Isaiah 31:6
“Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Isaiah calls Judah to repent and return to the God they have deeply betrayed.
Context
The promise of protection now comes with an invitation: turn back to God. The oracle shifts from threat and assurance to an active call for repentance. The 'deep revolting' speaks to the thoroughness of Judah's unfaithfulness.
What Does Isaiah 31:6 Mean?
At the heart of Isaiah's ministry is this paradox: God offers protection to a people who have rejected Him. He does not say 'only if you are faithful' or 'only if you never sinned.' He says, 'Turn.' The word suggests a complete reorientation—stop walking away, face around, and come back. The phrase 'deeply revolted' (pegiam, in some readings) conveys not a casual slip but a willful, persistent turning-away from the LORD. Yet the call is not to grovel or prove themselves; it is simply to turn. God is already there, already defending, already preserving. The act of repentance is not earning His favor but recognizing what He offers.
Jesus' teaching on repentance follows the same logic. He does not punish the Prodigal Son for leaving; instead, He runs to embrace him. The invitation is always to turn. In our own time, wrapped in habits of self-reliance, comfort, or despair, the call remains: turn. Face toward the One who has never stopped defending you, never stopped offering care. Repentance is not self-flagellation; it is homecoming. It is agreeing with God that the way we've been living does not work, and stepping toward the life He offers.
In the Original Language
shub (שוב), 'to turn' or 'return' -- the most fundamental word for repentance in Hebrew; it suggests not mere regret but a complete reorientation of the body and will toward God.
Application
Repentance is often misunderstood as punishment or self-hatred. But Isaiah frames it as return. If you have drifted into trusting the wrong things, the oracle is not 'suffer until you're worthy' but 'turn, and come home to One who is already defending you.' This week, where have we deeply revolted? Not to feel shame, but to practice the simple, liberating act of turning: Lord, I've been looking the wrong way. Here I am, turning back to You.