Isaiah 57:6

6 Your gods are the smooth stones in the valleys. You worship them with liquid offerings and grain offerings. They, not I, are your inheritance. Do you think all this makes me happy?

Isaiah 57:6 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 57:6

Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion
Or thy god; but the portion of Jacob is not like them, stocks and stones, ( Jeremiah 10:16 ) ( 2:27 ) . Whenever they could pick up smooth stones, and such as were fit for their purpose, whether in the stream of a brook, or in a valley, as the word also signifies, they polished and formed them into an image, and made gods of them; and these were their portion and inheritance, and which they left to their children. There is an elegant play on words F11 in the Hebrew tongue, between the word for "smooth stones", and that for a "portion F12", which cannot be expressed in our language: or, "in the smooth or slippery places of the valley shall be thy portions"; see ( Psalms 35:6 ) ( 73:18 ) . They, they are thy lot;
even those stones. Jarchi's note is, to stone thee with, the punishment of idolaters with the Jews; suggesting that those idols would be their ruin; as they will be the ruin of the idolatrous members of the church of Rome, who repent not of worshipping their idols of stone among others, ( Revelation 9:20 Revelation 9:21 ) : even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a
meat offering;
or a "bread offering", as well as a libation of wine, respecting the sacrifice of the mass, which consists of bread and wine, which is offered up in honour of their idols, angels and saints; hence "Michael mass" and "Martin mass" Should I receive comfort in these?
be pleased with such idolatrous sacrifices? no. The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Arabic versions render it, "should I not be angry for these?" I will; I have just reason for it. Or it may be rendered, "shall I repent of these F13?" of the evil I have threatened to bring, and am about to bring upon these idolaters? I will not.


FOOTNOTES:

F11 (Kqlx lhn yqlxb) .
F12 "In laevitatibus vallis erit portio tua", Gataker, Vitringa.
F13 (Mxna hla leh) "a me super his poenitebit?" Musculus; "poenitebit me", some in Vatablus.

Isaiah 57:6 In-Context

4 Whom do you mock, making faces and sticking out your tongues? You children of sinners and liars!
5 You worship your idols with great passion beneath the oaks and under every green tree. You sacrifice your children down in the valleys, among the jagged rocks in the cliffs.
6 Your gods are the smooth stones in the valleys. You worship them with liquid offerings and grain offerings. They, not I, are your inheritance. Do you think all this makes me happy?
7 You have committed adultery on every high mountain. There you have worshiped idols and have been unfaithful to me.
8 You have put pagan symbols on your doorposts and behind your doors. You have left me and climbed into bed with these detestable gods. You have committed yourselves to them. You love to look at their naked bodies.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.