Isaiah 24:5 Meaning and Explanation
“The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The earth is polluted because its inhabitants have broken God's law and covenant.
The Context of Isaiah 24:5
Verse identifies the human cause of the coming judgment.
What Does Isaiah 24:5 Mean?
The cause of judgment is explicitly named: transgression of God's laws, alteration of ordinances, and breach of the everlasting covenant. The land bears the moral weight of human unfaithfulness.
Defilement (טָמְאָה) here is not merely physical but moral—the result of covenant breaking. God's law and ordinance (חֹק) establish the moral order under which creation operates.
Isaiah 24:5 in the Original Language
everlasting covenant (בְרִית עוֹלָם) — 'eternal covenant,' berit ʿōlām; the covenant that stands perpetually unless broken by human unfaithfulness.
Frequently Asked Questions About Isaiah 24:5
What does Isaiah 24:5 mean?
The earth is polluted because its inhabitants have broken God's law and covenant.
What is the context of Isaiah 24:5?
Verse identifies the human cause of the coming judgment.