Yeshayah 57:6

6 Among the smooth stones of the wadi is thy chelek; they are thy goral; even to them [the stone idols; see Jer. 3:9] hast thou poured nesekh, thou hast offered minchah. For these [provocations], should I relent?

Yeshayah 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.

Yeshayah 57:6 In-Context

4 At whom are you sneering? Against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the leshon? Are ye not yeledim of peysha (rebellion), zera sheker?
5 Enflaming yourselves among [cult prostitution and Ba’al sympathetic magic in worshipping fertility] elim (oaks, big trees) under every spreading tree, slaughtering the yeladim in the valleys under the clefts of the rocks?
6 Among the smooth stones of the wadi is thy chelek; they are thy goral; even to them [the stone idols; see Jer. 3:9] hast thou poured nesekh, thou hast offered minchah. For these [provocations], should I relent?
7 Upon a lofty and high har hast thou set up thy mishkav (bed i.e., fertility rites); there wentest thou up to offer zevach.
8 Behind the delet also and the mezuzah (doorpost) hast thou set up thy zikron ([pornographic and idolatrous] memorial); deserting Me, thou hast uncovered thyself, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy mishkav (bed) and cut [a Brit] for thee with them [fertility cult idols]; thou lovedst their mishkav (bed) where thou hast looked on their yad [i.e., phallus].
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.