Isa 57:3-13 | TNotes | STEP | 57:3 witches’ children ... adulterers and prostitutes: Baal religion, which flourished in Israel before the Exile (see 1:21-23 ), included lewd sexual practices.

57:3 ^a witches’ children ... adulterers and prostitutes: Baal religion, which flourished in Israel before the Exile (see 1:21-23 ^b), included lewd sexual practices.
57:4 ^c mock ... sticking out your tongues: The wicked oppressed the righteous by their insults (57:1-2 ^d; see also 28:9 ^e, 14 ^f).
57:5 ^g beneath the oaks and under every green tree: Tree groves were commonly used as places of pagan worship (see 1:29-30 ^h).

• sacrifice your children: The horrible practice of child sacrifice was occasionally practiced in Israel (see Ps 106:37-38 ⁱ).
57:6 ^j Liquid offerings and grain offerings were believed to satisfy the basic needs of the gods and thus to earn their favor.
57:8 ^k climbed into bed: The people of Israel had a sickening commitment to the fertility religions, which included sex as part of their rituals.
57:11 ^l The people were living in fear of false gods instead of fearing the Lord (see 8:12-13 ^m).
57:12 ⁿ The Lord did not consider the people’s so-called good deeds (literally righteousness; see 59:16 ^o) to be truly righteous.
57:13 ^p your idols ... fall over: See study note on 40:18.

• inherit the land: The Hebrew word translated land can also signify the whole earth (see Pss 25:13 ^q; 37:9 ^r, 11 ^s, 22 ^t, 29 ^u, 34 ^v; Matt 5:5 ^w).

• my holy mountain: God’s servants will enjoy God’s presence in Zion (see Isa 2:2 ^x; 56:7 ^y).