571 The righteous hath perished, And there is none laying 'it' to heart, And men of kindness are gathered, Without any considering that from the face of evil Gathered is the righteous one. 2 He entereth into peace, they rest on their beds, 'Each' is going straightforward.
3 And ye, come near hither, O sons of a sorceress, seed of an adulterer, Even thou dost commit whoredom. 4 Against whom do ye sport yourselves? Against whom enlarge ye the mouth? Prolong ye the tongue? Are not ye children of transgression? a false seed? 5 Who are inflamed among oaks, under every green tree, Slaughtering the children in valleys, Under clefts of the rocks. 6 Among the smooth things of a brook 'is' thy portion, They—they 'are' thy lot, Also to them thou hast poured out an oblation, Thou hast caused a present to ascend, For these things am I comforted? 7 On a mountain, high and exalted, Thou hast set thy couch, Also thither thou hast gone up to make a sacrifice. 8 And behind the door, and the post, Thou hast set up thy memorial, For from Me thou hast removed, and goest up, Thou hast enlarged thy couch, And dost covenant for thyself among them, Thou hast loved their couch, the station thou sawest,
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Isaiah 57:1-8
Commentary on Isaiah 57:1-2
(Read Isaiah 57:1-2)
The righteous are delivered from the sting of death, not from the stroke of it. The careless world disregards this. Few lament it as a public loss, and very few notice it as a public warning. They are taken away in compassion, that they may not see the evil, nor share in it, nor be tempted by it. The righteous man, when he dies, enters into peace and rest.
Commentary on Isaiah 57:3-12
(Read Isaiah 57:3-12)
The Lord here calls apostates and hypocrites to appear before him. When reproved for their sins, and threatened with judgments, they ridiculed the word of God. The Jews were guilty of idolatry before the captivity; but not after that affliction. Their zeal in the worship of false gods, may shame our indifference in the worship of the true God. The service of sin is disgraceful slavery; those who thus debase themselves to hell, will justly have their portion there. Men incline to a religion that inflames their unholy passions. They are led to do any evil, however great or vile, if they think it will atone for crimes, or purchase indulgence for some favourite lust. This explains idolatry, whether pagan, Jewish, or antichristian. But those who set up anything instead of God, for their hope and confidence, never will come to a right end. Those who forsake the only right way, wander in a thousand by-paths. The pleasures of sin soon tire, but never satisfy. Those who care not for the word of God and his providences, show they have no fear of God. Sin profits not; it ruins and destroys.