Daniel's Literal Translation and Commentary
Spotted Righteousness
"5 And we are becoming as the unclean thing—the whole of us, and as a witness garment all our righteous deeds, even fading as leafage, the whole of us, and our iniquities like the wind are carrying us off." (DLT: torahtimes.org, Isaiah 64:6 [5]).
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In this context, Isaiah is speaking collectively for the nation, and its general trend toward wickedness before God. It is a self identification of the preacher with the audience. The text does not say that righteousness equals filthy rags. It is not clear that a witness garment here is a menses rag. It could be the virginity cloth from the wedding night. Whatever, the case, though, the cloth started out as clean and white, and then it became stained. True righteousness is the cloth before becoming filthy. When iniquity comes the cloth is spoiled.
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The above sense is contained in the figure of the fading leaf. The leaf begins full of life and green, but then as winter sets in the leaf fades and falls. Thus it is with the righteousness of Israel. At first it was good and pure, but then iniquity entered in and righteousness faded.
Daniel's Literal Translation and Commentary: (http://www.torahtimes.org/translation/isa6405.html)
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