Isaiah 57:4

4 On whom scorned ye? on whom made ye great the mouth, and putted out the tongue? Whether ye be not cursed sons, a seed of leasings? (Against whom mocked ye? against whom made ye great the mouth, and stuck out the tongue? Be ye not accursed sons and daughters, the children, or the descendants, of liars?)

Isaiah 57:4 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 57:4

Against whom do ye sport yourselves?
&c.] Is it against the ministers of the Gospel, the prophets of the Lord, the true and faithful witnesses, over whose dead bodies you triumph? know that it is not so much against them, as against the Lord himself, whose ministers, prophets, and witnesses they are; see ( 1 Thessalonians 4:8 ) : "against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue?" gestures used by way of scorn and derision; see ( Psalms 22:7 Psalms 22:13 ) . So the Papists open their mouths, and draw out their tongues, in gibes and jeers, reproaches and calumnies, against the true Christians, calling and despising them as heretics and schismatics; which abuse and ill usage of them will be resented another day. The Targum is,

``before whom do ye open your mouth, and multiply to speak things?''
as antichrist is said to have a mouth open, speaking great things and blasphemy against God, his name, his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven, ( Revelation 13:5 Revelation 13:6 ) : are ye not children of transgression;
given up to all manner of sin and wickedness; or children of the wicked one, as the Targum, either of Satan, or of the man of sin; or, as the Septuagint and Arabic versions render it, "children of perdition"; of the same character, complexion, and religion, as the son of perdition is: "a seed of falsehood"; or a lie, given to lying; to believe a lie, and to speak lies in hypocrisy; professing a false religion; embracing false doctrines; a spurious breed, and not the sons of the true church of Christ.

Isaiah 57:4 In-Context

2 Peace come, rest he in his bed, that went in his (proper) direction. (Let peace come, yea, rest they in their last beds, everyone who went in their own uprightness.)
3 But ye, sons of the seeker of false divining by chittering of birds, nigh hither, the seed of adulteress, and of a whore. (But come ye here, ye sons and daughters of the seeker of false divining by the twittering of birds, ye children of an adulterer, and of a whore.)
4 On whom scorned ye? on whom made ye great the mouth, and putted out the tongue? Whether ye be not cursed sons, a seed of leasings? (Against whom mocked ye? against whom made ye great the mouth, and stuck out the tongue? Be ye not accursed sons and daughters, the children, or the descendants, of liars?)
5 which be comforted in gods (who be comforted with gods), under each tree full of boughs, and (who) offer little children in strands, under (the) high stones.
6 Thy part is in the parts of the strand, this is thy part; and to them thou sheddest out moist offering (and thou pourest out a drink offering to them), thou offeredest (a) sacrifice. Whether I shall not have indignation on these things?
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.