Isaiah 57:17 · Bible study
Isaiah 57:17 Commentary: Judgment, Backsliding, and the Promise of Healing
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why God's judgment on Israel's covetousness failed to produce repentance, and how this sets up His promise of healing and grace in the following verses.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God’s judgment for covetousness failed to reform Israel, leading to continued backsliding, which sets up the promise of healing in the following verses.
- Key words: betsa (unjust gain), shovav (apostate, backsliding), haster (hiding as a continuous action).
- Main debate: Whether betsa means “covetousness” (most interpreters) or “a little while” (Adam Clarke, citing the Septuagint).
- Theological theme: The failure of judgment to produce repentance highlights the necessity of God’s grace and healing intervention.
- Best use: As a diagnostic passage for when discipline seems ineffective, pointing to the hope of God’s mercy in Christ.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
I was enraged by his sinful greed, so I struck him and hid My face in anger; yet he kept turning back to the desires of his heart.
WEB World English Bible 2000
I was angry because of the iniquity of his covetousness and struck him. I hid myself and was angry; and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.
KJV King James Version 1769
For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him; I hid my face and was wroth; and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
For the iniquity of his dishonest gain, I have been wroth, and I smite him, Hiding--and am wroth, And he goeth on turning back in the way of his heart.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him; I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on backslidingly in the way of his heart.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
For the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry, and I struck him: I hid my face from thee, and was angry: and he went away wandering in his own heart.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Por la iniquidad de su codicia me enojé y heríle, escondí mi rostro y ensañéme; y fué él rebelde por el camino de su corazón.
Pela maldade de sua cobiça eu me indignei, e o feri; eu me escondi, e me indignei; porém ele se rebelou seguindo o caminho de seu coração.
A cause de son avidité coupable, je me suis irrité et je l’ ai frappé,
Ich war zornig über die Untugend ihres Geizes und schlug sie, verbarg mich und zürnte; da gingen sie hin und her im Wege ihres Herzens.
Ik was verbolgen over de ongerechtigheid hunner gierigheid, en sloeg hen; Ik verborg Mij, en was verbolgen; evenwel gingen zij afkerig henen in den weg huns harten.
Per la iniquità della sua cupidigia io mi sono adirato, e l’ho colpito; mi sono nascosto, mi sono indignato; ed egli ribelle, ha seguito la via del suo cuore.
Dla nieprawości łakomstwa jego rozgniewałem się, a uderzyłem go; ukryłem się, a rozgniewałem się, przeto, że odpornym będąc, poszedł drogą serca swego.
За грех корыстолюбия его Я гневался и поражал его, скрывал лице и негодовал; но он, отвратившись, пошел по пути своего сердца.
因他貪婪 的罪孽，我就發怒 擊打他；我向他掩面 發怒，他卻仍然隨 心 背 道。
I was quickly angry with his evil ways, and sent punishment on him, veiling my face in wrath: and he went on, turning his heart from me.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 57:17
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree this verse describes God’s response to Israel’s sin, particularly covetousness (the Hebrew betsa, unjust gain). God was angry, struck the people, and hid His face, a withdrawal of His gracious presence. Yet the punishment did not produce repentance. The people “went on backsliding in the way of his heart” (שובב, shovav, turning away). Barnes observes that when God withdraws, “such is their tendency to depravity, they will wander away from him.” Keil and Delitzsch note that the punishment produced effects “so different from those intended, that the compassion of God feels impelled to put an end to the punishment.” Lange points out that the infinitive absolute הַסְתֵּר (haster, “hiding”) emphasizes the continuous nature of God’s action. The verse thus establishes both human stubbornness and the failure of judgment alone to reform, a problem that the following verses answer with God’s healing mercy.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Most commentators: Reads <em>betsa</em> as covetousness/unjust gain; understands the verse as describing God’s judgment and the people’s persistent sin, with no cause-effect relationship between punishment and backsliding (Cambridge).
- Adam Clarke (and Septuagint): Reads <em>betsa</em> as 'a little while,' suggesting God’s anger was temporary; the smiting and hiding were not prolonged, yet the people still strayed.
What is clear: God was angry at sin, struck the people, hid His face, and they continued in their own sinful ways.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of bets in Isaiah 57:17 | The Hebrew word refers to something cut off, usually gain or profit. | Most commentators (Barnes, Cambridge, JFB, Keil) read it as 'covetousness' or 'unjust gain.' Adam Clarke argues for 'a little while' (based on the Septuagint's βραχύ τι), meaning God's anger was temporary. |
| Identity of the people described | The verse addresses the nation of Israel, specifically those guilty of greed. | The Cambridge Bible sees the description of covetousness as pointing to post-exilic Jews (Nehemiah 5, Malachi). Others, like Matthew Henry, apply it to pre-exilic Israel, noting the sin in Jeremiah 6:13. |
| Result of God's judgment | The people continued in sinful ways after being punished. | Barnes says the punishment caused further backsliding: 'if God withdraws, they will wander away.' The Cambridge Bible argues the verse simply describes the ongoing sinful life that prompted the judgment, not a direct causal consequence. |
| Nature of God's hiding | God hides His face as an expression of anger and judgment. | Some see it as punitive withdrawal (Barnes: 'withdrew the evidences of his presence'), while others understand it as a disciplinary measure meant to lead to repentance (Keil & Delitzsch note the compassion that eventually ends the punishment). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah 57:17 belongs to a larger oracle (56:9, 57:21) rebuking Israel’s leaders and people for their sins. The term “covetousness” (betsa) appears earlier in 56:11, where the watchdogs (shepherds) are “greedy” and “each one to his gain.” The verb “hid my face” echoes earlier passages like Isaiah 8:17 (“I will wait for Yahweh, who hides his face from the house of Jacob”) and 45:15 (“a God who has hidden yourself”). The judgment likely refers to the Babylonian exile, a national catastrophe meant to discipline God’s people.
Yet the historical reality was that exile did not automatically reform the people. The Cambridge Bible notes that the mention of covetousness as a typical sin “affords some support to the theory that the post-exilic Jews are referred to,” citing Haggai 1:2, Malachi 1:8, 13, 14, and Nehemiah 5, passages that show a sordid, avaricious spirit among the returned exiles. At the same time, Jeremiah 6:13 shows the same sin before the exile. The verse captures a recurring pattern: judgment came, but the people persisted in following the “way of his heart.” This historical context highlights the depth of human sin and sets the stage for the surprising turn to grace in verses 18, 19, where God says, “I have seen his ways, and will heal him.”
Textual Notes
The supplied sources mention one significant textual issue: Adam Clarke proposes reading בֶּצַע (betsa) as “a little while” rather than “covetousness,” citing the Septuagint’s βραχύ τι. However, the Masoretic Text and most versions support the reading “covetousness” or “unjust gain.” The construction הַסְתֵּר … וְאֶקְצֹף (infinitive absolute followed by finite verb) emphasizes the continuous, settled nature of God’s hiding in anger. No other significant textual variants are noted in the consulted sources.
Reception History
This verse has been read across church history as a sobering testimony to the hardness of the human heart under divine discipline. Reformation-era commentators such as Matthew Henry focused on covetousness as a root of idolatry, warning that judgment alone does not reform. Modern interpreters often pair verse 17 with the following promise of healing (vv. 18, 19) to show that God’s final word is grace. The verse has also been used in lectionaries during seasons of Lent and repentance, highlighting the tension between God’s righteous anger and His compassionate mercy. In none of these traditions is the verse treated as an isolated threat; it is always read within the movement toward restoration.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Cause of Divine Wrath: Covetousness. God is angry because of “the iniquity of his covetousness.” The Hebrew betsa points to greed for unjust gain, a sin that replaces trust in God with love of possessions. This sin is not merely individual but characterizes the whole community.
- The Nature of Divine Judgment: Smiting and Hiding. God’s response is twofold: He strikes the people in judgment, and He hides His face, withdrawing the evidence of His presence and favor. This hiding is not capricious but a just consequence of their rebellion.
- The Tragic Human Response: Continued Backsliding. Instead of repenting, the people “went on backsliding in the way of his heart.” The participle shovav suggests persistent turning away. Judgment alone does not change the human heart; it can even harden it.
Five-point outline
- The Sin: Covetousness as Spiritual Idolatry. The people’s greedy pursuit of gain reveals a heart turned from God to self.
- The Wrath: God’s Righteous Anger. God is personally offended; His anger is not arbitrary but a holy response to covenant unfaithfulness.
- The Judgment: Smiting and Hiding. Both active punishment and passive withdrawal of God’s presence constitute judgment.
- The Failure of Discipline: Backsliding. The punishment does not produce repentance; the people go their own way, showing that external measures cannot change the heart.
- The Turn to Mercy: God’s Healing Promise. This verse sets up the contrast with verses 18, 19, where God says, “I have seen his ways, and will heal him.” Judgment is not God’s final word.
Illustration hooks
- A parent disciplines a child for lying, but the child only becomes more skilled at deception. The punishment reveals the depth of the problem, not its solution.
- Someone receives a serious health diagnosis linked to lifestyle choices, yet continues the same habits. The consequence alone does not bring change.
- A marriage strained by financial infidelity: the exposed spouse is confronted, but feels distant and withdraws further instead of repenting. The offense deepens the separation.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does my sin sometimes persist even after I face consequences?
- How can I know whether God has hidden His face from me, and what should I do about it?
- What hope is there when my best efforts at change fail?
Leading a Discussion
Isaiah 57:17 shows a painful pattern: God’s discipline does not always produce immediate repentance. This verse and its surrounding context invite us to reflect on our own stubbornness and the surprising grace that follows when God decides to heal rather than continue in judgment.
Discussion questions
- What does this verse tell you about God’s character, His anger, His actions, and His hiding?
- What does the phrase “the way of his heart” reveal about human nature, especially in response to punishment?
- How does the people’s reaction to judgment mirror patterns you have seen in your own life or community?
- Read verses 18, 19 alongside verse 17. What changes between the two passages, and what does that show about God’s ultimate intention?
- Why might punishment sometimes harden people rather than reform them? What does that say about the limits of external discipline?
- How does this passage challenge the idea that suffering always leads to repentance?
- Where do you see evidence of God’s “healing” in your life or church, even when past discipline seemed to fail?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Ecclesiastes 6:9 | Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind. |
| Isaiah 1:4 | Ah sinful nation, a people loaded with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken Yahweh. They have despised the Holy One of Israel. They are estranged and backward. |
| Isaiah 5:8 | Woe to those who join house to house, who lay field to field, until there is no room, and you are made to dwell alone in the middle of the land! |
| Isaiah 5:9 | In my ears, Yahweh of Armies says: “Surely many houses will be desolate, even great and beautiful, unoccupied. |
| Isaiah 8:17 | I will wait for Yahweh, who hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. |
| Isaiah 9:13 | Yet the people have not turned to him who struck them, neither have they sought Yahweh of Armies. |
| Isaiah 45:15 | Most certainly you are a God who has hidden yourself, God of Israel, the Savior.’” |
| Isaiah 56:11 | Yes, the dogs are greedy. They can never have enough. They are shepherds who can’t understand. They have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every quarter. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues the common rendering “for the iniquity of his covetousness” is mistaken. He reads the Hebrew word as meaning “a little while,” based on the Septuagint. The verse should say God was angry for a short time, not because of greed.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the Hebrew word for covetousness here means violent plunder and unjust gain, not mere greed. He identifies this sin of avarice, especially in bribing judges, as a key reason God withdrew His presence from Israel, which only caused them to sink deeper into sin when left to themselves.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentator highlights the prophet's sudden shift from a menacing tone to gracious language toward a repentant people. They also note that "covetousness" is singled out as the community's characteristic sin, supporting the view that the addressed audience consists of post-exilic Jews, distinct from those guilty of more heinous offenses earlier in the chapter.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes observe that even after God struck the man for his wicked covetousness and hid His face in anger, the man still refused to turn back. Instead of repenting, he stubbornly followed the way of his own heart. God's judgment did not produce the intended change.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill applies this verse directly to preachers and teachers in the Reformed churches. Their greed for money, high positions, and worldly gain has provoked God’s anger and caused Him to withdraw His presence, yet they remain stubborn and unresponsive to correction.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB identifies covetousness as a form of idolatry that causes God to hide His face from Israel. When God withdraws, the people respond not by repentance but by persisting in stubbornness — a direct chain from sin to divine hiddenness to hardened resistance.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch identifies Israel's root sin as selfish greed, a worldly self-seeking that provokes God to hide His face in anger. Yet the same God sees the resulting wanderings, and out of pity He resolves to heal, lead, and comfort those whom punishment has brought to repentance.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry notes that God's anger against Israel was provoked specifically by their covetousness, which he calls a spiritual idolatry worthy of divine smiting. Yet God sees the ways of the penitent and promises healing, leading, and restoring comforts to them. The wicked, in contrast, are like the restless sea, which has no peace.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley identifies covetousness as the core sin that sums up all the offenses for which God contended with the Jews. Even after God acted against them, they did not change; instead, they persisted and grew worse in their trespasses.