Isaiah 57:10 kjv
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.
Isaiah 57:10 nkjv
You are wearied in the length of your way; Yet you did not say, 'There is no hope.' You have found the life of your hand; Therefore you were not grieved.
Isaiah 57:10 niv
You wearied yourself by such going about, but you would not say, 'It is hopeless.' You found renewal of your strength, and so you did not faint.
Isaiah 57:10 esv
You were wearied with the length of your way, but you did not say, "It is hopeless"; you found new life for your strength, and so you were not faint.
Isaiah 57:10 nlt
You grew weary in your search,
but you never gave up.
Desire gave you renewed strength,
and you did not grow weary.
Isaiah 57 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 57:10 | "You tired yourself out by many counsels; yet your counsel, and not theirs, would not suffice." | Exhaustion in seeking idols (Jer 2:8) |
| Isa 57:10 | "you multiplied your paths, and when you had multiplied them, you said, ‘I will go to my lovers.’ but you went no further" | Rejection of God's ways for sinful pursuits (Prov 14:12) |
| Isa 57:10 | "and where is the way of the widow? you looked for comfort in a mighty king." | Seeking earthly security over God (Ps 146:3) |
| Isa 57:10 | "and where is the way of the widow? you looked for comfort in a mighty king." | Inadequate reliance on human leaders (Jer 17:5) |
| Isa 57:11 | "Whom have you feared and lied against, and forgotten me, says the Lord GOD." | Forgetfulness of God leading to sin (Ps 50:22) |
| Isa 57:12 | "I will tell of your righteousness and your works, and they will not profit you." | The futility of self-righteousness (Rom 9:30-32) |
| Jer 2:13 | "For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, which are broken cisterns that can hold no water." | Parallel imagery of forsaking God for inadequate sources (Isa 44:3) |
| Jer 17:5 | "Thus says the Lord: Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm, whose heart turns away from the Lord." | Warning against trusting in human strength (Ps 118:8) |
| Ezek 16:33 | "but because you gave money to all your lovers and paid your hire for them, that you might come to them from every side in your whoredom." | Idolatry described as spiritual whoredom (Hos 2:5) |
| Mic 3:4 | "Then they will cry to the Lord, but he will not answer them; he will hide his face from them at that time, because they have made their deeds evil." | God withholding response due to sin (Lam 3:44) |
| Gal 5:4 | "You are severed from Christ, you who are trying to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace." | Falling away from divine sufficiency (Heb 12:15) |
| Rom 10:2-3 | "For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness." | Zeal for works without seeking God’s righteousness (John 16:2) |
| 2 Chr 16:12 | "and Asa was lame in his feet in the thirty-ninth year of his reign." | Physical consequence of misplaced trust (Prov 22:27) |
| Ps 106:35-36 | "They mingled with the nations and learned their ways, and served their idols, which became a snare to them." | Being ensnared by following heathen practices (Ps 32:10) |
| Hab 2:18 | "What is the profit of an idol? For the craftsman has fashioned it. It is a forged image, a teacher of lies, although the maker trusts in his own creation to make mute idols." | The worthlessness of idols and human reliance (Isa 44:9-10) |
| Isa 40:31 | "but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." | The contrasting way to gain strength through God (Ps 28:7) |
| John 15:5 | "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." | Absolute dependence on Christ for fruitfulness (Col 1:17) |
| 2 Pet 3:17 | "You therefore, beloved, seeing you already know these things, be on your guard lest you also fall from your own stability." | Warning against straying from truth and stability (Jude 1:20) |
Isaiah 57 verses
Isaiah 57 10 Meaning
This verse describes Judah's persistent pursuit of false gods and their alliances, leading to exhaustion and spiritual barrenness. It highlights their deep-seated sinfulness and their futile efforts to find strength and revival through pagan practices rather than through God.
Isaiah 57 10 Context
Chapter 57 of Isaiah continues the prophet’s condemnation of Judah's spiritual adultery, specifically their syncretistic worship that blended Yahweh worship with pagan practices and their reliance on foreign alliances. This verse serves as a stark portrayal of the spiritual and moral bankruptcy resulting from this unfaithfulness. Historically, this refers to the period when Judah was caught between powerful empires like Assyria and Babylon, resorting to political and religious compromises to ensure its survival, a strategy that ultimately failed. The prophecy is aimed at a people who, despite covenant relationship with God, sought strength and security in earthly means, forgetting their sole dependence on the Lord.
Isaiah 57 10 Word Analysis
- "You tired":
- Hebrew: ‘et–ya‘ath (from ‘atah) - to grow weary, faint.
- Significance: Indicates extreme exhaustion and depletion of resources, portraying their efforts as draining and futile.
- "yourself":
- Hebrew: nephesh - soul, life, self.
- Significance: Emphasizes that the weariness was an internal, deep-seated state of their whole being.
- "out":
- Hebrew: bemerubah - in abundance, exceedingly.
- Significance: Highlights the excessive nature of their efforts.
- "by many counsels":
- Hebrew: *‘at–su Psyche's self-reliance vs. divine intervention; finding true rest.
Isaiah 57 10 Word analysis
- ‘et–ya‘ath (tired): The Hebrew verb signifies extreme weariness, not just physical tiredness but a deep depletion of energy and resources. This emphasizes the futility of their endeavors.
- nephesh (yourself): Refers to the "soul" or "life" or "self," indicating that the weariness was not superficial but affected their entire being.
- bemerubah (out...by many): Literally "in greatness" or "in abundance," highlighting the excessive and widespread nature of their actions.
- ‘at–suth (counsels): This word relates to plans, decisions, and advice. Judah actively sought out and relied upon numerous human strategies and alliances.
- “yet your counsel, and not theirs, would not suffice”: This is a strong contrast. The prophet asserts that even their own counsels, which they relied on so heavily, were ultimately insufficient, let alone the counsels of others (likely foreign powers or idols). The pronoun "theirs" likely refers to the false gods or the nations with whom they made alliances.
- "you multiplied your paths": Implies deviation from God’s straight path, venturing onto many errant routes and seeking diverse ways to achieve their goals outside of divine guidance.
- "said, ‘I will go to my lovers’": This metaphorically speaks of their pursuit of foreign nations and idolatrous practices, portraying their relationships as adulterous departures from their covenant with God.
- "but you went no further": This phrase suggests a cessation or failure in their progress despite their efforts, highlighting the inherent emptiness and lack of fulfillment in their chosen paths.
- "and where is the way of the widow?": This rhetorical question implies that their desperate attempts to find relief and protection, like a widow who has lost her protector, were in vain.
- "you looked for comfort in a mighty king": Refers to seeking security and help from powerful human rulers or alliances, contrasting this with the true comfort and security available from God.
- Word Group: "You tired yourself out by many counsels; yet your counsel, and not theirs, would not suffice.": This phrase encapsulates the core of Judah's problem: their self-sufficiency and misplaced reliance. They exhausted themselves with a multitude of strategies and alliances (counsels), believing they could manage their own salvation and security, yet even their best plans proved inadequate because they omitted the divine counsel and relied on their own, and even more so the inadequate "counsels" of others. This reflects a spiritual exhaustion born from a lack of faith in God’s provision and sufficiency.
- Word Group: "you multiplied your paths, and when you had multiplied them, you said, ‘I will go to my lovers.’ but you went no further": This illustrates a cycle of futile wandering. Judah actively sought multiple avenues (paths), driven by their desire for illicit "lovers" (false gods, foreign powers), but their pursuit led nowhere and yielded no lasting results or satisfaction. Their intensified efforts led only to greater frustration and barrenness.
Isaiah 57 10 Bonus Section
The imagery of Judah "multiplying their paths" and going to their "lovers" is reminiscent of a persistent adulterer whose illicit relationships drain their vitality and offer no lasting satisfaction. This concept of spiritual whoredom is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, highlighting the breach of covenant as a profound betrayal. The comparison to a widow searching for comfort further emphasizes the vulnerability and desperation that arise when one turns away from God, the ultimate provider and protector. This verse underscores that even the most strenuous human efforts, devoid of God's grace and guidance, are ultimately unproductive and lead to a deep spiritual exhaustion.
Isaiah 57 10 Commentary
Isaiah 57:10 is a powerful indictment of Judah's persistent self-reliance and spiritual unfaithfulness. The people were exhausted from their frantic efforts to secure their own future through a variety of political alliances and syncretistic religious practices. They sought human wisdom and strength, believing their own strategies, or those of the nations around them, would be sufficient for their salvation. However, the verse starkly reveals the bankruptcy of such approaches. God, the true source of life and strength, was forsaken. Their "lovers" – idols, pagan rituals, and foreign alliances – offered no true comfort or enduring security. This verse serves as a timeless reminder that true strength, guidance, and fulfillment are found only in a dependent relationship with God, not in human endeavors or false saviors.