Jesaja 57:1

1 De rechtvaardige komt om, en er is niemand, die het ter harte neemt; en de weldadige lieden worden weggeraapt, zonder dat er iemand op let, dat de rechtvaardige weggeraapt wordt voor het kwaad.

Jesaja 57:1 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 57:1

The righteous perisheth
Not eternally; he may fear he shall, by reason of sin and temptation; he may say his strength and hope are perished; and his peace and comfort may perish for a time; but he cannot perish everlastingly, because he is one that believes in Christ, and is justified by his righteousness, from whence he is denominated righteous; and such shall never perish, but have everlasting life: but the meaning is, that he perisheth as to his outward man, or dies corporeally, which is called perishing, ( Ecclesiastes 7:15 ) and so the Targum renders it,

``the righteous die.''

Or it may be rendered, "the righteous man is lost" ^F2; not to himself, his death is a gain to him; but to the church, and to the world, which yet is not considered: and no man layeth it to heart;
takes any notice of it, thinks at all about it, far from being concerned or grieved; instead of that, rather rejoice, and are pleased that they are rid of such persons; which will be the case when the witnesses are slain, ( Revelation 11:10 ) . The Targum is,

``and no man lays my fear to heart;''

or on his heart; whereas such providences should lead men to fear the Lord, and seek to him, and serve him, as it did David, ( Psalms 12:1 ) : and merciful men are taken away;
or "gathered" ^F3; out of the world, to their own people, to heaven; these are such who obtain mercy of the Lord, and show mercy to others, holy good men: the former character may respect the righteousness of Christ imputed to them, this his grace implanted in them, discovered by acts of mercy and goodness; for one and the same persons are intended: none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to
come;
that there are evil times coming, great calamities, and sore judgments upon men; and therefore these righteous ones are gathered out of the world, and are gathered home, and safely housed in heaven, that they may escape the evil coming upon a wicked generation; and who yet have no thought about it, nor are they led to observe it as they might, from the removal of good men out of the world; see ( 2 Kings 22:20 ) . All this may be applied to the martyrs of Jesus in times of Popish persecution; or to the removal of good men by an ordinary death before those times came.

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 (dba qyduh) , (apwleto) , Sept.
F3 (Mypoan) "colliguntur", V. L. Munster, Piscator, Cocceius; "congregantur", Pagninus.

Jesaja 57:1 In-Context

1 De rechtvaardige komt om, en er is niemand, die het ter harte neemt; en de weldadige lieden worden weggeraapt, zonder dat er iemand op let, dat de rechtvaardige weggeraapt wordt voor het kwaad.

2 Hij zal ingaan in den vrede; zij zullen rusten op hun slaapsteden, een iegelijk, die in zijn oprechtheid gewandeld heeft.

3 Doch nadert gijlieden hier toe, gij kinderen der guichelares! gij overspelig zaad, en gij, die hoererij bedrijft!

4 Over wien maakt gij u lustig, over wien spert gij den mond wijd open en steekt de tong lang uit? Zijt gij niet kinderen der overtreding, een zaad der valsheid?

5 Die hittig zijt in de eikenbossen, onder allen groenen boom; slachtende de kinderen aan de beken, onder de hoeken der steenrotsen.