God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 57:5
5You burn with lust under oak trees and under every large tree. You slaughter children in the valleys and under the cracks in the rocks.
Isaiah 57:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?
- New International Version (NIV)You burn with lust among the oaks and under every spreading tree; you sacrifice your children in the ravines and under the overhanging crags.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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?
- New King James Version (NKJV)Inflaming yourselves with gods under every green tree, Slaying the children in the valleys, Under the clefts of the rocks?
Context of Isaiah 57:5
3But you—come here, you children of witches, you descendants of adulterers and prostitutes! 4Whom are you making fun of? Whom are you making a face at? Whom are you sticking out your tongue at? Aren’t you rebellious children, descendants of liars? You burn with lust under oak trees and under every large tree. You slaughter children in the valleys and under the cracks in the rocks. 6Your idols are among the smooth stones in the ravine. They are your destiny. You have given them wine offerings and sacrificed grain offerings to them. Do you think I am pleased with all this? 7You’ve made your bed on a high and lofty mountain. You’ve gone to offer sacrifices there.
Read all of Isaiah 57Isaiah 57:5 word by word
הַנֵּֽחָמִים֙ בָּֽאֵלִ֔ים תַּ֖חַת כָּל־עֵ֣ץ רַעֲנָ֑ן שֹׁחֲטֵ֤י הַיְלָדִים֙ בַּנְּחָלִ֔ים תַּ֖חַת סְעִפֵ֥י הַסְּלָעִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Enflamingחָמַםchâmam · to warmH2552
- yourselves with idolsאֵל'êl · GodH410
- under every greenרַעֲנָןra‛ănân · luxuriantH7488
- treeעֵץ‛êts · treeH6086
- slayingשָׁחַטshâchaţ · to slaughterH7819
- the childrenיֶ֫לֶדyeled · youthH3206
- in the valleysנַ֫חַלnachal nachlâh nachălâh · torrent: valleyH5158
- under the cliftsסָעִיףsâ‛îyph · cleftH5585
- of the rocksסֶ֫לַעsela‛ · cragH5553
Cross-references for Isaiah 57:5
- Exodus 32:6Early the next day the people sacrificed burnt offerings and brought fellowship offerings. Afterward, they sat down to a feast, which turned into an orgy.
- Numbers 25:1While Israel was staying at Shittim, the men began to have sex with Moabite women
- Jeremiah 50:38A drought will diminish their water supply, and it will dry up. Babylon is a land of idols, statues that will go crazy with fear.
- Jeremiah 51:7Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord’s hand. It made the whole world drunk. The nations drank its wine. That is why the nations have gone insane.
- Hosea 4:11Prostitutes, old wine, and new wine have robbed them of their senses.
- Hosea 7:4They all commit adultery. They are like a heated oven, an oven so hot that a baker doesn’t have to fan its flames when he makes bread.
- Amos 2:7They stomp the heads of the poor into the dust. They push the humble out of the way. Father and son sleep with the same woman. They dishonor my holy name.
- Revelation 17:1One of the seven angels who held the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of that notorious prostitute who sits on raging waters.
- Revelation 18:3All the nations fell because of the wine of her sexual sins. The kings of the earth had sex with her. Her luxurious wealth has made the merchants of the earth rich.”
- Isaiah 1:29You will be ashamed of the oaks that you wanted to worship and embarrassed by the garden that you have chosen for your gods.
- Deuteronomy 12:2Completely destroy all the worship sites on the high mountains, on the hills, and under every large tree. The people you’re forcing out worship their gods in these places.
- 1 Kings 14:23They built worship sites for themselves and ⌞put up⌟ large stones and Asherah poles to worship on every high hill and under every large tree.
- 2 Kings 16:3He followed the example of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son by burning him alive. Sacrificing ⌞children⌟ was one of the disgusting things done by the nations that the Lord had forced out of the Israelites’ way.
- 2 Kings 17:10They set up sacred stones and poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah on every high hill and under every large tree.
- Jeremiah 2:20“Long ago you broke off your yoke, tore off your chains, and said that you wouldn’t be a slave. You lay down and acted like a prostitute on every high hill and under every large tree.
- Jeremiah 3:6When Josiah was king, the Lord asked me, “Did you see what unfaithful Israel did? She went up every high mountain and under every large tree, and she acted like a prostitute there.
Commentaries on Isaiah 57:5
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Inflaming yourselves - Burning, that is, with lust. The whole language here is derived from adulterous intercourse. The sense is, that they were greatly addicted to idolatry, and that they used every means to increase and extend the practice of it. The Vulgate, however, renders this, Who console yourselves.‘ The Septuagint renders it, Invoking ( ͂ parakalountes ) idols.‘ But the proper meaning of the Hebrew word חמם châmam is, “to become warm; to be…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 3-12Verses 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5among the oaks, under every luxuriant tree: People often used groups of trees as places to worship false gods. These tree groves were common sites for pagan worship (see Isaiah 1:29–30). slaughter your children: Some people in Israel practiced the terrible act of child sacrifice. They offered their children to false gods. This happened at certain times in Israel’s history (see Psalm 106:37–38).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. Enflaming yourselves--burning with lust towards idols [Gesenius]; or else (compare Margin), in the terebinth groves, which the Hebrew and the parallelism favor (see on Is 1:29) [Maurer]. under ... tree--(2Ki 17:10). The tree, as in the Assyrian sculptures, was probably made an idolatrous symbol of the heavenly hosts. slaying ... children--as a sacrifice to Molech, &c. (2Ki 17:31; 2Ch 28:3; 33:6). in ... valleys--the valley of the son of Hinnom. Fire…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 57:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 57
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries