New International Version
Isaiah 57:9
9You went to Molek with olive oil and increased your perfumes. You sent your ambassadors far away; you descended to the very realm of the dead!
Isaiah 57:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.
- English Standard Version (ESV)You journeyed to the king with oil and multiplied your perfumes; you sent your envoys far off, and sent down even to Sheol.
- New King James Version (NKJV)You went to the king with ointment, And increased your perfumes; You sent your messengers far off, And even descended to Sheol.
- New Living Translation (NLT)You have gone to Molech with olive oil and many perfumes, sending your agents far and wide, even to the world of the dead.
Context of Isaiah 57:9
7You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill; there you went up to offer your sacrifices. 8Behind your doors and your doorposts you have put your pagan symbols. Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed, you climbed into it and opened it wide; you made a pact with those whose beds you love, and you looked with lust on their naked bodies. You went to Molek with olive oil and increased your perfumes. You sent your ambassadors far away; you descended to the very realm of the dead! 10You wearied yourself by such going about, but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’ You found renewal of your strength, and so you did not faint. 11“Whom have you so dreaded and feared that you have not been true to me, and have neither remembered me nor taken this to heart? Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear me?
Read all of Isaiah 57Isaiah 57:9 word by word
וַתָּשֻׁ֤רִי לַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ בַּשֶּׁ֔מֶן וַתַּרְבִּ֖י רִקֻּחָ֑יִךְ וַתְּשַׁלְּחִ֤י צִרַ֙יךְ֙ עַד־מֵ֣רָחֹ֔ק וַתַּשְׁפִּ֖ילִי עַד־שְׁאֽוֹל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And thou wentestשׁוּרshûr · to travelH7788
- to the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- with ointmentשֶׁ֫מֶןshemen · oilH8081
- and didst increaseרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
- thy perfumesרַקּוּחַraqqûach · perfumeryH7547
- and didst sendשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
- thy messengersצִירtsîyr · envoyH6735
- far offרָחֹקrâchôq râchôq · distantH7350
- and didst debaseשָׁפֵלshâphêl · to abaseH8213
- unto hellשְׁאוֹלshe'ôl she'ôl · hell: SheolH7585
Cross-references for Isaiah 57:9
- Isaiah 30:1“Woe to the obstinate children,” declares the Lord, “to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin;
- Isaiah 31:1Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord.
- 2 Kings 16:7Ahaz sent messengers to say to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, “I am your servant and vassal. Come up and save me out of the hand of the king of Aram and of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.”
- Ezekiel 16:33All prostitutes receive gifts, but you give gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors.
- Ezekiel 23:16As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.
- Hosea 7:11“Ephraim is like a dove, easily deceived and senseless— now calling to Egypt, now turning to Assyria.
- Hosea 12:1Ephraim feeds on the wind; he pursues the east wind all day and multiplies lies and violence. He makes a treaty with Assyria and sends olive oil to Egypt.
- Proverbs 7:17I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.
- Isaiah 2:9So people will be brought low and everyone humbled— do not forgive them.
- Colossians 2:18Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind.
Commentaries on Isaiah 57:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9And thou wentest to the king with ointment "And thou hast visited the king with a present of oil" - That is, the king of Assyria, or Egypt. Hosea, chap, Hosea 12:1, reproaches the Israelites for the same practice: - "They make a covenant with Assyria, And oil is carried to Egypt." It is well known, that in all parts of the east, whoever visits a great person must carry him a present. "It is counted uncivil," says Maundreg, p. 26, "to visit in this country…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9And thou wentest to the king - Margin, Respectedst.‘ Jerome renders this, Thou hast adorned thyself with royal ointment, and hast multiplied thy painting; and evidently understands it as a continuance of the sentiment in the previous verses as referring to the kind of decoration which harlots used. The Septuagint renders it, Thou hast multiplied thy fornication with them, and hast done it with many who are far from thee.‘ The Chaldee renders it, When thou…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. 1-13This passage reflects on how common evil had become among God’s people. Many of them were greedy and wanted more and more for themselves (Isaiah 56:9–12). They treated righteous people with hatred and violence (Isaiah 57:1–2). They also worshiped idols instead of the true God (Isaiah 57:3–13).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. the king--the idol which they came to worship, perfumed with oil, like harlots (Jr 4:30; Eze 23:16, 40). So "king" means idol (Am 5:26; Zep 1:5); (malcham meaning "king") [Rosenmuller]. Rather, the king of Assyria or Egypt, and other foreign princes, on whom Israel relied, instead of on God; the "ointment" will thus refer to the presents (Ho 12:1), and perhaps the compliances with foreigners' idolatries, whereby Israel sought to gain their favor…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 57:9
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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