What is the meaning of Isaiah 57:20?

But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea

• Isaiah draws a vivid picture: the sea in a storm—roaring, restless, unpredictable.

• The comparison stresses moral character, not merely circumstances. The wicked are never at ease; their inner world mirrors the crashing waves.

• Scripture consistently uses nature’s turbulence to describe spiritual rebellion (Isaiah 17:12; Jude 1:13; Psalm 1:4).

• By opening with “But,” God contrasts the wicked with the repentant He had just invited to peace (Isaiah 57:15–19). The dividing line is not socioeconomic status or personality, but repentance versus obstinacy.

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for it cannot be still

• The inability to rest is inherent—“it cannot.” Just as the sea has no switch to turn off the tide, the unregenerate heart has no built-in peace.

• Isaiah brackets this passage with the solemn refrain “There is no peace…for the wicked” (Isaiah 48:22; 57:21). God is explaining why: their nature resists His order.

• Proverbs 4:16 highlights the same truth: “For they cannot sleep until they do evil.” Restlessness becomes relentless.

• In gracious contrast, the Lord invites, “Come to Me…and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Only a changed heart can enter that stillness.

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and its waves churn up mire and muck

• Stormy waves don’t merely splash water; they drag hidden sludge to the surface. Likewise, wickedness exposes corruption already within (Mark 7:21-23).

• Churning sea water clouds vision; sin clouds judgment. People in rebellion often blame circumstances, yet Scripture says the pollution comes from their own depths (James 1:14-15).

• The imagery of “mire” ties to 2 Peter 2:22, portraying those who return to their filth. Sin not only manifests but multiplies, spreading moral mud to everyone nearby.

• The verse therefore warns: persistent rebellion doesn’t stay private. It soils communities, families, and cultures, just as muddy surf fouls everything on the shoreline.

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summary

Isaiah 57:20 delivers a sober snapshot of the unrepentant heart: ceaselessly agitated, incapable of rest, and inevitably spewing out moral filth. Like a storm-tossed sea, the wicked possess no inner anchor; their very nature generates turmoil. Only God’s saving grace can calm that sea, replacing chaos with the peace promised to all who humble themselves and trust His Word.