Isaiah 57:21 kjv
There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
Isaiah 57:21 nkjv
"There is no peace," Says my God, "for the wicked."
Isaiah 57:21 niv
"There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked."
Isaiah 57:21 esv
There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked."
Isaiah 57:21 nlt
There is no peace for the wicked,"
says my God.
Isaiah 57 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 57:21 | "There is no peace," | The direct quote of the verse. |
| Psalm 34:14 | "Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." | A command to actively seek peace, implying the opposite is not peaceful. |
| Psalm 139:21 | "Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?" | Shows God's opposition to those who oppose Him. |
| Proverbs 1:32-33 | "For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them— but whoever listens to me will live in security and be at ease, without dread of disaster." | Contrasts the fate of the simple with those who listen to God, highlighting security and ease (peace). |
| Proverbs 3:17 | "Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace." | Wisdom's ways are characterized by peace. |
| Proverbs 4:22 | "For they are life to those who find them and health to all their flesh." | Refers to the healing and life-giving nature of God's ways. |
| Proverbs 12:20 | "Doers of evil are not firm in their foundation, but the righteous are ever moving." | Suggests instability for evildoers, contrasting with the righteous. |
| Proverbs 16:7 | "When the ways of man please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him." | God grants peace, even with enemies, when one pleases Him. |
| Proverbs 28:13 | "Whoever conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them obtains mercy." | Prosperity and peace are linked to confession and forsaking sin. |
| Jeremiah 6:14 | "They dress the wound of my people as though it were insignificant. “Peace, peace,” they say, when there is no peace." | A parallel warning against false pronouncements of peace. |
| Jeremiah 9:1 | "Oh, that my head were water and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of my people!" | Expresses sorrow for destruction where there is no peace. |
| Jeremiah 12:1 | "You are always righteous, Lord, when I bring a case before you. Yet I want to argue the justice of your ways with you. Why do the ways of the wicked prosper? Why have all the faithless been so successful?" | Addresses the seeming prosperity of the wicked, echoing the theme of lack of true peace. |
| Jeremiah 14:13 | "But I said, “Ah, Sovereign LORD, the prophets are telling them, ‘You will not see the sword or experience famine. I will give you lasting peace in this place.’”" | Again, a critique of false prophets promising peace. |
| Jeremiah 17:13 | "LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water." | Forsaking God leads to shame and a loss of the "spring of living water," symbolizing sustenance and peace. |
| Ezekiel 13:10 | "“Because they have led my people astray, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace..." | Similar to Jeremiah, condemning false pronouncements of peace by prophets. |
| Ezekiel 13:22 | "Because, by false assurances, they have disheartened the righteous and encouraged the wicked, and have thus weakened the hands of my people..." | Links false assurances of peace to enabling the wicked. |
| Luke 1:79 | "to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the path of peace." | Jesus' mission includes guiding people into the path of peace. |
| Acts 10:36 | "You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all." | Jesus is the bringer of peace. |
| Romans 3:17 | "and the path of peace they have not known." | Paul quotes Isaiah 59:7 to describe humanity's general condition apart from Christ. |
| Romans 8:6 | "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." | Contrasts a fleshly mindset (lack of peace) with a spiritual mindset (life and peace). |
| Philippians 4:7 | "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." | God's peace is available through Christ. |
| James 3:16 | "For where jealousy and self-interest exist, there is disorder and every kind of evil." | Jealousy and self-interest, forms of wickedness, lead to disorder and lack of peace. |
| James 4:4 | "You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." | Friendship with the world is a form of wickedness that creates enmity, not peace. |
| Revelation 18:7 | "Give her as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she says, ‘I sit enthroned as a queen; I am no widow, and I will never mourn.’" | Describes a city (representing worldly systems) that faces judgment due to its wickedness, implying an end to its self-proclaimed glory and peace. |
Isaiah 57 verses
Isaiah 57 21 Meaning
There is no peace, says the LORD, for the wicked. This verse clearly states that true and lasting peace is not found by those who pursue wickedness, meaning those who are defiant, rebellious, and unrighteous in their actions and hearts. It asserts that God, the ultimate source of peace, withholds it from such individuals. This is not a statement of vindictiveness, but a declaration of the inherent consequence of choosing a path contrary to God's nature and will.
Isaiah 57 21 Context
This verse is the concluding statement of Isaiah chapter 57. The preceding verses depict the spiritual decay and corruption within Israel, particularly highlighting the practice of idolatry and the unfaithfulness of its leaders and people. They turned to wicked practices, engaging in sexual immorality and offering sacrifices to false gods, thereby provoking God's judgment. The chapter critiques the hypocrisy of those who cry out for divine intervention while continuing in sin. Isaiah has been addressing the dire spiritual state of the people, who have turned away from the Lord, His covenant, and His commands. This verse serves as a stark declaration of the consequence of their persistent rebellion and unrepentant wickedness, contrasting their futile pursuit of peace with the true peace found only in God. The overall message is that sin inherently disrupts any sense of true well-being and peace.
Isaiah 57 21 Word analysis
- "There": A pronoun indicating the absence or lack of something in a particular place or condition.
- "is": The verb "to be," indicating existence or state.
- "no": A negation, signifying the complete absence.
- "peace":
- Hebrew: שָׁלוֹם (shalom).
- Meaning: This word signifies more than just the absence of conflict. It encompasses well-being, completeness, welfare, health, prosperity, and tranquility. In a spiritual sense, it refers to a state of harmony and reconciliation with God.
- Significance: The absence of shalom is a comprehensive state of distress, disarray, and disconnection.
- ",": A punctuation mark indicating a pause, separating clauses.
- "says": A verb indicating declaration or utterance.
- "the": The definite article, specifying the noun.
- "LORD":
- Hebrew: יְהוָה (YHWH), often translated as LORD. This is the personal covenant name of God.
- Significance: It emphasizes that this pronouncement comes from God Himself, carrying divine authority and weight.
- ",": Punctuation mark.
- "for": A preposition indicating the reason or cause.
- "the": Definite article.
- "wicked":
- Hebrew: רָשָׁע (rashaʿ).
- Meaning: This refers to someone who is wicked, evil, guilty, or unrighteous. It describes a person who actively disobeys God, harbors malice, and engages in sinful actions.
- Significance: The verse directly attributes the absence of peace to the characteristic state of the rashaʿ. It implies that wickedness itself creates an internal and external environment devoid of God's peace.
Words-group analysis
- "There is no peace": This is a definitive declaration of absolute absence. It's not a temporary lack, but an inherent consequence for the subject identified.
- "says the LORD": This establishes divine authority and truth. The source of this statement is not a human opinion, but God's own word.
- "for the wicked": This specifies the category of people to whom this state of no peace applies. It points to those whose persistent character and actions are defined by wickedness, directly linking their moral state to their lack of peace.
Isaiah 57 21 Bonus Section
This verse serves as a strong condemnation against those who seek solace or fulfillment in their sinful activities, falsely believing they can find peace while remaining defiant of God. It underscores that spiritual alignment with God is the prerequisite for true peace. The concept of "wickedness" here extends beyond mere immoral acts to include a heart disposition that actively rebels against God's commands and truth, as detailed throughout Isaiah and other prophetic books. The pronouncement carries the weight of divine justice and the ordered consequences inherent in a universe governed by a holy God. It resonates with Jesus' own teachings about the peace He gives, a peace different from the world's (John 14:27).
Isaiah 57 21 Commentary
Isaiah 57:21 unequivocally states that the Lord declares there is no peace for the wicked. This is a foundational concept in biblical theology, where sin and divine peace are fundamentally incompatible. The Hebrew word for peace, shalom, is rich, encompassing well-being, wholeness, and restoration. When shalom is absent, it signifies a deep disruption in an individual's relationship with God and, consequently, within themselves and their circumstances.
The wickedness addressed here is not merely an occasional transgression, but a habitual disposition and practice that turns away from God's ways. Such a path is inherently unstable and divorced from the source of true tranquility. Prophets like Jeremiah and Ezekiel also addressed this same theme, rebuking false prophets who promised peace when there was no peace (Jer. 6:14; Ezek. 13:10). True peace, the New Testament teaches, is found through reconciliation with God by faith in Jesus Christ. As Romans 5:1 states, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Conversely, an unrepentant life of wickedness erects a barrier to this peace.
For practical understanding:
- Recognize the Source: Peace, in the ultimate sense, flows from God.
- Distinguish True vs. False Peace: The world offers temporary comfort or freedom from outward troubles, but this is not the enduring peace of God which arises from righteousness and relationship with Him.
- The Consequences of Sin: Persistent unrighteousness leads to internal turmoil, broken relationships, and alienation from God, all forms of lacking shalom.