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The Prophets · Old Testament

Isaiah 57

Isaiah 57: the righteous perish unnoticed, the sons of the sorceress, and peace to far and near

General context

The chapter opens by saying the righteous perish and merciful men are taken away without anyone laying it to heart, and that they enter into peace. Then the sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore, are called to draw near and asked against whom they mock. They are charged with idols under every green tree and slaying children in the valleys. A feminine thou is addressed: her portion is the smooth stones of the stream, to which she pours drink offerings; she sets her bed on a high mountain, uncovers herself to another than the Lord, enlarges her bed and makes a covenant with them; she goes to the king with ointment and sends messengers far off. Though wearied, she never said there is no hope. The Lord asks whom she feared that she lied and did not remember him, and says he held his peace of old. Her works will not profit her, and when she cries the wind will carry her companies away. Whoever trusts in him will possess the land and inherit his holy mountain, and a call goes out to prepare the way and remove the stumblingblock. The high and lofty One who inhabits eternity says he dwells in the holy place and with the contrite and humble. He will not contend for ever; he smote a man for his covetousness and hid himself, and the man went on in his own way, but the Lord will heal him and restore comforts to him and his mourners, creating peace for the far and the near. The wicked are like the troubled sea casting up mire, and there is no peace to the wicked.

Cited passages: Isaiah 57:1, Isaiah 57:2, Isaiah 57:3, Isaiah 57:4, Isaiah 57:5, Isaiah 57:6, Isaiah 57:7, Isaiah 57:8, Isaiah 57:9, Isaiah 57:10, Isaiah 57:11, Isaiah 57:12, Isaiah 57:13, Isaiah 57:14, Isaiah 57:15, Isaiah 57:16, Isaiah 57:17, Isaiah 57:18, Isaiah 57:19, Isaiah 57:20, Isaiah 57:21

Isaiah 57 (KJV)

1The 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.

2He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.

3But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.

4Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,

5Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?

6Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these?

7Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.

8Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered 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.

9And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.

10Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved.

11And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?

12I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.

13When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;

14And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.

15For 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 ones.

16For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.

17For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.

18I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.

19I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him.

20But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

21There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

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Historical context

No person, city or nation is named in this chapter. The accused are addressed first in the plural as sons of the sorceress and then as a single feminine thou whose bed, perfumes, messengers and king are described; the text does not name her, and the king she goes to with ointment is not identified. The practices charged are stated in the text, idols under every green tree, the slaying of children in the valleys, drink offerings to smooth stones, sacrifice on a high mountain, and the chapter neither locates nor dates them. The him whom the Lord smote for covetousness and will heal in verses 17 to 19 is likewise unnamed; the pronoun changes from her to him without explanation. The opening statement that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come is presented as a fact no one considers, with no particular death described. The line that there is no peace to the wicked repeats the ending of chapter 48 with one change, my God for the Lord. Speaker tags appear at verse 15, where the speaker is identified as the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy, at verse 19 (saith the Lord) and at verse 21 (saith my God); the accusations before verse 15 carry no tag but are spoken in the first person by one who says another than me.

Cited passages: Isaiah 57:3, Isaiah 57:8, Isaiah 57:9, Isaiah 57:5, Isaiah 57:6, Isaiah 57:7, Isaiah 57:17, Isaiah 57:18, Isaiah 57:1, Isaiah 57:21, Isaiah 48:22, Isaiah 57:15

Literary context

The chapter moves through three registers. It begins quietly, with a death nobody notices, and the word peace attached to the righteous who rest in their beds. It then turns loud, with a summons, mocking questions, and a catalogue of the woman's worship built on the word bed: she sets her bed on a mountain, enlarges her bed, loves their bed. High places are the chapter's spine. She goes up to a lofty and high mountain; the Lord is the high and lofty One in the high and holy place; and the reversal is that he dwells there with the contrite and humble, the opposite of her going up. The phrase laid it to heart binds the opening and the accusation: no man lays the righteous man's death to heart, and she did not lay the Lord to heart. The turn at verse 16 is stated as a limit on anger, I will not contend for ever, and the healing that follows is said three times, will heal him, restore comforts, I will heal him. Peace, peace is offered to far and near, and then denied to the wicked in the closing line, so the word from verse 2 closes the chapter, given to the righteous and withheld from the restless sea.

Cited passages: Isaiah 57:1, Isaiah 57:2, Isaiah 57:4, Isaiah 57:7, Isaiah 57:8, Isaiah 57:15, Isaiah 57:11, Isaiah 57:16, Isaiah 57:18, Isaiah 57:19, Isaiah 57:20, Isaiah 57:21

Key moments

  1. The righteous perish unnoticed (Isaiah 57:1). Righteous and merciful people are taken away and no one lays it to heart.
  2. Sons of the sorceress summoned (Isaiah 57:3). The seed of the adulterer are called near and asked whom they mock.
  3. Children slain in the valleys (Isaiah 57:5). The accused are charged with idolatry under green trees and killing children under the cliffs.
  4. A bed on a high mountain (Isaiah 57:7). The woman addressed has set her bed on a lofty mountain to offer sacrifice.
  5. Companies carried off by the wind (Isaiah 57:13). Her helpers will not deliver, but whoever trusts in the Lord will inherit his holy mountain.
  6. Dwelling with the contrite (Isaiah 57:15). The high and lofty One says he lives in the holy place and with the humble.
  7. Peace to far and near (Isaiah 57:19). The Lord promises healing and peace, then denies peace to the wicked.

For reflection

The Lord says he smote the man for his covetousness, hid himself, and the man went on frowardly anyway, and yet he has seen his ways and will heal him. What does it mean for healing to come after correction has failed rather than after it has worked?