Isaiah 57:4

4 Whom are you mocking? Against whom ¹do you open your mouth wide and stick out your tongue? Are you not children of ²transgression, ³the offspring of deceit,

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 he enters into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness.

3 But you, draw near, sons of the sorceress, offspring of the adulterer and the loose woman.

4 Whom are you mocking? Against whom do you open your mouth wide and stick out your tongue? Are you not children of transgression, the offspring of deceit,

5 you who burn with lust among the oaks, under every green tree, who slaughter your children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?

6 Among the smooth stones of the valley is your portion; they, they, are your lot; to them you have poured out a drink offering, you have brought a grain offering. Shall I relent for these things?

Cross References

• 1. [Psalms 35:21]
• 2. Isaiah 46:8, 9
• 3. [Isaiah 1:4]