I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.
What does Isaiah 44:22 mean?
Return to me. It is the great concern of those who have backslidden from God, like the Jews of old, to hasten their return to him.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside Isaiah 44:21-23 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Isaiah 44:22
I have blotted out - The word used here ( machah), means properly "to wipe away," and is often applied to sins, as if the account was wiped off, or as we express it, blotted out ( Psalm 51:3 , Psalm 51:11 ; see the note at Isaiah 43:25 ). The phrase, 'to blot out sins like a cloud,' however, is unusual, and the idea not very obvious.
Key words
- blotted
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I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions, and as a cloud thy sins,.
- thick
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I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions, and as a cloud thy sins,.
- cloud
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I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions, and as a cloud thy sins,.
Context in Isaiah 44
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Isaiah 44 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as comfort and the servant songs. Isaiah is one of Scripture’s grandest prophetic books, moving from holy judgment to consolation, servant imagery, and new-creation hope. Read this chapter with the wider themes of holiness, judgment, and remnant in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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Key texts on public righteousness, neighbor-love, social ethics, compassion, and the prophetic refusal to separate worship from justice.
Central texts on sin, grace, faith, Christ’s saving work, and the Bible’s announcement that salvation is received rather than achieved.