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Isaiah 57

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The Death of the Righteous 1–2

1
The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. ​
2
He entereth into peace; they rest in their beds, each one that walketh in his uprightness. ​

Israel’s Idolatry and Spiritual Adultery 3–12

3
But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the harlot. ​
4
Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and put out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,
5
ye that inflame yourselves among the oaks, under every green tree; that slay the children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks? ​
6
Among the smooth stones of the valley is thy portion; they, they are thy lot; even to them hast thou poured a drink-offering, thou hast offered an oblation. Shall I be appeased for these things? ​
7
Upon a high and lofty mountain hast thou set thy bed; thither also wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.
8
And behind the doors and the posts hast thou set up thy memorial: for thou hast uncovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them: thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it. ​
9
And thou wentest to the king with oil, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thine ambassadors far off, and didst debase thyself even unto Sheol. ​
10
Thou wast wearied with the length of thy way; yet saidst thou not, It is in vain: thou didst find a quickening of thy strength; therefore thou wast not faint.
11
And of whom hast thou been afraid and in fear, that thou liest, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of long time, and thou fearest me not? ​
12
I will declare thy righteousness; and as for thy works, they shall not profit thee.

The Lord Promises Healing and Comfort 13–19

13
When thou criest, let them that thou hast gathered deliver thee; but the wind shall take them, a breath shall carry them all away: but he that taketh refuge in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain. ​
14
And he will say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumbling-block out of the way of my people. ​
15
For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite. ​
16
For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth; for the spirit would faint before me, and the souls that I have made. ​
17
For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him; I hid my face and was wroth; and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart. ​
18
I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
19
I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him that is far off and to him that is near, saith Jehovah; and I will heal him. ​

No Peace for the Wicked 20–21

20
But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it cannot rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt. ​
21
There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Isaiah 57

Verse 1

taken away from the evil to come — 'Taken away' is asaph, to gather, the word of being 'gathered' to the fathers. The LORD uses it of Josiah, 'thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace', so that his eyes 'shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place' (2 Kgs 22:20).

Verse 2

He shall enter into peace — Shalom, wholeness and well-being, is the portion of the righteous who are removed from the evil (v.1); they 'rest in their beds'. Simeon's 'depart in peace' (Luke 2:29) and the voice's 'that they may rest from their labours' (Rev 14:13) speak of the same end.

Verse 3

sons of the sorceress — The word is from anan, rendered 'observer of times' in the law (Deut 18:10, 14; Lev 19:26 'observe times'). After the rest of the righteous, the address turns to those whose parentage is the 'adulterer and the whore', the charge the LORD brings against Jerusalem in Isa 1:21.

Verse 5

under every green tree — These are the shaded high places where Ahaz 'sacrificed and burnt incense' (2 Kgs 16:4). 'Slaying the children' is the rite forbidden in Lev 18:21, 'pass through the fire to Molech', which was practised at Topheth in the valley of the children of Hinnom (2 Kgs 23:10; Ezek 16:20).

Verse 6

smooth stones of the stream — Challaq is smooth, and the people's 'portion' (cheleq) is built on the same letters. The word is the one David uses of the LORD: 'The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance' (Ps 16:5). Drink offering and minchah are poured to stones, as Jeremiah says of 'stones and … stocks' (Jer 3:9).

Verse 8

Behind the doors also and the posts — 'Posts' is mezuzah, the word of Deut 6:9, where the LORD's words were to be written 'upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates'. Here the 'remembrance' (zikkaron) is set behind them, the bed 'enlarged', and a covenant made (karath, literally 'cut') with others.

Verse 9

thou wentest to the king with ointment — Oil, perfumes and 'messengers far off' are the equipment of an embassy, whether to a foreign king or to Molech, whose name means king. Isaiah has already condemned those who 'walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth' (Isa 30:2); Hosea says 'they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria' (Hos 7:11). 'Hell' is sheol, the grave.

Verse 11

have not I held my peace even of old — Fear (yare) went to others while the LORD was not feared. His silence (chashah) was read as consent: 'thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself' (Ps 50:21). Compare 'who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die' (Isa 51:12).

Verse 13

vanity shall take them — 'Companies' (qibbuts) is found only here and means the gathered ones the people cried to. Against them stand the 'wind' (ruach) and 'vanity' (hebel, a breath). Whoever takes refuge (chasah) in the LORD 'shall possess the land', as 'those that wait upon the LORD … shall inherit the earth' (Ps 37:9).

Verse 14

Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way — This is the same call as Isa 62:10, 'cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones', and the 'Prepare ye the way of the LORD' of Isa 40:3, which the Gospels apply to John the Baptist (Matt 3:3; Luke 3:4). The 'stumblingblock' (mikshol) is whatever trips those travelling on it.

Verse 15

inhabiteth eternity — 'Eternity' is ad, perpetuity; the LORD 'whose name is Holy' dwells in the high and holy place, and also with the 'contrite' (dakka, crushed) and humble. 'To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit' (Isa 66:2); 'saveth such as be of a contrite spirit' (Ps 34:18).

Verse 16

the souls which I have made — 'Souls' is neshamah, breath, the word for the 'breath of life' the LORD 'breathed into his nostrils' at the creation of man (Gen 2:7). His anger is bounded because the life is his own work; 'He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever' (Ps 103:9).

Verse 17

the iniquity of his covetousness — Betsa is gain, the word for the leaders who look 'every one for his gain' (Isa 56:11). The LORD 'smote' and hid himself, yet the next verse answers the man's frowardness (shobab, turning away): 'I have seen his ways, and will heal him' (v.18).

Verse 19

I create the fruit of the lips — The LORD himself 'creates' (bara, the verb of Gen 1:1) the word of peace. Paul takes up the 'far off' and 'near': Christ 'preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh' (Eph 2:17). 'Fruit of our lips' is praise in Heb 13:15; here it is his promise, 'I will heal him'.

Verse 20

the troubled sea — 'Troubled' and 'cast up' are one verb, garash, to drive out; the sea throws out mire and dirt. The sea 'cannot rest' (shaqat), the word for the land that 'rested from war' (Josh 11:23). The righteous 'rest in their beds' (v.2); the wicked have no quiet.

Verse 21

There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked — The refrain that closes Isa 48:22 closes this chapter too, with 'my God' where that verse has 'the LORD'. Shalom was the gift of v.19 and the portion of the righteous in v.2; it is the thing the wicked are said not to have.