What does Isaiah 31:6 mean?
What is the meaning of Isaiah 31:6?

Return

The call is simple yet urgent: “Return.” The Lord is not asking for partial compliance but for a decisive change of direction—turning back from trust in Egypt (Isaiah 31:1) to full reliance on Him. Scripture never treats repentance as optional:

Isaiah 30:15 reminds, “In repentance and rest you will be saved.”

Hosea 6:1 urges, “Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us, but He will heal us.”

Joel 2:12 adds, “Yet even now… return to Me with all your heart.”

God’s invitation always carries the promise of mercy for those who act now, not later.


to the One

Repentance is directed to a Person—the only true God. He alone possesses power to forgive, restore, and protect.

Isaiah 45:22 declares, “Turn to Me and be saved… for I am God, and there is no other.”

Psalm 86:10 exalts, “You alone are God.”

• Jesus echoes this exclusivity in John 14:6: “I am the way… no one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Israel’s flirtation with human alliances (Isaiah 31:1) was idolatry in practice; the remedy is exclusive loyalty to “the One.”


against whom you have so blatantly rebelled

The verse names the offense: open, brazen rebellion. God does not gloss over sin; He exposes it so He can heal it.

Isaiah 1:2 laments, “I have raised children… but they have rebelled against Me.”

1 Samuel 15:23 warns, “Rebellion is like the sin of divination.”

Isaiah 63:10 notes that rebellion “grieved His Holy Spirit,” turning the Lord into an adversary.

Honest acknowledgment of guilt is the first step toward restoration; minimizing sin only prolongs judgment.


O children of Israel

The address underscores covenant identity. They are still God’s children—wayward, but not disowned.

Exodus 4:22 records God’s word to Pharaoh: “Israel is My firstborn son.”

Deuteronomy 7:6 celebrates a “treasured possession.”

Jeremiah 31:9 pictures the prodigals returning “with weeping,” and Romans 9:4 reminds that “the covenants” belong to them.

Because God’s promises stand, restoration is always possible for those who heed His voice.


summary

Isaiah 31:6 is a gracious command: stop trusting human schemes, face the reality of rebellion, and run back to the God who still calls you His own. The verse exposes sin but, more importantly, opens the door to forgiveness and renewed fellowship with the One who never breaks His covenant love.

How does Isaiah 31:5 relate to God's covenant with Israel?
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