Isaiah 57:3-12

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 57:3

But draw near hither ,.... The death of the righteous, and their happiness after it, being observed: the wicked, who thought themselves safe from danger, and the happier that they were rid of the righteous, those witnesses and prophets which had tormented them, and therefore rejoiced on that account, are here summoned to the divine tribunal, to hear their character, and receive their doom, as follows: ye sons of the sorceress ; the children of Jezebel, the witch, and the prophetess that... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 57:4

Against whom do ye sport yourselves ?.... Is it against the ministers of the Gospel, the prophets of the Lord, the true and faithful witnesses, over whose dead bodies you triumph? know that it is not so much against them, as against the Lord himself, whose ministers, prophets, and witnesses they are; see 1 Thessalonians 4:8 , "against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue?" gestures used by way of scorn and derision; see Psalm 22:7 . So the Papists open their mouths, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 57:5

Inflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree ,.... Or, "inflamed with or among oaks" F8 הנחמים באלים "inflammati inter quercus", Gataker; "incalescentes, vel incalescitis inter quercus, vel ulmos", Vatablus. ; with images made of oaken wood, such as the Papists worship, Revelation 9:20 expressing a burning zeal for their idols, and being as hot upon them, as impure persons burn in lust one towards another: or "with mighty ones" F9 "In potentibus", Cocceius. ;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 57:6

Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion ,.... Or thy god; but the portion of Jacob is not like them, stocks and stones, Jeremiah 10:16 . Whenever they could pick up smooth stones, and such as were fit for their purpose, whether in the stream of a brook, or in a valley, as the word also signifies, they polished and formed them into an image, and made gods of them; and these were their portion and inheritance, and which they left to their children. There is an elegant play on... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 57:7

Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed ,.... Temples and altars, which are usually built on high places, where they commit spiritual adultery; that is, idolatry, in imitation of the Heathens, who had their temples and altars on high places; and the idolatry of the church of Rome, in this context, is all along expressed in language agreeable to the Heathen idolatry, and in allusion to it. Some think this phrase denotes impudence in their idolatrous worship; for not content to... 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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 57:10

Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way ,.... Or, "in the multiplicity of thy ways" F21 ברב דרכך "in multitudine viae tuae", Pagninus, Montanus. : which were so many, as were enough to make her weary; the steps which were taken to obtain so much power over kings and kingdoms, which was gradually got with great pains and artifice, and to amass such vast treasures, and to enlarge her interest, and spread her religion in the world; the multitude of stratagems devised, and vast... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 57:11

And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied ,.... By assuming the name of Christian, when it did not belong to her; as it does not to the church of Rome which is antichristian: this lie is told, not out of any fear of God, or reverence of Christ; for she has no fear or reverence of either; but to serve a purpose, to blind the eyes of men under the Christian name, and, with a pretence to serve the cause of Christianity, to get all Christendom under her power: and hast... read more

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