Isaiah 1:22 (YLT)

Passage

Thy silver hath become dross, Thy drink polluted with water.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 1:20 And if ye refuse, and have rebelled, <FI>By<Fi> the sword ye are consumed, For the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken.

Isaiah 1:21 How hath a faithful city become a harlot? I have filled it <FI>with<Fi> judgment, Righteousness lodgeth in it--now murderers.

Isaiah 1:22 Thy silver hath become dross, Thy drink polluted with water.

Isaiah 1:23 Thy princes <FI>are<Fi> apostates, and companions of thieves, Every one loving a bribe, and pursuing rewards, The fatherless they judge not, And the plea of the widow cometh not to them.

Isaiah 1:24 Therefore--the affirmation of the Lord--Jehovah of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: Ah, I am eased of Mine adversaries, And I am avenged of Mine enemies,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "silver", "hath", "become", "dross", "drink", "polluted", and "water". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "silver" and "hath", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 21's "How hath a faithful city become a..." into verse 23's "Thy princes FI are Fi apostates and...", so "silver" and "hath" 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 "silver" and "hath" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.