Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil;
wash
Job 11:13,14 If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him; …
Psalm 26:6 I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD:
Jeremiah 4:14 O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?
put away
Isaiah 55:6,7 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: …
Ezekiel 18:30,31 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin…
Zechariah 1:3,4 Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts…
cease
Psalm 34:14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
Psalm 37:27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
Amos 5:15 Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
Remove your evil deeds from My sight.
This command emphasizes the need for genuine repentance, which involves not only feeling remorse but actively turning away from sinful actions. The phrase "from My sight" indicates that God is omniscient and aware of all actions, underscoring the futility of hidden sins (Psalm 139:1-12). The historical context of Isaiah's ministry was a time of rampant idolatry and social injustice in Judah, and this call to remove evil deeds was a direct challenge to the people's wayward practices. The removal of evil deeds is a precursor to receiving God's forgiveness and favor, as seen in the promise of cleansing in Isaiah 1:18.
Stop doing evil!
This imperative is a straightforward call to cease sinful behavior. It reflects the covenantal relationship between God and His people, where obedience is a key component (Deuteronomy 28:1-2). The cultural context of Isaiah's audience involved widespread corruption and moral decay, and this command was a call to return to the ethical standards set by the Law. The cessation of evil is a theme throughout Scripture, with New Testament parallels urging believers to put off the old self and its practices (Colossians 3:9-10). This phrase also points to the transformative power of God's grace, enabling believers to overcome sin through the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:13).
Isaiah opens with a picture we can all relate to: the need for a good washing. The Lord is not calling for a better hygiene routine; He is calling for moral and spiritual cleansing.
• Psalm 51:2 echoes this cry: “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” David knew outward religion was worthless unless God scrubbed the heart.
• Ezekiel 36:25 promises, “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols.” The cleansing Isaiah demands finds its completion when God Himself provides the cleansing agent.
• In the New Testament, 1 John 1:7 assures believers, “the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin,” showing how this Old-Testament call is fulfilled in Christ.
Notice the verb “yourselves.” We respond to God’s offer; we step under the flow He provides. Rituals won’t do it, but genuine repentance positions us to be washed.
The next phrase addresses what pollutes us: “evil deeds.” God sees every action, and He refuses to turn a blind eye.
• Proverbs 15:3 reminds us, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, observing the wicked and the good.” Nothing stays hidden in a dark corner.
• Isaiah 59:2 warns, “Your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God,” explaining why the Father tells His people to “remove” those deeds.
• Ephesians 4:22 urges believers to “put off your former way of life,” connecting Isaiah’s words to the daily choices of the church.
Removing evil deeds is deliberate: confess them, abandon them, and—when possible—make restitution. A clean life is not an abstract wish; it is an intentional severing from practices that grieve the Lord.
God’s command is short, strong, and practical. Repentance is more than tears; it is a change of direction.
• Romans 12:9 captures the same heartbeat: “Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”
• 3 John 11 adds, “The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.” Genuine relationship with God shows up in conduct.
• 1 Peter 3:11 (quoting Psalm 34) says, “He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.” The negative command (“stop”) always pairs with a positive (“do good”).
Stopping evil means cutting off its supply lines—what we watch, read, ponder, and pursue. The Spirit empowers obedience, but we must yield.
Isaiah 1:16 calls for a three-step response: come under God’s cleansing, actively discard the sinful actions He exposes, and decisively quit the patterns that displease Him. The Lord who sees everything also offers complete washing through the sacrifice of His Son. Our part is to step into that cleansing, throw out whatever defiles, and walk away from evil with a heart set on doing good.
(16) Wash you, make you clean . . .--The words were probably as an echo of Psalm 51:7. Both psalmist and prophet had entered into the inner meaning of the outward ablutions of ritual.Cease to do evil; (17) learn to do well.--Such words the prophet might have heard in his youth from Amos (Amos 5:14-15). What had then been spoken to the princes of the northern kingdom was now repeated to those of Judah.
Verses 16-20. - THE REQUIREMENT OF GOD - AMENDMENT OF LIFE. God, having put aside the worthless plea of outward religiousness made by his people, goes on to declare, by the mouth of his prophet, what he requires. First, in general terms (ver. 16), and then with distinct specification (ver. 17), he calls on them to amend their ways, both negatively ("cease to do evil") and positively ("learn to do well"). If they will really amend, then he assures them of forgiveness and favor; if they refuse and continue their rebellion, the sword will devour them. Verse 16. - Wash you, make you clean. The analogy of sin to defilement, and of washing to cleansing from sin, has been felt among men universally wherever there has been any sense of sin. Outward purification by water has been constantly made use of as typical of the recovery of inward purity. Hence the numerous washings of the Levitical Law (Exodus 29:4; Leviticus 1:9, 13; Numbers 19:7, 8, 19; Deuteronomy 21:6; Deuteronomy 23:11; etc.); hence the ablutions of the priests in Egypt (Herod., 2:37); hence the appropriateness of the rite of baptism; hence the symbolical washing of hands to free from complicity in blood-guiltiness (Matthew 27:24). "Wash you, make you clean, "could not be misunderstood by the Israelites; they would know that it was a requirement to "wash their hands in innocency" (Psalm 26:6; Psalm 73:13), even apart from what follows. Put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes. Not "hide it, "for that was impossible; but remove it altogether - in other words, "cease from it." "Cast off all the works of darkness;" get rid of evil, to begin with. So much is negative.