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The prophet, in this chapter, makes his observations, I. Upon the deaths of good men, comforting those that were taken away in their integrity and reproving those that did not make a due improvement of such providences, Isa 57:1,2. II. Upon the gross idolatries and spiritual whoredoms which the Jews were guilty of, and the destroying judgments they were thereby bringing upon themselves, Isa 57:3-12. III. Upon the gracious returns of God to his people to put an end to their captivity and re-establish their prosperity, Isa 57:13-21.

This chapter is evidently closely connected in sense with Isaiah 56:9-12. In the closing part of the last chapter the prophet had said that the land of Israel would be invaded by foreign armies, represented under the image of ravening beasts come to devour. One of the causes of this he had also stated, namely, the general licentiousness, avarice, and intemperance of the rulers of the nation. The same general subject is pursued in this chapter, which has been very improperly separated from the preceding. In this the prophet states specifically the sins of the nation at large, evidently as a reason why the calamities of the foreign invasion were coming upon them. It is probable that the chapter has primary reference to the times of Manasseh. Of the characteristics of his cruel reign, see the Introduction, Section 3. It was a time of persecution and blood. The righteous were put to death; the public service of God was profaned and desecrated; and the evils of idolatry were seen and felt, under the royal patronage, throughout the land. Yet notwithstanding this, the nation was stupid and insensible. They were not affected as they should have been by the fact that the righteous were cut off by persecution, and that idolatry was patronized throughout the land. A few, like the prophets, felt, and deeply felt. Their hearts were desponding, and their spirits drooped. To encourage them, and to rebuke the mass of the stupid and guilty nation, was the design of this chapter.

It may be regarded as divided into three parts:

I. The fact that the righteous were put to death, and yet that the nation was sunk in deep and deplorable stupidity.

1. The proof of the insensibility of the nation, visible in the fact that the just were taken away, and that they were unmoved Isaiah 57:1.

2. A statement of the comparative happy condition of the righteous, though they suffered under persecution, and were put to a violent death (Isaiah 57:1, last part, Isaiah 57:2). So far as they were concerned it was well, for

(1) they were taken away from more fearful approaching evils.

(2) they entered into rest.

II. A solemn address of Yahweh, himself sitting as judge on the tribunal, and stating the crimes and demonstrating the guilt of the nation Isaiah 57:3-14.

1. The nation summoned before him as having been apostatized - under the image so common in the prophets of their being guilty of adultery Isaiah 57:3.

2. They were guilty of falsehood and unfaithfulness to him, and of deriding his government and laws Isaiah 57:4.

3. The statement of the prevalence of idolatry in all parts of the nation, under every green tree, in every valley, in the clefts of the rocks, upon every mountain, and in every secret place Isaiah 57:5-8.

4. They bad gone and sought alliance with foreign powers; under the image of a woman unfaithful to her marriage vow Isaiah 57:9.

5. They had not feared God in the prevalence of the evil and in the corruption of the nation Isaiah 57:10-11.

6. For all this God denounces heavy judgment Isaiah 57:12-14. Their works should not profit them Isaiah 57:12; nothing on which they relied could deliver them (Isaiah 57:13, first part); but the pious who confided in God should be protected (Isaiah 57:13, last part); and the stumbling-block should be taken up out of the way of his people Isaiah 57:14.

III. Consolation and assurances of pardon, protection, and peace to those who would repent and put their trust in God. Their state contrasted with that of the wicked Isaiah 57:15-21.

1. The righteous Isaiah 57:15-19.

(1) Though God was high and great and holy, yet he dwelt with the lowly and the penitent. They were, therefore, encouraged to return Isaiah 57:15.

(2) Though he had entered into controversy with his people for their sins, yet he would not continue it forever. The feeble powers of man could not long endure the expressions of his displeasure, and he therefore would withdraw the tokens of his wrath Isaiah 57:16.

(3) He had indeed punished his people for their covetousness, but he would restore comfort to those who mourned over their sins Isaiah 57:17-18.

(4) He was the author of peace, and all who were afar off, and all who were near, who would return to him, should enjoy it Isaiah 57:19.

2. The wicked. Their condition was one strongly contrasted with that of the righteous Isaiah 57:20-21.

(1) They were like the troubled sea Isaiah 57:20.

(2) They had no peace Isaiah 57:21.

After mentioning the removal of righteous persons as an awful symptom of the approach of Divine judgments, Isaiah 57:1, Isaiah 57:2, the prophet goes on to charge the nation in general with idolatry, and with courting the unprofitable alliance of idolatrous kings, Isaiah 57:3-12. In opposition to such vain confidence, the prophet enjoins trust in God, with whom the penitent and humble are sure to find acceptance, and from whom they should obtain temporal and spiritual deliverances, Isaiah 57:13-19. Awful condition of the wicked and finally impenitent, Isaiah 57:20, Isaiah 57:21.

I shall give Bishop Lowth's translation of the two first verses, and give the substance of his criticisms with additional evidence.

Isaiah 57:1. The righteous man perisheth, and no one considereth;And pious men are taken away, and no one understandeth,That the righteous man is taken away because of the evil.

Isaiah 57:2. He shall go in peace: he shall rest in his bed;Even the perfect man: he that walketh in the straight path.

INTRODUCTION TO Isaiah 57

This chapter contains complaints of the stupidity and idolatry of the people, described in the latter part of the preceding chapter; and some promises of grace to the people of God. The stupidity of the former is observed, Isaiah 57:1 they not taking notice of the death of good men, nor of impending calamities they were taken from, whose happiness is described, Isaiah 57:2, then these idolatrous people are summoned before the Lord, Isaiah 57:3 and are charged with deriding the saints with idolatry and murder, Isaiah 57:4 and their idolatry is represented under the notion of adultery, attended with very aggravating circumstances, Isaiah 57:7 and yet these people still entertained presumptuous hopes of happiness, and boasted of, and trusted in, their righteousness and good works, which would be exposed, and be of no advantage to them, Isaiah 57:10, next follow promises of grace to the saints, that such that trusted in Christ should inherit the holy mountain, Isaiah 57:13 that the stumblingblock of his people should be removed, Isaiah 57:14, that he should dwell with the humble and contrite, Isaiah 57:15, and not be always wroth and contend with them, for a reason given, Isaiah 57:16 and that though he had smote them, and hid his face from them because of their sins, yet would heal them, lead them, and comfort them, and speak peace unto them, Isaiah 57:17 and the chapter is concluded with the character of the wicked, and an assurance that there is no peace for them, Isaiah 57:20.

Isa 57:1-21.

THE PEACEFUL DEATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS FEW: THE UNGODLINESS OF THE MANY: A BELIEVING REMNANT SHALL SURVIVE THE GENERAL JUDGMENTS OF THE NATION, AND BE RESTORED BY HIM WHO CREATES PEACE.

In the midst of the excesses of the unfaithful watchmen

(Isa 56:10, 11, 12),

most of the few that are godly perish: partly by vexation at the prevailing ungodliness; partly by violent death in persecution: prophetical of the persecuting times of Manasseh, before God's judgments in causing the captivity in Babylon; and again those in the last age of the Church, before the final judgments on the apostasy

(2Ki 21:16; Mt 23:29-35, 37; Re 11:17).

The Hebrew for "perisheth," and "is taken away," expresses a violent death

(Mic 7:2).

1. no man layeth it to heart--as a public calamity.

merciful men--rather, godly men; the subjects of mercy.

none considering--namely, what was the design of Providence in removing the godly.

from the evil--Hebrew, from the face of the evil, that is, both from the moral evil on every side

(Isa 56:10-12),

and from the evils about to come in punishment of the national sins, foreign invasions, &c.

(Isa 56:9; 57:13).

So Ahijah's death is represented as a blessing conferred on him by God for his piety

(1Ki 14:10-13;

see also

2Ki 22:20).

The righteous perisheth - This refers, as I suppose, to the time of Manasseh (see the Introduction, Section 3). Grotius supposes, that it refers to king Josiah; Vitringa, that it refers to martyrs in general. But it seems probable to me that the prophet designs to describe the state of stupidity which prevailed in his own time, and to urge as one proof of it, that the pious part of the nation was taken away by violent death, and that the nation was not affected by it. Such was the guilt of Manasseh; so violent was the persecution which he excited against the just, that it is said of him that he 'shed innocent blood very much, until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another' 2 Kings 22:16. There is evidence (see the Introduction, Section 2), that Isaiah 54ed to his time, and it is probable that he himself ultimately fell a victim to the race of Manasseh. Though he had, on account of his great age, retired from the public functions of the prophetic office, yet he could not be insensible to the existence of these evils, and his spirit would not suffer him to be silent even though bowed down by age, when the land was filled with abominations, and when the best blood of the nation was poured out like water. The word rendered 'perisheth' (אבד 'ābad) as well as the word rendered 'taken away' (אסף 'âsaph) denotes violence, and is indicative of the fact that they were removed by a premature death.

And no man layeth it to heart - No one is aroused by it, or is concerned about it. The sentiment of the passage is, that it is proof of great stupidity and guilt when people see the righteous die without concern. If the pious die by persecution and others are not aroused, it shows that they acquiesce in it, or have no confidence in God, and no desire that his people should be preserved; if they die in the ordinary mode and the people are unaffected, it shows their stupidity. The withdrawment of a pious man from the earth is a public calamity. His prayers, his example, his life, were among the richest blessings of the world, and people should be deeply affected when they are withdrawn; and it shows their guilt and stupidity when they see this with indifference. It increases the evidence of this guilt when, as is sometimes the case, the removal of the righteous by death is an occasion of joy. The wicked hate the secret rebuke which is furnished by a holy life, and they often feel a secret exultation when such people die.

And merciful men - Margin, 'Men of kindness,' or 'godliness.' Lowth and Noyes render it, 'Pious men.' The Septuagint, Ἄνδρες δίκαιοι Andres dikaioi - 'Just men.' The Hebrew word denotes "mercy" or "kindness" (חסד chesed). Here it probably means, 'Men of mercy;' that is, people who are the subjects of mercy; people who are pious, or devoted to God.

Are taken away - Hebrew, 'Are gathered.' That is, they are gathered to their fathers by death.

None considering - They were not anxious to know what was the design of Divine Providence in permitting it.

From the evil to come - Margin, 'That which is evil.' The idea here evidently is, that severe calamities were coming upon the nation. God was about to give them up to foreign invasion (Isaiah 56:9 ff); and the true reason why the just were removed was, that they may not be subject to the divine wrath which should come upon the nation; they were not to be required to contemplate the painful state of things when an enemy should fire the cities, the palaces, and the temple, and cause the sacred services of religion to cease. It was a less evil for them to be removed by death - even by the painful death of persecution - than to be compelled to participate in these coming sorrows. At the same time this passage may be regarded as inculcating a more general truth still. It is, that the pious are often removed in order that they may not be exposed to evils which they would experience should they live. There might be the pains and sorrows of persecution; there might be long and lingering disease; there might be poverty and want; there might be the prevalence of iniquity and infidelity over which their hearts would bleed; there might be long and painful conflicts with their own evil hearts, or there might be danger that they would fall into sin, and dishonor their high calling. For some or all these reasons the righteous may be withdrawn from the world; and could we see those reasons as God does, nothing more would be necessary to induce us to acquiesce entirely in the justice of his dealings.

The righteous perisheth - הצדק אבד hatstsadik abad. There is an emphasis here which seems intended to point out a particular person. See below. Perisheth - As the root אבד abad signifies the straying of cattle, their passing away from one pasture to another, I feel inclined to follow the grammatical meaning of the word "perish," pereo. So the Vulgate, justus periit, from per, By or Through, and eo, to Go. In his death the righteous man may be said to have passed through life, and to have passed by men, i.e., gone or passed before them into the eternal world. A similar mode of speech is used by our Saxon ancestors to express death: he went out of sight; and he went away; and to fare forth, to die.

There are very few places in Isaiah where Jesus Christ is not intended; and I am inclined to think that He is intended here, That Just One; and perhaps Stephen had this place in view, when he thus charged the Jews, "Ye denied τον ἁγιον και δικαιον, that Holy and Just One," Acts 3:14. That his death was not laid to heart by the wicked Jewish people, needs no proof.

Merciful men - If the first refers to Christ, this may well refer to the apostles. and to others of the primitive Christians, who were taken away, some by death and martyrdom, and others by a providential escape from the city that they knew was devoted to destruction.

The evil to come - That destruction which was to come upon this disobedient people by the Romans.

The righteous perisheth,.... Not eternally; he may fear he shall, by reason of sin and temptation; he may say his strength and hope are perished; and his peace and comfort may perish for a time; but he cannot perish everlastingly, because he is one that believes in Christ, and is justified by his righteousness, from whence he is denominated righteous; and such shall never perish, but have everlasting life: but the meaning is, that he perisheth as to his outward man, or dies corporeally, which is called perishing, Ecclesiastes 7:15 and so the Targum renders it,

"the righteous die.''

Or it may be rendered, "the righteous man is lost" (b); not to himself, his death is a gain to him; but to the church, and to the world, which yet is not considered:

and no man layeth it to heart; takes any notice of it, thinks at all about it, far from being concerned or grieved; instead of that, rather rejoice, and are pleased that they are rid of such persons; which will be the case when the witnesses are slain, Revelation 11:10. The Targum is,

"and no man lays my fear to heart;''

or on his heart; whereas such providences should lead men to fear the Lord, and seek to him, and serve him, as it did David, Psalm 12:1,

and merciful men are taken away; or "gathered" (c); out of the world, to their own people, to heaven; these are such who obtain mercy of the Lord, and show mercy to others, holy good men: the former character may respect the righteousness of Christ imputed to them, this his grace implanted in them, discovered by acts of mercy and goodness; for one and the same persons are intended:

none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come; that there are evil times coming, great calamities, and sore judgments upon men; and therefore these righteous ones are gathered out of the world, and are gathered home, and safely housed in heaven, that they may escape the evil coming upon a wicked generation; and who yet have no thought about it, nor are they led to observe it as they might, from the removal of good men out of the world; see 2 Kings 22:20. All this may be applied to the martyrs of Jesus in times of Popish persecution; or to the removal of good men by an ordinary death before those times came.

(b) , Sept. (c) "colliguntur", V. L. Munster, Piscator, Cocceius; "congregantur", Pagninus.