New English Translation
Isaiah 57:5
5you who practice ritual sex under the oaks and every green tree, who slaughter children near the streams under the rocky overhangs.
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 approach, you sons of omen readers, you offspring of adulteresses and prostitutes! 4At whom are you laughing? At whom are you opening your mouth and sticking out your tongue? You are the children of rebels, the offspring of liars, you who practice ritual sex under the oaks and every green tree, who slaughter children near the streams under the rocky overhangs. 6Among the smooth stones of the stream are the idols you love; they, they are the object of your devotion. You pour out liquid offerings to them, you make an offering. Because of these things I will seek vengeance. 7On every high, elevated hill you prepare your bed; you go up there to offer sacrifices.
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 32:6So they got up early on the next day and offered up burnt offerings and brought peace offerings, and the people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.
- Numbers 25:1When Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to commit sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab.
- Jeremiah 50:38A drought will come upon her land; her rivers and canals will be dried up. All of this will happen because her land is filled with idols. Her people act like madmen because of those idols they fear.
- Jeremiah 51:7Babylonia had been a gold cup in the Lord’s hand. She had made the whole world drunk. The nations had drunk from the wine of her wrath. So they have all gone mad.
- Hosea 4:11Old and new wine take away the understanding of my people.
- Hosea 7:4They are all like bakers, they are like a smoldering oven; they are like a baker who does not stoke the fire until the kneaded dough is ready for baking.
- Amos 2:7They trample on the dirt-covered heads of the poor; they push the destitute away. A man and his father go to the same girl; in this way they show disrespect for my moral purity.
- Revelation 17:1Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me. “Come,” he said, “I will show you the condemnation and punishment of the great prostitute who sits on many waters,
- Revelation 18:3For all the nations have fallen from the wine of her immoral passion, and the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have gotten rich from the power of her sensual behavior.”
- Isaiah 1:29Indeed, they will be ashamed of the sacred trees you find so desirable; you will be embarrassed because of the sacred orchards where you choose to worship.
- Deuteronomy 12:2You must by all means destroy all the places where the nations you are about to dispossess worship their gods – on the high mountains and hills and under every leafy tree.
- 1 Kings 14:23They even built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.
- 2 Kings 16:3He followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel. He passed his son through the fire, a horrible sin practiced by the nations whom the Lord drove out from before the Israelites.
- 2 Kings 17:10They set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.
- Jeremiah 2:20“Indeed, long ago you threw off my authority and refused to be subject to me. You said, ‘I will not serve you.’ Instead, you gave yourself to other gods on every high hill and under every green tree, like a prostitute sprawls out before her lovers.
- Jeremiah 3:6When Josiah was king of Judah, the Lord said to me, “Jeremiah, you have no doubt seen what wayward Israel has done. You have seen how she went up to every high hill and under every green tree to give herself like a prostitute to other gods.
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
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