- Home
- Bible
- Isaiah
- Chapter 57
- Verse 57
Isaiah 57:1
Verse
Context
The Blessed Death of the Righteous
1The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; devout men are swept away, while no one considers that the righteous are guided from the presence of evil.
Sermons
Keith Daniel
Thomas Bradbury
C.H. Spurgeon
John MacDuff
John Gill
Henry LawSummary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
The righteous perisheth - הצדק אבד hatstsadik abad. There is an emphasis here which seems intended to point out a particular person. See below. Perisheth - As the root אבד abad signifies the straying of cattle, their passing away from one pasture to another, I feel inclined to follow the grammatical meaning of the word "perish," pereo. So the Vulgate, justus periit, from per, By or Through, and eo, to Go. In his death the righteous man may be said to have passed through life, and to have passed by men, i.e., gone or passed before them into the eternal world. A similar mode of speech is used by our Saxon ancestors to express death: he went out of sight; and he went away; and to fare forth, to die. There are very few places in Isaiah where Jesus Christ is not intended; and I am inclined to think that He is intended here, That Just One; and perhaps Stephen had this place in view, when he thus charged the Jews, "Ye denied τον ἁγιον και δικαιον, that Holy and Just One," Act 3:14. That his death was not laid to heart by the wicked Jewish people, needs no proof. Merciful men - If the first refers to Christ, this may well refer to the apostles. and to others of the primitive Christians, who were taken away, some by death and martyrdom, and others by a providential escape from the city that they knew was devoted to destruction. The evil to come - That destruction which was to come upon this disobedient people by the Romans.
John Gill Bible Commentary
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, Ecc 7:15 and so the Targum renders it, "the righteous die.'' Or it may be rendered, "the righteous man is lost" (b); 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, Rev 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, Psa 12:1, and merciful men are taken away; or "gathered" (c); 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 Kg2 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. (b) , Sept. (c) "colliguntur", V. L. Munster, Piscator, Cocceius; "congregantur", Pagninus.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
The prophet, in the close of the foregoing chapter, had condemned the watchmen for their ignorance and sottishness; here he shows the general stupidity and senselessness of the people likewise. No wonder they were inconsiderate when their watchmen were so, who should have awakened them to consideration. We may observe here, I. The providence of God removing good men apace out of this world. The righteous, as to this world, perish; they are gone and their place knows them no more. Piety exempts none from the arrests of death, nay, in persecuting times, the most righteous are most exposed to the violences of bloody men. The first that died died a martyr. Righteousness delivers from the sting of death, but not from the stroke of it. They are said to perish because they are utterly removed from us, and to express the great loss which this world sustains by the removal of them, not that their death is their undoing, but it often proves an undoing to the places where they lived and were useful. Nay, even merciful men are taken away, those good men that are distinguished from the righteous, for whom some would even dare to die, Rom 5:7. Those are often removed that could be worst spared; the fruitful trees are cut down by death and the barren left still to cumber the ground. Merciful men are often taken away by the hands of men's malice. Many good works they have done, and for some of them they are stoned. Before the captivity in Babylon perhaps there was a more than ordinary mortality of good men, so that there were scarcely any left, Jer 5:1. The godly ceased, and the faithful failed, Psa 12:1. II. The careless world slighting these providences, and disregarding them: No man lays it to heart, none considers it. There are very few that lament it as a public loss, very few that take notice of it as a public warning. The death of good men is a thing to be laid to heart and considered more than common deaths. Serious enquiries ought to be made, wherefore God contends with us, what good lessons are to be learned by such providences, what we may do to help to make up the breach and to fill up the room of those that are removed. God is justly displeased when such events are not laid to heart, when the voice of the rod is not heard nor the intentions of it answered, much more when it is rejoiced in, as the slaying of the witnesses is, Rev 11:10. Some of God's choicest blessings to mankind, being thus easily parted with, are really undervalued; and it is an evidence of very great incogitancy. Little children, when they are little, least lament the death of their parents, because they know not what a loss it is to them. III. The happiness of the righteous in their removal. 1. They are taken away from the evil to come, then when it is just coming, (1.) In compassion to them, that they may not see the evil (Kg2 22:20), nor share in it, nor be in temptation by it. When the deluge is coming they are called into the ark, and have a hiding-place and rest in heaven when there was none for them under heaven. (2.) In wrath to the world, to punish them for all the injuries they have done to the righteous and merciful ones; those are taken away that stood in the gap to turn away the judgments of God, and then what can be expected but a deluge of them? It is a sign that God intends war when he calls home his ambassadors. 2. They go to be easy out of the reach of that evil. The righteous man, who while he lived walked in his uprightness, when he dies enters into peace and rests in his bed. Note, (1.) Death is gain, and rest, and bliss, to those only who walked in their uprightness, and who, when they die, can appeal to God concerning it, as Hezekiah (Kg2 20:3). Now, Lord, remember it. (2.) Those that practised uprightness, and persevered in it to the end, shall find it well with them when they die. Their souls then enter into peace, into the world of peace, where peace is in perfection and where there is no trouble. Enter thou into the joy of the Lord. Their bodies rest in their beds. Note, The grave is a bed of rest to all the Lord's people; there they rest from all their labours, Rev 14:13. And the more weary they were the more welcome will that rest be to them, Job 3:17. This bed is made in the darkness, but that makes it the more quiet; it is a bed out of which they shall rise refreshed in the morning of the resurrection.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
57:1-2 This is a lament for the righteous who suffer in a wicked society. 57:1 the evil to come: Judgment that would come on the wicked nations. • protecting them: At times, God allows the godly to die in order to protect them from harsher times to come.
Isaiah 57:1
The Blessed Death of the Righteous
1The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; devout men are swept away, while no one considers that the righteous are guided from the presence of evil.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Be Sure Your Sin Will Find You Out!
By Keith Daniel3.5K1:16:33PSA 119:9PSA 119:11ISA 57:1JHN 17:15ROM 7:19ROM 8:6GAL 5:16JAS 4:7
This sermon emphasizes the importance of repentance, seeking God's forgiveness, and walking in the Spirit to overcome sin and live a life pleasing to God. It highlights the power of God's Word to cleanse, renew, and guide individuals away from evil and towards righteousness. The message encourages humility, self-control, and a deep commitment to studying and applying the teachings of the Bible to avoid spiritual shipwreck and experience God's grace and restoration.
Sermon: The Prayer of Jabez
By Thomas Bradbury01CH 4:9ISA 57:1JHN 10:28JHN 17:15EPH 1:3Thomas Bradbury preaches on the story of Jabez, emphasizing the importance of seeking God's blessings, acknowledging His sovereignty, power, providence, protection, and presence in our lives. He highlights the need to pray for God's hand to be with us, guiding and blessing us, while also asking for protection from evil influences that may grieve us. Bradbury encourages believers to trust in God's faithfulness to grant their requests, just as He did for Jabez.
Sensitive to Warning
By C.H. Spurgeon0Sensitivity to God's WarningsHumility before God2KI 22:19PSA 119:120ISA 57:1EZK 9:4C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes the importance of being sensitive to God's warnings, as exemplified by King Josiah, who humbled himself and trembled at God's Word. Spurgeon highlights that those who possess a tender heart and practice self-humiliation will be spared from impending judgment, as God marks those who mourn over the sins of their nation. He reassures believers that even in times of great threat and infidelity, they can find peace in God's promise of protection and eventual deliverance. The sermon calls for introspection on whether one has this godly fear and sensitivity to divine warnings.
The Rainbow in the Clouds (31 Day Devotional)
By John MacDuff0GEN 9:16EXO 3:7EXO 33:14DEU 23:25JOB 1:21PSA 35:27PSA 93:1ISA 32:2ISA 57:1JER 31:3HOS 13:14MAL 3:6JHN 13:7ROM 8:32TIT 2:13HEB 12:61PE 1:6John MacDuff preaches about the unchanging and everlasting love of God, assuring believers that all trials and tribulations are part of God's eternal plan of love and redemption. He emphasizes the sovereignty of God, His loving purpose in prosperity and adversity, the safe refuge found in Christ during life's storms, the reason for divine chastisement as a sign of God's love, and the immutability of God's character and promises. MacDuff encourages believers to trust in God's divine sympathy, gracious conditions, and the blessed hope of Christ's return, reminding them of the ultimate victory over death and the eternal rest and deliverance promised to those who love God.
Of the Separate State of the Soul Until the Resurrection, and Its Employment in That State.
By John Gill0Consciousness of the SoulAfterlifeECC 4:2ISA 57:1John Gill emphasizes the immediate state of the soul after death, asserting that it enters a realm of either happiness or misery, actively engaging in worship and communion with God rather than falling into insensibility. He argues that the righteous are welcomed into God's presence, experiencing joy and peace, while the wicked face judgment and torment. Gill supports his claims with various scriptures, illustrating that the soul remains conscious and active, participating in divine worship and awaiting the resurrection. He highlights the importance of understanding this separate state to grasp the full scope of God's plan for humanity. Ultimately, Gill reassures believers of the hope and joy that awaits them after death.
Comfort for Mourners
By Henry Law0ISA 33:24ISA 57:1MAT 11:28ACT 14:222CO 5:1HEB 12:231JN 3:2REV 3:12REV 14:13REV 21:4Henry Law preaches about the profound comfort and joy that believers can find in the midst of sorrow and loss, emphasizing the assurance of eternal rest and peace in the presence of God. He highlights the scriptural promises of being reunited with loved ones in heaven, free from pain, sickness, and the troubles of this world. The sermon encourages gratitude for the hope of resurrection and the ultimate perfection awaiting believers in the glorious presence of the Triune God.
- Adam Clarke
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
The righteous perisheth - הצדק אבד hatstsadik abad. There is an emphasis here which seems intended to point out a particular person. See below. Perisheth - As the root אבד abad signifies the straying of cattle, their passing away from one pasture to another, I feel inclined to follow the grammatical meaning of the word "perish," pereo. So the Vulgate, justus periit, from per, By or Through, and eo, to Go. In his death the righteous man may be said to have passed through life, and to have passed by men, i.e., gone or passed before them into the eternal world. A similar mode of speech is used by our Saxon ancestors to express death: he went out of sight; and he went away; and to fare forth, to die. There are very few places in Isaiah where Jesus Christ is not intended; and I am inclined to think that He is intended here, That Just One; and perhaps Stephen had this place in view, when he thus charged the Jews, "Ye denied τον ἁγιον και δικαιον, that Holy and Just One," Act 3:14. That his death was not laid to heart by the wicked Jewish people, needs no proof. Merciful men - If the first refers to Christ, this may well refer to the apostles. and to others of the primitive Christians, who were taken away, some by death and martyrdom, and others by a providential escape from the city that they knew was devoted to destruction. The evil to come - That destruction which was to come upon this disobedient people by the Romans.
John Gill Bible Commentary
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, Ecc 7:15 and so the Targum renders it, "the righteous die.'' Or it may be rendered, "the righteous man is lost" (b); 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, Rev 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, Psa 12:1, and merciful men are taken away; or "gathered" (c); 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 Kg2 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. (b) , Sept. (c) "colliguntur", V. L. Munster, Piscator, Cocceius; "congregantur", Pagninus.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
The prophet, in the close of the foregoing chapter, had condemned the watchmen for their ignorance and sottishness; here he shows the general stupidity and senselessness of the people likewise. No wonder they were inconsiderate when their watchmen were so, who should have awakened them to consideration. We may observe here, I. The providence of God removing good men apace out of this world. The righteous, as to this world, perish; they are gone and their place knows them no more. Piety exempts none from the arrests of death, nay, in persecuting times, the most righteous are most exposed to the violences of bloody men. The first that died died a martyr. Righteousness delivers from the sting of death, but not from the stroke of it. They are said to perish because they are utterly removed from us, and to express the great loss which this world sustains by the removal of them, not that their death is their undoing, but it often proves an undoing to the places where they lived and were useful. Nay, even merciful men are taken away, those good men that are distinguished from the righteous, for whom some would even dare to die, Rom 5:7. Those are often removed that could be worst spared; the fruitful trees are cut down by death and the barren left still to cumber the ground. Merciful men are often taken away by the hands of men's malice. Many good works they have done, and for some of them they are stoned. Before the captivity in Babylon perhaps there was a more than ordinary mortality of good men, so that there were scarcely any left, Jer 5:1. The godly ceased, and the faithful failed, Psa 12:1. II. The careless world slighting these providences, and disregarding them: No man lays it to heart, none considers it. There are very few that lament it as a public loss, very few that take notice of it as a public warning. The death of good men is a thing to be laid to heart and considered more than common deaths. Serious enquiries ought to be made, wherefore God contends with us, what good lessons are to be learned by such providences, what we may do to help to make up the breach and to fill up the room of those that are removed. God is justly displeased when such events are not laid to heart, when the voice of the rod is not heard nor the intentions of it answered, much more when it is rejoiced in, as the slaying of the witnesses is, Rev 11:10. Some of God's choicest blessings to mankind, being thus easily parted with, are really undervalued; and it is an evidence of very great incogitancy. Little children, when they are little, least lament the death of their parents, because they know not what a loss it is to them. III. The happiness of the righteous in their removal. 1. They are taken away from the evil to come, then when it is just coming, (1.) In compassion to them, that they may not see the evil (Kg2 22:20), nor share in it, nor be in temptation by it. When the deluge is coming they are called into the ark, and have a hiding-place and rest in heaven when there was none for them under heaven. (2.) In wrath to the world, to punish them for all the injuries they have done to the righteous and merciful ones; those are taken away that stood in the gap to turn away the judgments of God, and then what can be expected but a deluge of them? It is a sign that God intends war when he calls home his ambassadors. 2. They go to be easy out of the reach of that evil. The righteous man, who while he lived walked in his uprightness, when he dies enters into peace and rests in his bed. Note, (1.) Death is gain, and rest, and bliss, to those only who walked in their uprightness, and who, when they die, can appeal to God concerning it, as Hezekiah (Kg2 20:3). Now, Lord, remember it. (2.) Those that practised uprightness, and persevered in it to the end, shall find it well with them when they die. Their souls then enter into peace, into the world of peace, where peace is in perfection and where there is no trouble. Enter thou into the joy of the Lord. Their bodies rest in their beds. Note, The grave is a bed of rest to all the Lord's people; there they rest from all their labours, Rev 14:13. And the more weary they were the more welcome will that rest be to them, Job 3:17. This bed is made in the darkness, but that makes it the more quiet; it is a bed out of which they shall rise refreshed in the morning of the resurrection.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
57:1-2 This is a lament for the righteous who suffer in a wicked society. 57:1 the evil to come: Judgment that would come on the wicked nations. • protecting them: At times, God allows the godly to die in order to protect them from harsher times to come.