Isaiah 57

11. Israel wished not to seem altogether to have denied God. Therefore they "lied" to Him. God asks, Why dost thou do so? "Whom dost thou fear? Certainly not Me; for thou hast not remembered Me." Translate, "seeing that thou hast not remembered Me."
laid it to . . . heart--rather, "nor hast Me at heart"; hast no regard for Me; and that, because I have been long silent and have not punished thee. Literally, "Have I not held My peace, and that for long? and so thou fearest Me not" ( Psalms 50:21 , Ecclesiastes 8:11 ). It would be better openly to renounce God, than to "flatter Him" with lies of false professions ( Psalms 78:36 ) [LUDOVICUS DE DIEU]. However, Isaiah 51:12 Isaiah 51:13 favors English Version of the whole verse; God's "silent" long-suffering, which was intended to lead them to repentance, caused them "not to fear Him" ( Romans 2:4 Romans 2:5 ).

12. declare--I will expose publicly thy (hypocritical) righteousness. I will show openly how vain thy works, in having recourse to idols, or foreign alliances, shall prove ( Isaiah 57:3 ).

13. When thou criest--In the time of thy trouble.
companies--namely, of idols, collected by thee from every quarter; or else, of foreigners, summoned to thy aid.
wind . . . carry . . . away--( Job 21:18 , Matthew 7:27 ).
vanity--rather, "a breath" [LOWTH].
possess . . . land . . . inherit--that is, the literal land of Judea and Mount Zion; the believing remnant of Israel shall return and inherit the land. Secondarily, the heavenly inheritance, and the spiritual Zion ( Isaiah 49:8 , Psalms 37:9 Psalms 37:11 , Psalms 69:35 Psalms 69:36 , Matthew 5:5 , Hebrews 12:22 ). "He that putteth his trust in Me," of whatever extraction, shall succeed to the spiritual patrimony of the apostate Jew [HORSLEY].

14. shall say--The nominative is, "He that trusteth in Me" ( Isaiah 57:13 ). The believing remnant shall have every obstacle to their return cleared out of the way, at the coming restoration of Israel, the antitype to the return from Babylon ( Isaiah 35:8 , Isaiah 40:3 Isaiah 40:4 , Isaiah 62:10 Isaiah 62:11 ).
Cast . . . up--a high road before the returning Jews.
stumbling-block--Jesus had been so to the Jews, but will not be so then any longer ( 1 Corinthians 1:23 ); their prejudices shall then be taken out of the way.

15. The pride and self-righteousness of the Jews were the stumbling block in the way of their acknowledging Christ. The contrition of Israel in the last days shall be attended with God's interposition in their behalf. So their self-humiliation, in Isaiah 66:2 Isaiah 66:5 Isaiah 66:10 , &c., precedes their final prosperity ( Zechariah 12:6 Zechariah 12:10-14 ); there will, probably, be a previous period of unbelief even after their return ( Zechariah 12:8 Zechariah 12:9 ).

16. For--referring to the promise in Isaiah 57:14 Isaiah 57:15 , of restoring Israel when "contrite" ( Genesis 6:3 , 8:21 , Psalms 78:38 Psalms 78:39 , 85:5 , Psalms 103:9 Psalms 103:13 Psalms 103:14 , Micah 7:18 ). God "will not contend for ever" with His people, for their human spirit would thereby be utterly crushed, whereas God's object is to chasten, not to destroy them ( Lamentations 3:33 Lamentations 3:34 , Micah 7:8 Micah 7:9 ). With the ungodly He is "angry every day" ( Psalms 7:11 , Revelation 14:11 ).
spirit . . . before me--that is, the human spirit which went forth from Me ( Numbers 16:22 ), answering to "which I have made" in the parallel clause.

17. covetousness--akin to idolatry; and, like it, having drawn off Israel's heart from God ( Isaiah 2:7 , 56:11 , 58:3 , Jeremiah 6:13 , Colossians 3:5 ).
hid me--( Isaiah 8:17 , 45:15 ).
went on frowardly--the result of God's hiding His face ( Psalms 81:12 , Romans 1:24 Romans 1:26 ).

18. Rather, "I have seen his ways (in sin), yet will I heal him," that is, restore Israel spiritually and temporally ( Jeremiah 33:6 , 3:22 , Hosea 14:4 Hosea 14:5 ) [HORSLEY].
I will . . . restore comforts unto him and to his mourners--However, the phrase, "his mourners," favors English Version; "his ways" will thus be his ways of repentance; and God's pardon on "seeing" them answers to the like promise ( Isaiah 61:2 Isaiah 61:3 , Jeremiah 31:18 Jeremiah 31:20 ).

19. fruit of . . . lips--that is, thanksgivings which flow from the lips. I make men to return thanks to Me ( Hosea 14:2 , Hebrews 13:15 ).
Peace, peace--"perfect peace" (see Isaiah 26:3 , Margin; John 14:27 ). Primarily, the cessation of the trouble s now afflicting the Jews, as formerly, under the Babylonian exile. More generally, the peace which the Gospel proclaims both to Israel "that is near," and to the Gentiles who are "far off" ( Acts 2:39 , Ephesians 2:17 ).

20. when it cannot rest--rather, "for it can have no rest" ( Job 15:20 , &c. Proverbs 4:16 Proverbs 4:17 ). English Version represents the sea as occasionally agitated; but the Hebrew expresses that it can never be at rest.

21. ( Isaiah 48:22 , 2 Kings 9:22 ).
my God--The prophet, having God as his God, speaks in the person of Israel, prophetically regarded as having now appropriated God and His "peace" ( Isaiah 11:1-3 ), warning the impenitent that, while they continue so, they can have no peace.