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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 57:3-12

We have here a high charge, but a just one no doubt, drawn up against that wicked generation out of which God's righteous ones were removed, because the world was not worthy of them. Observe, I. The general character here given of them, or the name and title by which they stand indicted, Isa. 57:3. They are told to draw near and hear the charge, are set to the bar, and arraigned there as sons of the sorceress, or of a witch, the seed of an adulterer and a whore, that is, they were such... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 57:8

Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance ,.... The memorial of thine idols, as the Targum. As the Heathens had their "lares" and "penates", their household gods, so the Papists have their tutelar images, which they place in their houses, and in their bedchambers; their images of saints, their crucifixes and superstitious pictures, which they call "memories", and "laymen's books": for thou hast discovered thyself to another than me ; or, "from me" F14 מאתי... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 57:9

And thou wentest to the king with ointment ,.... To the kings of the earth, the singular for the plural, with whom the whore of Rome has committed fornication or idolatry, in allusion to harlots, who, in order to render themselves the more agreeable to their lovers, anointed themselves with ointment: this may respect the grace of the Spirit of God, which the church of Rome pretends to give by administration of the sacraments, which it is said confer grace "ex opere operato"; and the extreme... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 57:8

Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance "Behind the door, and the door-posts, hast thou set up thy memorial" - That is, the image of their tutelary gods, or something dedicated to them; in direct opposition to the law of God, which commanded them to write upon the door-posts of their house, and upon their gates, the words of God's law; Deuteronomy 6:9 ; Deuteronomy 11:20 . If they chose for them such a situation as more private, it was in defiance of a... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 57:9

And thou wentest to the king with ointment "And thou hast visited the king with a present of oil" - That is, the king of Assyria, or Egypt. Hosea, chap, Hosea 12:1 , reproaches the Israelites for the same practice: - "They make a covenant with Assyria, And oil is carried to Egypt." It is well known, that in all parts of the east, whoever visits a great person must carry him a present. "It is counted uncivil," says Maundreg, p. 26, "to visit in this country without an offering in... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 57:3-10

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

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 57:3-14

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

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 57:8

Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance. It has been usual to explain this of a removal from its proper place into an obscure position of the formulae which the Israelites were commanded in the Law to write on their doorposts and on their gates ( Deuteronomy 6:9 ; Deuteronomy 11:20 ). But, in the first place, there is no evidence that anciently these passages were understood literally, or that such inscriptions were ever set up; and secondly, as Mr. Cheyne... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 57:9

And thou wentest to the king , Delitzsch and Mr. Cheyne understand "the King of Assyria," and regard the verse as bringing forward a new subject of complaint: " Not only hast thou deserted me tot other gods, but thou trustest for aid, not to me, but to the Assyrian monarch." But there is no indication of the Jews having put any trust in Assyria after the reign of Ahaz, to which this chapter, by its position in the prophecy, cannot belong. Moreover, the King of Assyria is never called... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 57:8

Behind the doors - In every part of their habitations - behind the doors and posts and beams of their houses, they had erected the memorials of idolatrous worship.Hast thou set up thy remembrance - That is, they had filled their houses with the images of tutelary gods, or with something dedicated to them. The Greeks and Romans had their Lares and Penates - their household or domestic gods - the images of which were in every family. The same was true of the apostate Hebrews. They had filled... read more

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