Isaiah 57

Isaiah 57 contrasts the blessed death of the righteous, who are mercifully removed from coming evil, with the persistent, idolatrous rebellion of the wicked who find no rest. The chapter concludes with God's gracious invitation to the contrite and a final, solemn declaration that there is no peace for those who persist in wickedness.

• The prophet laments that the death of the righteous is ignored by a callous generation, yet notes that such death is a merciful removal from coming calamity.
• The Lord indicts the apostate people for their blatant idolatry, described as spiritual adultery and sorcery performed in secret places.
• The Lord declares that the idolatrous efforts of the wicked provide no profit and will be swept away, while those who trust Him shall inherit His holy mountain.
• The High and Lofty One promises to dwell with the contrite, reviving their spirits, while condemning the wicked to the perpetual unrest of the troubled sea.

• The righteous perishing (v. 1)
• The righteous being 'taken away' (אָסַף [H622]) to avoid evil (v. 1)
• The 'sons of the sorceress' and 'seed of the adulterer' (v. 3)
• Idolatry under 'every green tree' (v. 5)
• The 'High and Lofty One' dwelling with the humble (v. 15)
• The 'troubled sea' as a metaphor for the wicked (v. 20)

This passage establishes the foundational theological principle that human restlessness is a byproduct of sin, whereas peace is a divine gift available only to the contrite. It bridges the gap between pre-exilic warnings of idolatry and the future hope of restoration through the 'fruit of the lips' (v. 19).

God promises to revive the contrite spirit who fears His word, while the wicked remain in a state of eternal, self-inflicted exile from His peace.

The chapter follows a chiastic-like structure, moving from a lament for the righteous at the start to a declaration of the wicked's restlessness at the end, centered on the character of the High and Holy God.

• He shall enter into peace (v. 2)
• He that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land (v. 13)
• I will heal him (v. 18, 19)
• I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him (v. 18)

• Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people (v. 14)

• There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked (v. 21)

• The passage reflects the period of deep-seated idolatry in Judah, characterized by high-place worship and child sacrifice, which were frequent targets of prophetic rebuke leading up to the Babylonian exile.

• The 'green trees' and 'clifts of the rocks' references the common Canaanite fertility cult practices, where specific groves and natural features were designated as sacred places for idolatrous ritual.

• Isaiah 57 sits within the section of the book (chs. 56-66) that addresses the future of the remnant and the inclusion of those who follow the Lord, contrasting them with the apostates of the nation.

• The 'peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near' (v. 19) is explicitly quoted and applied in the New Testament (Ephesians 2:17) to the inclusion of Gentiles alongside Jews in Christ.

• Ephesians 2:17: Paul cites Isaiah 57:19 to demonstrate that the peace of Christ extends to those 'far off' (Gentiles) and those 'near' (Jews).

• צַדִּיק (tzaddiq) [H6662]: 'Righteous'; often signifies legal standing before God.
• אָסַף (asaph) [H622]: 'Taken away' or 'gathered'; implies a purposeful divine action of removing the righteous from the world.
• שָׁלוֹם (shalom) [H7965]: 'Peace'; denotes not just the absence of conflict but complete welfare and prosperity in relation to God.
• לֵב (leb) [H3820]: 'Heart'; the center of will and intellect, central to the humble spirit described in v. 15.

• Matthew Henry observes that the righteous are delivered from the 'sting of death' rather than the 'stroke of it,' noting that God often takes the righteous away to spare them from witnessing the ruin of their land.
• The transition in verse 19 from God's wrath to His restorative healing shows that peace is a creation of God ('I create the fruit of the lips').

• Historic debates exist regarding the 'holy mountain' (v. 13). Premillennialists typically see this as a literal reference to the restored Kingdom of God in Israel, whereas Amillennialists often interpret it as an allegorical or typological reference to the Church or the spiritual presence of God among believers. Both sides acknowledge the mountain as the dwelling place of God's presence, but differ on whether this implies a future land-inheritance or a present spiritual reality.