Isaiah 57 · Verse 6

Isaiah 57:6

Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these?

Isaiah 57:6, King James Version

Isaiah 57:6 in other translations

BSB	Your portion is among the smooth stones of the valley; indeed, they are your lot. Even to them you have poured out a drink offering and offered a grain offering. Should I relent because of these?
WEB	Among the smooth stones of the valley is your portion. They, they are your lot. You have even poured a drink offering to them. You have offered an offering. Shall I be appeased for these things?
ASV	Among the smooth stones of the valley is thy portion; they, they are thy lot; even to them hast thou poured a drink-offering, thou hast offered an oblation. Shall I be appeased for these things?
YLT	Among the smooth things of a brook is thy portion, They--they are thy lot, Also to them thou hast poured out an oblation, Thou hast caused a present to ascend, For these things am I comforted?
DARBY	Among the smooth stones of the torrent is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured out a drink-offering, thou hast offered an oblation. Shall I be comforted myself as to these things?
BBE	Among the smooth stones of the valley is your heritage; they, even they, are your part: even to them have you made a drink offering and a meal offering. Is it possible for such things to be overlooked by me?
Webster	Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink-offering, thou hast offered a meat-offering. Should I receive comfort in these?

What does Isaiah 57:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

6. The smooth stones, shaped as idols, are the gods chosen by thee as thy portion (Psa 16:5). meat offering--not a bloody sacrifice, but one of meal and flour mingled with oil. "Meat" in Old English meant food, not flesh, as it means now (Le 14:10). Should I receive comfort--rather, "Shall I bear these things with patience?" [Horsley].

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 6 Among the smooth stones of the stream "Among the smooth stones of the valley" - The Jews were extremely addicted to the practice of many superstitious and idolatrous rites, which the prophet here inveighs against with great vehemence. Of the worship of rude stones consecrated, there are many testimonials of the ancients. They were called βαιτυλοι and βαιτυλια· probably from the stone which Jacob erected at Beth-el, pouring oil upon the top of it. This practice was very common in different ages and places. Arnobius, lib. i., gives an account of his own practice in this respect before he became a Christian: Si quando conspexeram lubricatum lapidem, et ex olivi unguine sordidatum; tanquam inesset vis praesens, adulabar, affabar, et beneficia poscebam nihil sentiente de trunco. "When I have met with a smooth stone, smeared with oil, supposing a spiritual power to be connected with it, I worshipped it, paid my addresses to it, and requested blessings," etc. Clemens Alex., Strom. lib. vii., speaks of a worshipper of every smooth stone in a proverbial way, to denote one given up to superstition. And accordingly Theophrastus has marked this as one strong feature in the character of the superstitious man: Και των λιπαρων λιθων των εν ταις τριοδοις παριων, εκ της ληκυθου ελαιου καταχειν, και επι γονατα πεσων και προσκυνησας απαλλαττεσθαι. "Passing by the anointed stones in the streets, he takes out his phial of oil, and pours it on them; and having fallen on his knees, and made his adorations, he departs. "Kimchi says: "When they found a beautiful polished stone in a brook or river, they paid Divine adoration to it." This idolatry is still prevalent among the Hindoos. The stone which is the object of their adoration is called salgram. They are found about eighty miles from the source of the river Sown, in the viceroyalty of Bahar, on the coast of Bengal. Ayeen Akbery vol. 2 p. 29.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · 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…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 57:3-12 →

Isaiah 57:6 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.

בְּחַלְּקֵי\־be.cha.le.kei-[is] among [the] smooth [stones] ofH2511

נַ֣חַלNa.chal[the] wadiH5158

חֶלְקֵ֔ךְchel.Kekhportion yourH2506

הֵ֥םhemtheyH1992

הֵ֖םhemtheyH1992

גּוֹרָלֵ֑ךְgo.ra.Lekh[are] allotted portion yourH1486

גַּם\־gam-alsoH1571

לָהֶ֞םla.Hemto them

שָׁפַ֥כְתְּsha.Fakhtyou have poured outH8210

נֶ֙סֶךְ֙ne.sekha drink offeringH5262

הֶעֱלִ֣יתhe.'e.Lityou have offered upH5927

מִנְחָ֔הmin.Chaha grain offeringH4503

הַ֥עַלHa.'al¿ onH5921

אֵ֖לֶּה'E.lehthese [things]H428

אֶנָּחֵֽם\׃'e.na.Chemwill I relentH5162

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

Cross references for Isaiah 57:6

Jeremiah 3:9
And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
Jeremiah 7:18
The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
Habakkuk 2:19
Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.
Jeremiah 19:13
And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods.
Isaiah 66:3
He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.
Deuteronomy 32:37-38
And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted, Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? let them rise up and help you, and be your protection.
Jeremiah 32:29
And the Chaldeans, that fight against this city, shall come and set fire on this city, and burn it with the houses, upon whose roofs they have offered incense unto Baal, and poured out drink offerings unto other gods, to provoke me to anger.
Jeremiah 5:9
Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
Jeremiah 9:9
Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
Jeremiah 5:29
Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
Ezekiel 20:39
As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.
Isaiah 65:11
But ye are they that forsake the Lord, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

the smooth.
Jer 3:9; Hab 2:19
to them.
65:11; De 32:37,38; Jer 7:18; 19:13; 32:29; 44:17-25
Should.
66:3; Eze 20:39

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

Context

Isaiah 57:5
Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?
Isaiah 57:6
Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these?
Isaiah 57:7
Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.

Read all of Isaiah 57

Isaiah 57:6 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	En las pulimentadas piedras del valle está tu parte; ellas, ellas son tu suerte; y á ellas derramaste libación, y ofreciste presente. ¿No me tengo de vengar de estas cosas?
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Les pierres polies de la vallée sont ta part: elles, elles sont ton sort; à elles aussi tu as répandu une libation, tu as offert un gâteau. Me consolerais-je de ces choses?
German Elberfelder 1871	An den glatten Steinen des Talbaches war dein Teil; sie, sie waren dein Los; auch gossest du ihnen Trankopfer aus, opfertest ihnen Speisopfer. Sollte ich mich darüber trösten?
Latin Clementine Vulgate	In partibus torrentis pars tua; hæc est sors tua: et ipsis effudisti libamen, obtulisti sacrificium. Numquid super his non indignabor?