ISAIAH 1:18: WHITER THAN SNOW

Often we take familiar Bible verses for granted and assume that we know their meanings. Consider the familiar verse, Isaiah 1:18: “Though your sins be red as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” It is, of course, a combination of similes. But have you ever wondered how sins could become white if white is something good? The best place to begin in interpreting a passage is to consider its immediate context. This is how Isaiah 1 breaks down in terms of subject matter:

     1. Accusations and Threats: Isaiah 1:1-15

     2. Call to Repentance: Isaiah 1:16-17

    3. Verse 18

    4. Promise: Isaiah 1:19 (“If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land”)

    5. Threat: Isaiah 1:20 (“but if you refuse and rebel,you shall be devoured by the sword...”)

The context of the verse in question shows that it could either be a promise or threat from God. But keep in mind that 18 of the 20 verses in the chapter are definitely negative in tone.

Next you could look at all the cases in the Bible where “whiter than snow (sheleg)” appears to see how it is applied elsewhere.  And you will get a mixed message.

    1. “Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:7

Perhaps the Isaiah passage is parallel to this verse and “they” is a metonymy for “you sinners.” But that is not obvious.

    2. “When the cloud went away from over the tent, Miriam had become leprous, white as snow.”(Numbers 12:10; Exodus 4:6; II Kings 5:27)

These last three occurrences of the phrase use it as a metaphor based on the appearance of leprosy. Leviticus 13 mentions eighteen times that leprous skin is white. This second interpretive possibility actually fits the imagery of the Isaiah verse better since leprosy in Leviticus is recognized when a skin defect turns color from red (harmless) to white (dangerous). 

In conclusion, you must be careful in interpreting figurative language found in the Bible. It is necessary to know precisely what was being compared to what during the time of the writing rather than relying on our current understanding of any images involved.