Isaiah 57:4 Meaning: Are You Mocking God Without Realizing It?
Whom do you mock? Against whom do you make a wide mouth and stick out your tongue? Aren’t you children of disobedience and offspring of falsehood,
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,
Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and put out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,
Against whom do ye sport yourselves? Against whom enlarge ye the mouth? Prolong ye the tongue? Are not ye children of transgression? a false seed?
Against whom do ye sport yourselves? Against whom do ye make a wide mouth, [and] draw out the tongue? Are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,
Meaning in one sentence
Who does Isaiah 57:4 address? Contempt for God's people is contempt for God. A devotional about the heart behind ridicule and the call to humble repentance.
Context
Isaiah 57 sits in a section where God confronts the rebellion of His people. The chapter opens with the righteous dying and no one caring. Then God calls to those who have turned away, naming them sons of a sorceress, seed of an adulterer. This verse sharpens the question: whom are you mocking with your gestures and your taunts? The people had been scoffing at the prophets, the faithful messengers who warned them. But Isaiah forces them to see who stands behind those messengers. By verse 5 the chapter lists their idolatry, including child sacrifice under trees. This is not petty rudeness; it is a heart that has rejected God and now attacks anyone who speaks for Him. The question is meant to stop them cold and make them see the real target of their contempt.
Key Words
The Hebrew verb behind “mock” is ‘anag, which usually means to take delight or live softly. But here it twists that meaning: their idea of delight is making sport of God’s servants. The irony stings, they think they are enjoying themselves, but they are actually mocking the Holy One. The two gestures, “make a wide mouth” and “stick out your tongue”, come from the verbs rachav (make broad) and arakh (make long). These are not childish pranks; in the ancient world they were signs of open contempt, often used against captives or the weak. The people assume they are mocking mere men. But then the verse pulls back the curtain: “Aren’t you children of transgression, offspring of falsehood?” The words yeldei pesha (children of rebellion) and zera sheqer (seed of deception) name their true family. Their mockery is not just rude; it reveals what they are made of, a life bent against God and a heart that runs on lies.
How Christians Read This Verse
Commentators across traditions have read this verse as a warning against mistreating God’s messengers. Barnes (Protestant) says the people were making a sport of God and the institutions of religion. The Cambridge Bible for Schools (Anglican) notes that this kind of contempt was seen when the Samaritans mocked the Jews rebuilding Jerusalem. Gill (Baptist) applies it to the way later persecutors, including the Roman church in his view, scoff at true believers. Keil and Delitzsch (Lutheran) focus on the generation that continued the idolatry which led to exile. Whatever the specific referent, the common thread is clear: mockery aimed at God’s servants is, in the end, aimed at God Himself. The question forces us to ask who we think we are mocking.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is to think this verse is only about crude outward gestures, making faces or sticking out your tongue. People assume it addresses mere childish behavior. In fact, the deeper issue is the heart of rebellion that denies God’s authority. The words “children of transgression, offspring of falsehood” show that the mockery flows from a character that has chosen disobedience and deceit. It is not about manners; it is about whose side you are on.
Living This Out
This week, pay attention to your inner reaction when God’s word challenges a comfortable habit or belief. Do you find yourself making excuses, rolling your eyes, or dismissing the person who spoke it? That is a quieter form of the same mockery. The invitation is not to guilt, but to honesty. Ask yourself: Am I fighting against God here, or am I willing to listen? You can take that resistance to prayer and let Him soften it. The goal is not perfect behavior, but a heart that stops mocking and starts trusting.
Main takeaway: Mocking God's messengers is mocking God Himself, revealing a heart that needs humble repentance.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God sees when we make fun of others. He wants us to be kind and respectful, especially to people who tell us about Him. When we listen to them, we are listening to God.
For ages 9, 12
Sometimes we might be tempted to mock or sneer at someone who talks about God, maybe because we feel uncomfortable or think they are strange. But this verse reminds us that when we disrespect God's messengers, we are actually disrespecting God. He loves us and wants us to listen with an open heart, even when the message is hard to hear.
Questions People Ask
Who is being addressed in Isaiah 57:4?
The verse is part of God's indictment against the people of Israel who have rebelled against Him through idolatry and injustice. Specifically, they are called 'sons of a sorceress' and 'children of disobedience', a generation that mocks the prophets and the righteous.
What does it mean to 'make a wide mouth and stick out your tongue'?
These were gestures of contempt and mockery in ancient Near Eastern culture, often directed at someone seen as weak or foolish. Here, the people use them against God's servants, but the prophet Isaiah asks them to realize they are ultimately mocking the Almighty.
Does this verse apply to Christians today?
While originally addressed to Israel, the principle endures: when we treat God's word or His messengers with disdain, we are showing contempt for God Himself. The call is to examine our hearts and respond with humility.
What are 'children of disobedience and offspring of falsehood'?
These phrases describe the people's character: they are not just doing wrong deeds but embody rebellion ('transgression') and deceit ('falsehood'). It reveals their spiritual lineage, they are not walking in truth but in lies.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study