Isaiah 26:10 (KJV)

Passage

Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 26:8 Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.

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

Isaiah 26:10 Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD.

Isaiah 26:11 LORD, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them.

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "favour", "shewed", "wicked", "learn", "righteousness", "land", "uprightness", and "deal". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "favour" 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 soul have I desired thee..." into verse 11's "LORD when thy hand is lifted up...", so "favour" 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 "favour" and "shewed" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.