Focused Passage

Isaiah 57:14-21

The High and Lofty One Revives the Contrite but Gives No Peace to the Wicked

From the unnoticed death of the righteous and their entrance into peace, to an indictment of sorcery-like idolatry and spiritual adultery, to exposure of political and religious self-expenditure, to the LORD’s challenge that idols cannot save, to a promise that the high and holy God revives the contrite, to healing and peace for mourners, and finally to the no-peace condition of the wicked.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

14And it will be said, “Build it up, build it up, prepare the way, take every obstacle out of the way of My people.”

15For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.

16For I will not accuse you forever, nor will I always be angry; for then the spirit of man would grow weak before Me—the breath of life I have made.

17I was enraged by his sinful greed, so I struck him and hid My face in anger; yet he kept turning back to the desires of his heart.

18I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him and his mourners,

19bringing praise to their lips. Peace, peace to those far and near,” says the LORD, “and I will heal them.”

20But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea, for it cannot be still, and its waves churn up mire and muck.

21“There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 14

Original words

And it will be saidוְאָמַ֥רH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularBuild it upסֹֽלּוּ־H5549Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralbuild it upסֹ֖לּוּH5549Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralprepareפַּנּוּ־H6437Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine pluralthe wayדָ֑רֶךְH1870Noun - common singulartakeהָרִ֥ימוּH7311Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine pluralevery obstacleמִכְשׁ֖וֹלH4383Noun - masculine singularout of the wayמִדֶּ֥רֶךְH1870Preposition-m | Noun - common singular constructof My peopleעַמִּֽי׃סH5971Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Verse 15

Original words

Forכִּי֩H3588Conjunctionthusכֹ֨הH3541Adverbsaysאָמַ֜רH559Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularthe One who is highרָ֣םH7311Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularand lifted upוְנִשָּׂ֗אH5375Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singularwho inhabitsשֹׁכֵ֥ןH7931Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singulareternityעַד֙H5703Noun - masculine singularwhose nameשְׁמ֔וֹH8034Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singularis Holyוְקָד֣וֹשׁH6918Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singularI dwellאֶשְׁכּ֑וֹןH7931Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singularin a highמָר֥וֹםH4791Noun - masculine singularand holy placeוְקָד֖וֹשׁH6918Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singularand withוְאֶת־H854Conjunctive waw | Prepositionthe oppressedדַּכָּא֙H1793Noun - masculine singularand humbleוּשְׁפַל־H8217Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular constructin spiritר֔וּחַH7307Noun - common singularto restoreלְהַחֲיוֹת֙H2421Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive constructthe spiritר֣וּחַH7307Noun - common singular constructof the lowlyשְׁפָלִ֔יםH8217Adjective - masculine pluraland reviveוּֽלְהַחֲי֖וֹתH2421Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive constructthe heartלֵ֥בH3820Noun - masculine singular constructof the contriteנִדְכָּאִֽים׃H1792Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural
Verse 16

Original words

Forכִּ֣יH3588ConjunctionI will notלֹ֤אH3808Adverb - Negative particleaccuse you foreverאָרִ֔יבH7378Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular. . .לְעוֹלָם֙H5769Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singularnor will Iוְלֹ֥אH3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particlealwaysלָנֶ֖צַחH5331Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singularbe angryאֶקְּצ֑וֹףH7107Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singularforכִּי־H3588Conjunctionthen the spirit [of man]ר֙וּחַ֙H7307Noun - common singularwould grow weakיַֽעֲט֔וֹףH5848Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularbefore Meמִלְּפָנַ֣יH6440Preposition-m, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singularthe breath of lifeוּנְשָׁמ֖וֹתH5397Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine pluralIאֲנִ֥יH589Pronoun - first person common singularhave madeעָשִֽׂיתִי׃H6213Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Verse 17

Original words

I was enragedקָצַ֥פְתִּיH7107Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularby his sinfulבַּעֲוֺ֥ןH5771Preposition-b | Noun - common singular constructgreedבִּצְע֛וֹH1215Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singularso I struck himוְאַכֵּ֖הוּH5221Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singularand hid [My face]הַסְתֵּ֣רH5641Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolutein angerוְאֶקְצֹ֑ףH7107Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singularyet he keptוַיֵּ֥לֶךְH1980Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularturning backשׁוֹבָ֖בH7726Adjective - masculine singularto the desiresבְּדֶ֥רֶךְH1870Preposition-b | Noun - common singular constructof his heartלִבּֽוֹ׃H3820Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 18

Original words

I have seenרָאִ֖יתִיH7200Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularhis waysדְּרָכָ֥יוH1870Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singularbut I will heal himוְאֶרְפָּאֵ֑הוּH7495Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singularI will guide himוְאַנְחֵ֕הוּH5148Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singularand restoreוַאֲשַׁלֵּ֧םH7999Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singularcomfortנִֽחֻמִ֛יםH5150Noun - masculine pluralto himל֖וֹPreposition | third person masculine singularand his mournersוְלַאֲבֵלָֽיו׃H57Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 19

Original words

bringingבּוֹרֵ֖אH1254Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularpraiseנוּבH5108Noun - masculine singularto their lipsשְׂפָתָ֑יִםH8193Noun - fdPeaceשָׁל֨וֹם׀H7965Noun - masculine singularpeaceשָׁל֜וֹםH7965Noun - masculine singularto those farלָרָח֧וֹקH7350Preposition-l, Article | Adjective - masculine singularand nearוְלַקָּר֛וֹבH7138Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article | Adjective - masculine singularsaysאָמַ֥רH559Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularthe LORDיְהוָ֖הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularand I will heal themוּרְפָאתִֽיו׃H7495Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singular
Verse 20

Original words

But the wickedוְהָרְשָׁעִ֖יםH7563Conjunctive waw, Article | Adjective - masculine pluralare like the storm-tossedנִגְרָ֑שׁH1644Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singularseaכַּיָּ֣םH3220Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singularforכִּ֤יH3588Conjunctionit cannotלֹ֣אH3808Adverb - Negative particlebe stillהַשְׁקֵט֙H8252Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute. . .יוּכָ֔לH3201Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularand its wavesמֵימָ֖יוH4325Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singularchurn upוַיִּגְרְשׁ֥וּH1644Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralmireרֶ֥פֶשׁH7516Noun - masculine singularand muckוָטִֽיט׃H2916Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 21

Original words

There is noאֵ֣יןH369Adverbpeaceשָׁל֔וֹםH7965Noun - masculine singularsaysאָמַ֥רH559Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularmy Godאֱלֹהַ֖יH430Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singularfor the wickedלָרְשָׁעִֽים׃סH7563Preposition-l, Article | Adjective - masculine plural

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.