 26:10 Let mercie bee shewed to the wicked, yet hee will not learne righteousnesse: in the land of vprightnesse will he do wickedly, and will not beholde the maiestie of the Lord.

Isaiah 26:11 O Lord, they will not beholde thine hie hande: but they shall see it, and bee confounded with the zeale of the people, and the fire of thine enemies shall deuoure them.

Isaiah 26:12 Lord, vnto vs thou wilt ordeine peace: for thou also hast wrought all our workes for vs.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "mercie", "shewed", "wicked", "learne", "righteousnesse", "land", "vprightnesse", and "wickedly". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "mercie" and "shewed", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 9's "With my soule haue I desired thee..." into verse 11's "O Lord they will not beholde thine...", so "mercie" and "shewed" 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 "mercie" and "shewed" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.