What is the meaning of Isaiah 57:5? Who burn with lust among the oaks “Who burn with lust among the oaks” pictures a people whose passions are inflamed in the very places devoted to idolatry. In the ancient Near East, groves of large trees were common sites for pagan rites that mixed sensuality with worship. The verse exposes Israel’s eagerness to imitate those practices. • 2 Kings 16:4 notes that King Ahaz “sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree,” echoing Isaiah’s charge. • Jeremiah 3:6 recalls how Judah “went up on every high hill and under every green tree and there prostituted herself,” showing that God equates idol worship with spiritual adultery. The language is literal—real trees, real ceremonies—yet it also reveals a heart-level betrayal: allowing any desire to eclipse devotion to the LORD. Under every luxuriant tree The phrase widens the scene: idolatry was not an isolated slip but a lifestyle practiced “under every luxuriant tree”. By listing “every” tree, Isaiah stresses the pervasiveness of the sin. • Deuteronomy 12:2 commands Israel to “destroy completely all the high places on the mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree,” proving God had already warned against this. • Hosea 4:13 laments, “They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is pleasant.” Comfort and convenience, not covenant loyalty, drove their worship. The verse calls today’s reader to notice how easily a culture normalizes sin when it is repeated “everywhere,” and how quickly comfort can become a rival altar. Who slaughter your children in the valleys “Who slaughter your children in the valleys” confronts a horror: child sacrifice. In the Hinnom Valley and other low places, pagan deities like Molech demanded literal blood. • 2 Kings 17:17 reports, “They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire,” directly tying Israel’s practices to Isaiah’s accusation. • Leviticus 18:21 strictly forbids making children “pass through the fire to Molech,” proving that the people knowingly violated God’s explicit law. Sin escalates. What began as sensual worship in shady groves descends into the taking of innocent life. Scripture’s literal record stands as a sober warning: idolatry ultimately destroys the most vulnerable. Under the clefts of the rocks Finally, Isaiah says these deeds happen “under the clefts of the rocks”. Caves and rocky overhangs offered secrecy, hinting that the people knew their acts were shameful. • Ezekiel 8:12 exposes hidden idols: “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the darkness…? For they say, ‘The LORD does not see us.’ ” • Psalm 139:11–12 counters that thought: “Even the darkness is not dark to You.” God witnesses every hidden deed. By adding this location, Isaiah shows that trying to hide sin only multiplies guilt; nothing escapes divine sight. summary Isaiah 57:5 traces a tragic progression: passionate idolatry among inviting oaks, widespread practice under every green tree, culminating in child sacrifice in open valleys, all cloaked by secret rites beneath rocky shelters. The verse literally records Israel’s abandonment of God and reminds us that idolatry—any loyalty that rivals the LORD—warps desire, spreads unchecked, harms the innocent, and deceives itself into thinking it can hide. The call is clear: repent of every competing love and worship the one true God alone. |
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