And shall say "Then will I say" - ואמר vaomer , to be pointed as the first person future. They are the words of God, as it is plain from the conclusion of the verse; my people, עמי ammi . read more
Draw near hither . Approach, to hear the reprimand which ye so well deserve. Ye sons of the sorceress; rather, of a sorceress. Judah herself, the nation, is the" sorceress" and "adulteress," whose individual children are summoned to draw near. She is an adulteress; for she has transgressed against the mystic marriage-tie which bound her to Jehovah (see Isaiah 54:5 , and the comment ad lot. ) . She is also a " sorceress ," since she has bewitched her children, and given... read more
Pictures of idolatry. The idolaters are summoned to hear the judgment upon them. They are characterized as "sons of a sorceress, seed of an adulterer." The source of all idolatry is unfaithfulness to God regarded as the Husband of his people ( Ezekiel 16:44 , Ezekiel 16:45 ). Yet, in their pride, these idolaters make sport of and scoff at the true servants of God. I. THE RITES OF IDOLATRY . There were enthusiastic orgies in the sacred groves of oak and in the gardens ( ... read more
ISRAEL SEVERELY REBUKED FOR IDOLATRY . Though Hezekiah had made a great reformation of religion when he ascended the throne( 2 Kings 18:4 ; 2 Chronicles 29:3-19 ), and had done his best to put down idolatry, yet it was still dear to large numbers among the people, and was easily revived by Manasseh in the earlier portion of his reign ( 2 Chronicles 33:2-9 ). Isaiah now rebukes various kinds of idolatrous practices, and shows the vanity of them. read more
Against whom do ye sport yourselves? The idolatrous Israelites here addressed, no doubt, made a mock of the few righteous who were still living among them, and vexed their souls, as his fellow-towns-men did the soul of "just Lot" ( 2 Peter 2:7 ). They "made wide the mouth" at them, and "drew out the tongue" in derision (comp. Psalms 22:7 ; Psalms 35:21 ). The prophet asks, "Against whom do ye do this? Is it not rather against God, whose servants these men are, than against them?" Are ... read more
Insult of good men is insult of God. "The righteous dies, and is at rest; but ye, what will ye make at last of your derision of the righteous, and of the follies and idolatries wherein ye trust? Nothing." Matthew Henry says, "Mocking the messengers of the Lord was Jerusalem's measure-filling sin; for what was done to them God took as done to himself. When they were reproved for their sins, and threatened with the judgments of God, they ridiculed the Word of God with the rudest and most... read more
Inflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree (comp. Isaiah 1:29 ; Isaiah 65:3 ; Isaiah 66:17 ; and see also 2 Kings 16:4 ; 2 Kings 17:10 ; Jeremiah 2:20 ; Jeremiah 3:6 , etc.). The reference is, as Mr. Cheyne says, to the "orgiastic cults' in the sacred groves of Palestinian heathenism." The nature of these cults is well stated by Professor Dollinger: "At the spring festival, called by some the 'brand-feast,' by others that of torches, which was attended by streams of... read more
Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion . Smooth stones, rounded by water-action, were among the objects worshipped by many Semitic peoples. Such stones were called βαίτυλοι or βαιτύλια —Bethels, or "houses of God "—and received libations of oil and wine from their worshippers. Stones of this kind, the prophet says, had now become "the portion" of Israel, instead of Jehovah ( Psalms 119:57 ; comp. Psalms 16:5 ). To such objects they offered their "meat offerings" and... read more
The worship of stones. "In the smooth stones of the valley is thy portion … even to them hast thou poured out drink offerings." A good deal of information is at command on this subject, Illustrative matter will be found in Kitto's 'Daily Bible Illustrations,' vol. 'Isaiah,' p. 209. Matthew Arnold sums up the matter in the following note: "The worship of stones is a very early form of idolatry, and originated, probably, in the veneration paid to meteoric stones—stones which, as the people... read more
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Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 57:13
Let thy companies deliver thee "Let thine associates deliver thee" - Thirty-nine MSS. (ten ancient) of Dr. Kennicott's, and two of my own, and the two oldest editions have יצילכו yatstsiluchu , plural. read more