Isaiah 57 · Verse 9

Isaiah 57:9

And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.
Isaiah 57:9, King James Version

Isaiah 57:9 in other translations

BSBYou went to Molech with oil and multiplied your perfumes. You have sent your envoys a great distance; you have descended even to Sheol itself.
WEBYou went to the king with oil, increased your perfumes, sent your ambassadors far off, and degraded yourself even to Sheol.
ASVAnd thou wentest to the king with oil, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thine ambassadors far off, and didst debase thyself even unto Sheol.
YLTAnd goest joyfully to the king in ointment, And dost multiply thy perfumes, And sendest thine ambassadors afar off, And humblest thyself unto Sheol.
DARBYAnd thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst multiply thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers afar off, and didst debase thyself unto Sheol.
BBEAnd you went to Melech with oil and much perfume, and you sent your representatives far off, and went as low as the underworld.
WebsterAnd thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even to hell.

What does Isaiah 57:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
9. the king--the idol which they came to worship, perfumed with oil, like harlots (Jr 4:30; Eze 23:16, 40). So "king" means idol (Am 5:26; Zep 1:5); (malcham meaning "king") [Rosenmuller]. Rather, the king of Assyria or Egypt, and other foreign princes, on whom Israel relied, instead of on God; the "ointment" will thus refer to the presents (Ho 12:1), and perhaps the compliances with foreigners' idolatries, whereby Israel sought to gain their favor [Lowth] (Is 30:6; Eze 16:33; 23:16; Ho 7:11). send ... messengers far off--not merely to neighboring nations, but to those "far off," in search of new idols, or else alliances. even unto hell--the lowest possible degradation.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 9 And thou wentest to the king with ointment "And thou hast visited the king with a present of oil" - That is, the king of Assyria, or Egypt. Hosea, chap, Hos 12:1, reproaches the Israelites for the same practice: - "They make a covenant with Assyria, And oil is carried to Egypt." It is well known, that in all parts of the east, whoever visits a great person must carry him a present. "It is counted uncivil," says Maundreg, p. 26, "to visit in this country without an offering in hand. All great men expect it as a tribute due to their character and authority; and look upon themselves as affronted, and indeed defrauded, when the compliment is omitted." Hence שור shur, to visit a person, is equivalent to making him a present; and תשורה teshurah signifies a present made on such occasions; as our translators have rightly rendered it, 1Sam 9:7; on which Jarchi says Menachem exponit תשורה teshurah, quod significat oblationem sive manus, ut aliquis aspiciat faciem regis, aut alicuius magnatis. "Menachem expounds תשורה teshurah of an offering or gift which is presented in order to be admitted into the presence of the king or some great man."

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 57:9 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.

וַתָּשֻׁ֤רִיva.ta.Shu.riand you journeyedH7788
לַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙la.Me.lekhto the kingH4428
בַּשֶּׁ֔מֶןba.She.menwith <the> oilH8081
וַתַּרְבִּ֖יva.tar.Biand you increasedH7235
רִקֻּחָ֑יִךְri.ku.Cha.yikhperfumes yourH7547
וַתְּשַׁלְּחִ֤יva.te.sha.le.Chiand you sentH7971
צִרַ֙יךְ֙tzi.Raikhenvoys yourH6735
עַד\־'ad-toH5704
מֵ֣רָחֹ֔קme.ra.Chokfrom a distanceH7350
וַתַּשְׁפִּ֖ילִיva.tash.Pi.liand you showed abasementH8213
עַד\־'ad-toH5704
שְׁאֽוֹל\׃she.'olSheolH7585

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

Cross references for Isaiah 57:9

  • Ezekiel 23:16

    And as soon as she saw them with her eyes, she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea.

  • Isaiah 30:1-6

    Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion. For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes. …

  • Ezekiel 23:40

    And furthermore, that ye have sent for men to come from far, unto whom a messenger was sent; and, lo, they came: for whom thou didst wash thyself, paintedst thy eyes, and deckedst thyself with ornaments,

  • Isaiah 31:1-3

    Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord! Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity. Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.

  • Colossians 2:18

    Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

  • Ezekiel 16:33

    They give gifts to all whores: but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hirest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredom.

  • Isaiah 2:9

    And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.

  • Hosea 7:11

    Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

  • Proverbs 7:17

    I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

  • 2 Kings 16:7-11

    So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath–pileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me. And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria. And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin. And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath–pileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof. …

  • Hosea 12:1

    Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
thou wentest to the king. or, thou respectedst the king.
30:1-6; 31:1-3; 2Ki 16:7-11; Eze 16:33; 23:16; Ho 7:11; 12:1
perfumes.
Pr 7:17
and didst debase.
2:9; Col 2:18

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

Context

  • Isaiah 57:8

    Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it.

  • Isaiah 57:9

    And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.

  • Isaiah 57:10

    Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved.

Read all of Isaiah 57

Isaiah 57:9 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y fuiste al rey con ungüento, y multiplicaste tus perfumes, y enviaste tus embajadores lejos, y te abatiste hasta el profundo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et tu t’es rendue auprès du roi avec de l’huile, et tu as multiplié tes parfums; et tu as envoyé tes messagers au loin, et tu t’es dégradée jusque dans le shéol.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und du zogest mit Öl zu dem König und machtest viel deiner wohlriechenden Salben; und du sandtest deine Boten in die Ferne und erniedrigtest dich bis zum Scheol.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et ornasti te regi unguento, et multiplicasti pigmenta tua. Misisti legatos tuos procul, et humiliata es usque ad inferos.