A direct call reaches out to the exiled Israelites, urging them to return to God. This appeal highlights a clear connection between human behavior and the timing of ultimate redemption. The primary approach among commentators is that human sins actively delay the arrival of the Messiah. Conversely, returning to God and correcting one's actions pull that salvation closer [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, צאינה וראינה]. Even though there is a fixed, predetermined time for the final redemption, actively seeking God and performing good deeds have the power to speed up its arrival [אברבנאל].
The required actions to achieve this are understood in a few ways. One perspective explains that maintaining justice refers to observing the laws of the Torah, while practicing righteousness means performing acts of kindness toward others [מצודת דוד]. Another view reverses this relationship entirely. In this approach, justice deals with the interactions between people. It requires careful guarding so that a person does not cross forbidden boundaries. Righteousness, on the other hand, is about the relationship between a person and God, demanding active and positive engagement [מלבי״ם]. Fulfilling both of these actions together serves a higher purpose. The combination unites God's different attributes, which in turn brings the redemption closer [חומת אנך].
As a result of meeting these conditions, God promises that salvation is near. His own righteousness in this context is understood either as the complete divine justice that includes His judgment [ביאור שטיינזלץ], or as the pure kindness through which He judges His creations favorably, going beyond the strict letter of the law [מלבי״ם].
A delicate distinction exists between the salvation that is meant to arrive and the righteousness that is meant to be revealed. God's kindness and righteousness are constant. They are always present and ready, never changing, but they remain hidden from human eyes. It is through human actions that this divine righteousness is finally uncovered. Only after it is revealed can the actual salvation, which does not yet exist in the world, finally come [מלבי״ם].