Isaiah 57:4

Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood, AGAINST WHOM DO YE SPORT YOURSELVES? - make a mock (). Are ye aware of the glory of Him whom you mock, by mocking His servants? ("the righteous, ; ). AGAINST WHOM MAKE YE A WIDE MOUTH? - (; ; ; .) Are y...

4._On whom have ye made sport? _The Prophet shows that there is no reason why the Jews should boast so proudly on the pretense of their birth, seeing that they mocked at God and the prophets. They thought that they had to deal with men, when they rejected the word; as we see that wicked men in the present day, while they fearlessly despise the doctrine of God and laugh at ministers, nevertheless shelter themselves, and falsely glory in the name of God. This is the reason why the Prophet bears hard upon them and censures with severity. _On whom have ye opened the mouth? _The meaning of the words is, “When ye put forth the tongue against God, and mock his word, do ye think that ye have to deal with a mortal man?” The question (“On whom?“) means that they resorted to disguises and concealments, in order to conceal their impiety; for wicked men do not confess that they are rebels against God...

3-12 The Lord here calls apostates and hypocrites to appear before him. When reproved for their sins, and threatened with judgments, they ridiculed the word of God. The Jews were guilty of idolatry before the captivity; but not after that affliction. Their zeal in the worship of false gods, may shame our indifference in the worship of the true God. The service of sin is disgraceful slavery; those who thus debase themselves to hell, will justly have their portion there. Men incline to a religion that inflames their unholy passions. They are led to do any evil, however great or vile, if they think it will atone for crimes, or purchase indulgence for some favourite lust. This explains idolatry, whether pagan, Jewish, or antichristian. But those who set up anything instead of God, for their hope and confidence, never will come to a right end. Those who forsake the only right way, wander in...

AGAINST WHOM DO YE SPORT YOURSELVES? - The word here rendered ‘sport’ (ענג _‛__ānag_) means properly “to live delicately and tenderly”; then “to rejoice, to take pleasure or delight.” Here, however, it is evidently used in the sense of to sport oneself over anyone, that is, to deride; and the idea is, probably, that they made a sport or mockery of God, and of the institutions of religion. The prophet asks, with deep indignation and emotion, against whom they did this. Were they aware of the majesty and glory of that Being whom they thus derided? AGAINST WHOM MAKE YEA WIDE MOUTH? - That is, in derision or contempt Psalms 35:21 : ‘Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me.’ AND DRAW OUT THE TONGUE? - Lowth, ‘Loll the tongue;’ or, as we

EXPOSITION ISAIAH 57:1, ISAIAH 57:2 THE EARLY DEATH OF RIGHTEOUS MEN ACCOUNTED FOR. The Hebrews were given to expect that long life should, as a general rule, accompany righteousness (Exodus 20:12; 1 Kings 3:14; Psalms 91:16; Proverbs 3:1,...

AGAINST WHOM DO YE SPORT YOURSELVES?.... 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. 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?''...

A lament for the death of the righteous many of them put to death by persecution. Isaiah 57:1. _The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness._ When there is a storm coming on, you may see the shepherds among the hills, gathering their sheep and taking them home, and when good men die in large numbers, and the Church's ranks are thinned, it is sometimes a token that bad times are coming on, and so God takes away the righteous from the evil to come. Oh! did men know what the world loses when a good man dies, they would regret it far more than the death of emperors and kings who fear not God. But as for those who are made righteous by the grace of God, they need no

Chapter s 56:9-57:14 must be read continuously. CHAPTER S 56:9-57:21 The Condition of the Apostate Nation and the two Classes 1. _The condition of the shepherds of Israel (Isaiah 56:9) _ 2. _Apostate Israel (Isaiah 57:1) _ 3. _The two classes (Isaiah 57:15) _ The final chapter of this second section corresponds to the last chapter of the first section (chapter 48). The sad condition of the people Israel is pictured. This is their national apostasy throughout this age, while strangers are joined to the Lord and the church is gathered. The worst is yet to come. Chapter 57:9 looks forward to the great apostasy during the great tribulation. The king is the Antichrist, who takes his seat in t

AN INVECTIVE AGAINST THE PRO-SAMARITANS. Yahweh turns now bitterly to upbraid the pro-Samaritan party in the community, among whom flourished many of the primitive Palestinian religious practices. To defame his mother was to an Eastern the most offensive of insults; but the terms used are figurative (idolatry being often in OT described as adultery). How can this false brood deride the pious! (Isaiah 57:5 is probably an illustrative quotation). The adulteress has chosen for her portion the smooth (perhaps slippery ones, _i.e._ false gods) in place of Yahweh. On the high places she has set her bed, _i.e._ practised heathen rites, which were in fact notoriously sensual. The memorial is probably a phallic symbol; incited by it (so read for to another than me) she strips and prepares her bed and hires for herself such as she loves intercourse with (slightly emending made thee a covenant).

CHILDREN. offspring. TRANSGRESSION: i.e. inborn transgression. Hebrew. _pasha_ '. App-44. SEED OF FALSEHOOD. false seed. Figure of speech _Enallage._...