But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
are all
Isaiah 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Job 14:4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
all our
Isaiah 57:12 I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.
Zechariah 3:3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
we all
Isaiah 40:6-8 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: …
Psalm 90:5,6 Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up…
James 1:10,11 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away…
our iniquities
Isaiah 57:13 When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;
Psalm 1:4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
Jeremiah 4:11,12 At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse, …
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
The term "filthy rags" is a powerful metaphor illustrating the inadequacy of human righteousness compared to God's holiness. In the cultural context, "filthy rags" could refer to menstrual cloths, which were considered particularly unclean. This imagery emphasizes that even the best human efforts are tainted by sin and cannot earn God's favor. This aligns with the New Testament teaching in Ephesians 2:8-9, which underscores that salvation is by grace through faith, not by works, so that no one can boast.
we all wither like a leaf,
The imagery of withering leaves conveys the transient and fragile nature of human life and righteousness. In the biblical context, leaves are often used to symbolize vitality and prosperity, as seen in Psalm 1:3. However, when detached from the source of life, they wither and die. This reflects the spiritual condition of those separated from God, highlighting the need for divine intervention and renewal, as promised in passages like Ezekiel 36:26, where God promises to give a new heart and spirit.
and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.
This phrase captures the idea of sin's power to lead individuals astray, much like the wind carries away dry leaves. In the historical context, the Israelites experienced the consequences of their iniquities through exile and suffering, as prophesied by Isaiah and other prophets. The wind metaphor also suggests the uncontrollable and destructive nature of sin, which aligns with James 1:14-15, where sin is described as leading to death. This underscores the need for redemption and the hope found in Jesus Christ, who offers salvation and restoration.
“Each of us has become like something unclean”.
• Uncleanness under the Law (Leviticus 13:45-46) shut a person out from the camp and sanctuary; Isaiah borrows that image to say every person is spiritually shut out.
• Even the prophet himself admitted, “Woe to me… I am a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). The condition is universal, not selective.
• Paul echoes this truth: “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10-12).
The point is unmistakable—sin has defiled every heart, leaving none fit to stand before a holy God on personal merit.
“and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags”.
• What people often parade as goodness is still tainted by self-interest, pride, or unbelief; therefore, before the spotlight of divine holiness it is “filthy.”
• In Philippians 3:8-9 Paul calls his finest religious credentials “rubbish” and seeks a righteousness that comes through faith in Christ.
• Titus 3:5 reminds us, “He saved us, not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy.”
• The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:11-14) shows how self-congratulating righteousness is rejected while humble faith is accepted.
Isaiah exposes the bankruptcy of human virtue so that God’s grace alone shines.
“we all wither like a leaf”.
• Life’s brevity and vulnerability are pictured in a leaf that dries out and crumbles (Psalm 103:15-16; Isaiah 40:6-8).
• Sin accelerates that decay, cutting us off from the life-giving root who is God Himself.
• No amount of human progress can stop the inevitable wilting; only new life from the Spirit can.
“and our iniquities carry us away like the wind”.
• Sin is not static; it sweeps us along, much like chaff blown off the threshing floor (Psalm 1:4).
• Hosea 13:3 pictures the guilty “like chaff swirling from the threshing floor,” an image of helpless drift.
• Romans 6:23 clarifies the destination of that drift: death—unless grace intervenes.
• Israel literally experienced exile because of accumulated iniquity; every sinner faces a more profound exile from God unless redeemed.
Isaiah 64:6 layers four vivid pictures to declare one central truth: every human being is defiled, powerless to produce true righteousness, fading under the curse of mortality, and driven along by personal sin toward judgment. The verse strips away self-confidence so that we will cling to the only sufficient answer—God’s saving righteousness given freely through the promised Messiah.
(6) We are all as an unclean thing . . .--Better, as he who is unclean, scil., like the leper of Leviticus 13:45.Filthy rags point to that which to the Israelite was the other extremest form of ceremonial uncleanness, as in Ezekiel 36:17.
Have taken us away--scil., afar off from the light and favour of Jehovah.
Verse 6. - But we are all as an unclean thing; rather, we are all become as one who is unclean (comp. Isaiah 35:8; Isaiah 52:1). A moral leprosy is upon us. We are like the leprous man, who has to rend his clothes, and to go about crying "Tame! tame!" "Unclean: unclean!" that those who hear may get out of his way. All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; or, as a menstruous garment (see Lamentations 1:17). In the best deeds of the best men there is some taint of evil. As Hooker says, "Our very repentances require to be repented of." We all do fade as a leaf (comp. Isaiah 1:30, "Ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth;" see also Isaiah 34:4). Our iniquities... have taken as away; or, carried us away; i.e. taken us far from God, carried us into a region where God is not, or where at any rate "his presence is not felt" (Cheyne).