Isaiah 57 · Verse 3

Isaiah 57:3

But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.
Isaiah 57:3, King James Version

Isaiah 57:3 in other translations

BSB“But come here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!
WEB“But draw near here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes.
ASVBut draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the harlot.
YLTAnd ye, come near hither, O sons of a sorceress, seed of an adulterer, Even thou dost commit whoredom.
DARBYBut draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the harlot.
BBEBut come near, you sons of her who is wise in secret arts, the seed of her who is false to her husband, and of the loose woman.
WebsterBut draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the lewd.

What does Isaiah 57:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. But ... ye--In contrast to "the righteous" and their end, he announces to the unbelieving Jews their doom. sons of the sorceress--that is, ye that are addicted to sorcery: this was connected with the worship of false gods (2Ki 21:6). No insult is greater to an Oriental than any slur cast on his mother (1Sa 20:30; Job 30:8). seed of the adulterer--Spiritual adultery is meant: idolatry and apostasy (Mt 16:4).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 57:3-12
The Lord here calls apostates and hypocrites to appear before him. When reproved for their sins, and threatened with judgments, they ridiculed the word of God. The Jews were guilty of idolatry before the captivity; but not after that affliction. Their zeal in the worship of false gods, may shame our indifference in the worship of the true God. The service of sin is disgraceful slavery; those who thus debase themselves to hell, will justly have their portion there. Men incline to a religion that inflames their unholy passions. They are led to do any evil, however great or vile, if they think it will atone for crimes, or purchase indulgence for some favourite lust. This explains idolatry, whether pagan, Jewish, or antichristian. But those who set up anything instead of God, for their hope and confidence, never will come to a right end. Those who forsake the only right way, wander in a thousand by-paths. The pleasures of sin soon tire, but never satisfy. Those who care not for the word of God and his providences, show they have no fear of God. Sin profits not; it ruins and destroys.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Isaiah 57:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְאַתֶּ֥םve.'a.Temand youH859
קִרְבוּ\־kir.vu-draw nearH7126
הֵ֖נָּהHe.nahhitherH2008
בְּנֵ֣יbe.NeiO children ofH1121
עֹנְנָ֑ה'o.ne.Naha soothsayerH6049
זֶ֥רַעZe.ra'offspringH2233
מְנָאֵ֖ףme.na.'EfadulterousH5003
וַתִּזְנֶֽה\׃va.tiz.Nehand she has played [the] prostituteH2181

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 57:3

  • Matthew 16:4

    A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

  • 1 John 3:10

    In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

  • James 4:4

    Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

  • Hosea 1:2

    The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea. And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord.

  • Revelation 17:1-5

    And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: …

  • Matthew 23:33

    Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

  • Luke 3:7

    Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

  • Isaiah 45:20

    Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.

  • Matthew 12:34

    O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

  • John 8:40-44

    But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. …

  • Isaiah 1:21

    How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

  • Joel 3:9-11

    Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
draw.
45:20; Joe 3:9-11
sons.
Ge 3:15; Ho 1:2; Mt 3:7; 12:34; 16:4; 23:33; Lu 3:7; Joh 8:40-44
Jas 4:4; 1Jo 3:10; Re 17:1-5

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Isaiah 57:2

    He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.

  • Isaiah 57:3

    But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.

  • Isaiah 57:4

    Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,

Read all of Isaiah 57

Isaiah 57:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mas vosotros llegaos acá, hijos de la agorera, generación de adúltero y de fornicaria.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Mais vous, approchez ici, fils de la devineresse, semence de l’adultère et de la prostituée.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und ihr, nahet hierher, Kinder der Zauberin, Same des Ehebrechers und der Hure!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Vos autem accedite huc, filii auguratricis, semen adulteri et fornicariæ.