Isaiah 57:5
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
Isaiah 57:5
5 Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?
Chapter Context
Isaiah 57 is a prophetic oracle chapter in the Old Testament that explores themes of sacrifice, salvation, obedience. Written during the Assyrian and pre-exilic periods (c. 740-680 BCE), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: Addressed Judah during Assyria's rise, Babylon's threat, and anticipated restoration.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-20: Central message and teachings
- Verses 21-21: Conclusion and application
This chapter is significant because it illustrates divine judgment and mercy in response to human actions. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within Isaiah and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
Isaiah 57:5
5 Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?
Analysis
This verse graphically depicts the two most heinous aspects of Canaanite idolatry: sexual immorality and child sacrifice. "Enflaming yourselves" (neechamim) carries sexual connotations, describing ritual orgies associated with fertility cult worship. The phrase "under every green tree" became a standard prophetic expression for idolatrous practices (Deuteronomy 12:2, Jeremiah 2:20, 3:6). Most horrifying is "slaying the children in the valleys"—a clear reference to child sacrifice, particularly the burning of children to Molech in the Valley of Hinnom (Jeremiah 7:31, 32:35). The Hebrew shochatei ("slaying") is the same word used for ritual animal sacrifice, indicating these murders were performed as religious acts. From a Reformed perspective, this demonstrates the ultimate depravity of unregenerate humanity: when people reject God's revelation, they descend into the most grotesque immorality, calling evil good and good evil. This also prefigures the innocent suffering of Christ, the true child given for sacrifice.
Historical Context
Archaeological excavations have uncovered evidence of child sacrifice in Canaanite culture, including burial jars containing infant remains at sites like Carthage (a Phoenician colony). The "green trees" were sacred groves associated with Asherah worship, the Canaanite mother goddess. The "valleys" specifically reference the Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna) south of Jerusalem, where apostate Israelite kings like Ahaz and Manasseh offered their own children to Molech (2 Kings 16:3, 21:6). These practices, which God utterly abhorred, had infiltrated Judah despite explicit Mosaic prohibitions (Leviticus 18:21, 20:2-5).
Reflection
- How does the sacrifice of children to false gods contrast with God's sacrifice of His own Son?
- What contemporary practices might parallel the ancient substitution of false religion for true worship?
- How does total depravity manifest when societies reject God's moral law?
Cross-References
- Parallel theme: Isaiah 1:29, Leviticus 18:21, 2 Kings 23:10, Jeremiah 2:20, 3:13, 7:31