Isaiah 57:7
Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.
Original Language Analysis
עַ֤ל
H5921
עַ֤ל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
1 of 11
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
הַר
mountain
H2022
הַר
mountain
Strong's:
H2022
Word #:
2 of 11
a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)
וְנִשָּׂ֔א
and high
H5375
וְנִשָּׂ֔א
and high
Strong's:
H5375
Word #:
4 of 11
to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative
שַׂ֖מְתְּ
hast thou set
H7760
שַׂ֖מְתְּ
hast thou set
Strong's:
H7760
Word #:
5 of 11
to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)
מִשְׁכָּבֵ֑ךְ
thy bed
H4904
מִשְׁכָּבֵ֑ךְ
thy bed
Strong's:
H4904
Word #:
6 of 11
a bed (figuratively, a bier); abstractly, sleep; by euphemism, carnal intercourse
גַּם
H1571
גַּם
Strong's:
H1571
Word #:
7 of 11
properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...and
שָׁ֥ם
H8033
עָלִ֖ית
even thither wentest thou up
H5927
עָלִ֖ית
even thither wentest thou up
Strong's:
H5927
Word #:
9 of 11
to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative
Cross References
Ezekiel 23:41And satest upon a stately bed, and a table prepared before it, whereupon thou hast set mine incense and mine oil.Ezekiel 16:16And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so.Jeremiah 2:20For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot.
Historical Context
High place worship was deeply embedded in Canaanite religion and persisted in Israel despite repeated reforms (1 Kings 3:2, 14:23, 2 Kings 17:9-11). Even some godly kings failed to remove the high places (1 Kings 15:14, 22:43). These elevated sites, often featuring stone pillars, wooden poles (Asherim), and altars, were places where worshipers believed they could encounter deity. The sexual language accurately describes the sacred prostitution and ritual immorality practiced at these sites, practices that violated Yahweh's holiness and covenant stipulations.
Questions for Reflection
- How do believers today create 'high places' where they pursue false sources of spiritual fulfillment?
- What does this passage teach about the seriousness of spiritual compromise?
- How does Christ's faithful obedience contrast with Israel's covenant unfaithfulness?
Analysis & Commentary
The imagery shifts to a "lofty and high mountain" where Israel "set thy bed"—continuing the metaphor of spiritual adultery. High places (bamot) were traditional sites for pagan worship throughout Canaan, places where people believed deities dwelt and could be accessed. The bed symbolizes both the marriage covenant (which Israel violated) and the literal sexual acts accompanying fertility cult rituals. "Going up" to offer sacrifice mimics the language of legitimate worship at the temple ("going up to Jerusalem"), but here it's a grotesque perversion. This verse employs the prophetic technique of describing idolatry through sexual imagery (Ezekiel 16, 23), emphasizing that covenant unfaithfulness is spiritual harlotry. Reformed theology sees this as illustrating humanity's natural inclination toward false worship rather than true devotion to God—what Calvin called the human heart as a "factory of idols." The irony is sharp: they ascend physical heights while descending morally and spiritually.