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Isaiah 57

Chapter Text

The Righteous Perish

Idolatry Condemned

Comfort for the Contrite

Summary

The righteous perish and no one considers that they are taken away from the evil to come. They enter into peace. But the wicked are children of transgression, enflaming themselves with idols under every green tree, sacrificing children in the valleys. They set their idolatrous memorials behind their doors. They have gone up to the high places and made agreements with foreign powers. Despite all this, they did not despair. The Lord exposes their false righteousness: their works shall not profit them. Yet the contrite and humble spirit shall be revived.

Meaning

The observation that the righteous are sometimes taken away before calamity offers a perspective on premature death that transforms grief: God may be mercifully sparing His servants from worse suffering ahead. Death for the righteous is entrance into peace.

The concluding promise to revive the contrite and humble spirit stands in deliberate contrast to the arrogant idolaters. God dwells in two places: the high and holy place, and with the broken and lowly. This paradox reveals the nature of true worship and genuine access to God.

Background

The references to child sacrifice and worship under green trees describe practices that were prevalent during the reigns of Ahaz and Manasseh, when Judah reached its lowest points of spiritual corruption. Archaeological evidence confirms child sacrifice at sites like Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom.

The setting of memorial images behind doors reflects the practice of placing household idols in private spaces, hidden from public prophetic rebuke.

Chapter Outline

  1. vv. 1-2The righteous taken from evil to come
  2. vv. 3-10Indictment of idolatry and spiritual adultery
  3. vv. 11-13The futility of trusting false refuges
  4. vv. 14-15The high and holy One dwells with the contrite
  5. vv. 16-19Healing, restoration, and peace proclaimed
  6. vv. 20-21No peace for the wicked

Key Verses

“For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”— 57:15

One of the most treasured verses on God's transcendence and immanence — the eternal Holy One dwells both in heaven and with the humble of heart. Frequently cited in sermons on humility and revival.

“I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.”— 57:19

A foundational gospel promise of peace extended to those 'far off' — language Paul echoes in Ephesians 2:17 to describe Gentile reconciliation through Christ.

“There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.”— 57:21

A refrain of Isaiah (cf. 48:22) that seals the contrast between the troubled sea of wickedness and the divine peace offered to the contrite.

“The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.”— 57:1

A poignant theological reflection on the death of the righteous as divine mercy — shielding them from coming judgment rather than punishment.

People & Places

Places

  • The holy mountain — Zion, the promised inheritance of those who trust in the LORD (v. 13).

Prophecy & Fulfillment

Verse 19's promise of 'Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near' is directly applied by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:17 to Christ's reconciling work, bringing Gentiles ('far off') and Jews ('near') together in one body through the cross. The command in verse 14 to 'prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock' anticipates the highway imagery fulfilled in John the Baptist's ministry (cf. Isaiah 40:3; Matthew 3:3). Verse 15's portrait of the high and holy One dwelling with the contrite foreshadows the incarnation, where God tabernacles among the lowly.

Devotional

Isaiah 57 holds a staggering paradox: the God who inhabits eternity makes His home with the humble and broken-hearted. When life crushes our spirit, we are not further from Him — we are precisely where He draws near.

The chapter also warns against the restless idolatries we chase to numb our fears (v. 11). Such pursuits exhaust us without satisfying. True rest comes only to the contrite, while the wicked remain like a troubled sea that cannot settle.

Wherever you are today — far off or near — hear His word: 'Peace, peace.' He heals those who come low.

Literary Style

Prophetic oracle blending lament, covenant lawsuit, and salvation promise. Features vivid Hebrew parallelism, extended marriage-idolatry metaphor, and a striking contrast structure — the troubled sea of the wicked set against the quiet rest of the contrite.