Isaiah 57:1

1 The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.

Isaiah 57:1 in Other Translations

1 The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.

1 The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from calamity;

1 Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come.

1 Meanwhile, right-living people die and no one gives them a thought. God-fearing people are carted off and no one even notices. The right-living people are out of their misery, they're finally at rest.

1 The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil [to come].

1 Righteous people die, and no one cares. Loyal people are taken away, and no one understands. Righteous people are spared when evil comes.

1 The righteous one perishes, and no one takes it to heart; faithful men are swept away, with no one realizing that the righteous one is swept away from the presence of evil.

1 Those who are right with God die. And no one really cares about it. Men who are faithful to the LORD are swept away by trouble. And no one understands why that happens to those who do what is right.

Isaiah 57:1 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 57:1

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, ( Ecclesiastes 7:15 ) and so the Targum renders it,

``the righteous die.''

Or it may be rendered, "the righteous man is lost" ^F2; 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, ( Revelation 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, ( Psalms 12:1 ) : and merciful men are taken away;
or "gathered" ^F3; 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 ( 2 Kings 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 (dba qyduh) , (apwleto) , Sept.
F3 (Mypoan) "colliguntur", V. L. Munster, Piscator, Cocceius; "congregantur", Pagninus.

Isaiah 57:1 In-Context

1 The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.

2 Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.

3 “But you—come here, you children of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!

4 Who are you mocking? At whom do you sneer and stick out your tongue? Are you not a brood of rebels, the offspring of liars?

5 You burn with lust among the oaks and under every spreading tree; you sacrifice your children in the ravines and under the overhanging crags.

Cross References

• 1. S Psalms 12:1; Ezekiel 21:3
• 2. S Isaiah 42:25
• 3. S 2 Kings 22:20