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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).

2. Or, "he entereth into peace"; in contrast to the persecutions which he suffered in this world

(Job 3:13, 17).

The Margin not so well translates, "he shall go in peace"

(Ps 37:37; Lu 2:29).

rest--the calm rest of their bodies in their graves (called "beds,"

2Ch 16:14;

compare

Isa 14:18;

because they "sleep" in them, with the certainty of awakening at the resurrection,

1Th 4:14)

is the emblem of the eternal "rest"

(Heb 4:9; Re 14:13).

each one walking in . . . uprightness--This clause defines the character of those who at death "rest in their beds," namely, all who walk uprightly.

3. But . . . ye--In contrast to "the righteous" and their end, he announces to the unbelieving Jews their doom.

sons of the sorceress--that is, ye that are addicted to sorcery: this was connected with the worship of false gods

(2Ki 21:6).

No insult is greater to an Oriental than any slur cast on his mother

(1Sa 20:30; Job 30:8).

seed of the adulterer--Spiritual adultery is meant: idolatry and apostasy

(Mt 16:4).

4. sport yourselves--make a mock

(Isa 66:5).

Are ye aware of the glory of Him whom you mock, by mocking His servants ("the righteous,"

Isa 57:1)?

(2Ch 36:16).

make . . . wide mouth--

(Ps 22:7, 13; 35:21; La 2:16).

children of transgression, &c.--not merely children of transgressors, and a seed of false parents, but of transgression and falsehood itself, utterly unfaithful to God.

5. Enflaming yourselves--burning with lust towards idols [GESENIUS]; or else (compare Margin), in the terebinth groves, which the Hebrew and the parallelism favor (see on

Isa 1:29)

[MAURER].

under . . . tree--

(2Ki 17:10).

The tree, as in the Assyrian sculptures, was probably made an idolatrous symbol of the heavenly hosts.

slaying . . . children--as a sacrifice to Molech, &c.

(2Ki 17:31; 2Ch 28:3; 33:6).

in . . . valleys--the valley of the son of Hinnom. Fire was put within a hollow brazen statue, and the child was put in his heated arms; kettle drums (Hebrew, toph) were beaten to drown the child's cries; whence the valley was called Tophet

(2Ch 33:6; Jer 7:3).

under . . . clifts--the gloom of caverns suiting their dark superstitions.

6. The smooth stones, shaped as idols, are the gods chosen by thee as thy portion

(Ps 16:5).

meat offering--not a bloody sacrifice, but one of meal and flour mingled with oil. "Meat" in Old English meant food, not flesh, as it means now

(Le 14:10).

Should I receive comfort--rather, "Shall I bear these things with patience?" [HORSLEY].

7. Upon . . . high mountain . . . bed--image from adultery, open and shameless

(Eze 23:7);

the "bed" answers to the idolatrous altar, the scene of their spiritual unfaithfulness to their divine husband

(Eze 16:16, 25; 23:41).

8. "Remembrance," that is, memorials of thy idolatry: the objects which thou holdest in remembrance. They hung up household tutelary gods "behind the doors"; the very place where God has directed them to write His laws "on the posts and gates"

(De 6:9; 11:20);

a curse, too, was pronounced on putting up an image "in a secret place"

(De 27:15).

discovered thyself--image from an adulteress.

enlarged . . . bed--so as to receive the more paramours.

made . . . covenant--with idols: in open violation of thy "covenant" with God

(Ex 19:5; 23:32).

Or, "hast made assignations with them for thyself" [HORSLEY].

thy bed . . . their bed--The Jews' sin was twofold; they resorted to places of idolatry ("their bed"), and they received idols into the temple of God ("thy bed").

where--rather, "ever since that" [HORSLEY]. The Hebrew for "where" means "room" (Margin), a place; therefore, translate, "thou hast provided a place for it" (for "their bed"), namely, by admitting idolatrous altars in thy land [BARNES]; or "thou choosest a (convenient) place for thyself" in their bed [MAURER]

(Isa 56:5).