Isaiah 57

The chapter moves from an external observation of death to an internal dissection of apostasy, culminating in a theological promise of divine presence for the broken-hearted.

• God will dwell with the contrite and humble to revive them (v. 15)
• God will not contend forever, nor be always wroth (v. 16)
• God will heal and restore comforts to the mourners (v. 18)
• God creates the fruit of the lips: peace to those near and far (v. 19)

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

• The idolaters will be carried away by the wind and vanity (v. 13)
• There is no peace for the wicked (v. 21)

• The passage reflects the ongoing struggle in Israelite history between the worship of YHWH and the seductive influence of Canaanite fertility cults, which included ritual prostitution and child sacrifice (the 'clifts of the rocks').
• Matthew Henry observes that the Jews were notoriously guilty of idolatry before the captivity, but the message here exposes the heart-level rebellion that leads to such outward acts.

• The 'beds' mentioned (vv. 2, 7, 8) refer to places of idolatrous worship (often high places) that the text euphemistically equates with acts of adultery, framing idolatry as spiritual infidelity.
• The 'green tree' (v. 5) symbolizes the lush, verdant settings favored by Canaanite fertility rites.

• The chapter is situated in the latter part of Isaiah (40-66), where the focus shifts from Assyrian/Babylonian judgment to the internal spiritual condition of the people needed for restoration.
• It serves as a theological bridge between the critique of external religion and the promise of the Suffering Servant's work.

• The reference to 'peace' for those 'far off' and 'near' (v. 19) is explicitly quoted and applied by Paul in Ephesians 2:17, connecting the Old Testament promise to the gospel's reach to Gentiles.
• The 'high and lofty One' language (v. 15) serves as a canonical reminder of God's transcendence, echoing themes from Isaiah 6.

• Ephesians 2:17: Paul utilizes Isaiah 57:19 to demonstrate that the peace of Christ extends beyond the covenant boundaries of Israel to the Gentiles ('them which were afar off').

• צַדִּיק (tsaddiyq, H6662): 'Righteous' or 'just'. The text contrasts the individual (אִישׁ, H376) righteous man with the collective corruption of the nation.
• אָבַד (abad, H6): 'Perishes'. In v. 1, it implies being lost from the sight of the people.
• שָׁלוֹם (shalom, H7965): 'Peace'. This is not merely an absence of war, but a state of divine wholeness and prosperity.
• חֵסֵד (chesed, H2617): 'Devout' or 'merciful men'. It speaks to those who embody covenantal loyalty.
• לֵב (leb, H3820): 'Heart'. As noted in the study guide, the word includes the intellect and the will, emphasizing that true repentance is an internal condition.

• The irony in verse 1: The 'righteous' are taken away, but it is the living who are actually in danger. The death of the righteous is a mercy (escape from the evil to come), not a tragedy.
• The shift in verse 15 from the 'Lofty One' (transcendence) to 'dwelleth with' (immanence) is a profound theological tension resolved only by the nature of the God of the Bible.

• Whether the 'righteous man' in v. 1 refers to a specific historical figure (e.g., Hezekiah or Manasseh's victims) or is a collective reference to the remnant is a matter of ongoing scholarly discussion.
• Matthew Henry's Reformed framework assumes a postmillennial outlook where 'peace' is progressively published through the church; others, holding to dispensational or amillennial views, argue for a different timeline of fulfillment (eschatological vs. covenantal). The text itself primarily emphasizes the moral incompatibility of wickedness with God's peace.