“And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.”
YHWH sees that there is no one to intervene, no intercessor to appeal on behalf of the community, prompting God's own arm to bring salvation. The divine shock and horror that no one practices justice becomes the grounds for YHWH's direct intervention: since no human can remedy the situation, God must act alone. The image of God's arm—divine strength and agency—becomes the exclusive instrument of salvation. This verse establishes a theological paradox: YHWH's sole agency in salvation becomes necessary precisely because human failure is complete. The verse announces the transition from lament to eschatological divine action.
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