Isaiah 1:23 (LSB)

Passage

Your rulers are rebels And companions of thieves; Everyone loves a bribe And pursues rewards. They do not execute justice for the orphan, Nor does the widow’s plea come before them.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 1:21 How the faithful city has become a harlot, She who was full of justice! Righteousness once lodged in her, But now murderers.

Isaiah 1:22 Your silver has become dross, Your drink diluted with water.

Isaiah 1:23 Your rulers are rebels And companions of thieves; Everyone loves a bribe And pursues rewards. They do not execute justice for the orphan, Nor does the widow’s plea come before them.

Isaiah 1:24 Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of hosts, The Mighty One of Israel, declares, “Ah, I will be comforted concerning My adversaries, And I will avenge Myself on My enemies.

Isaiah 1:25 I will also turn My hand against you, And will smelt away your dross as with lye And will remove all your alloy.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "rulers", "rebels", "companions", "thieves", "everyone", "loves", "bribe", and "pursues". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "rulers" and "rebels", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "Your silver has become dross Your drink..." into verse 24's "Therefore the Lord Yahweh of hosts The...", so "rulers" and "rebels" 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 "rulers" and "rebels" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.