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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Isaiah 57:20 But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea, for it cannot be still, and its waves churn up mire and muck.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/isaiah/57-20.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/13/23_Isa_57_20.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Isaiah 57:20 - Healing for the Repentant" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea, for it cannot be still, and its waves churn up mire and muck." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script> <script src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/biblehub.js' type='text/javascript'></script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/isaiah/57-20.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/isaiah/57-20.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/isaiah/">Isaiah</a> > <a href="/isaiah/57.htm">Chapter 57</a> > Verse 20</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad1.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/isaiah/57-19.htm" title="Isaiah 57:19">◄</a> Isaiah 57:20 <a href="/isaiah/57-21.htm" title="Isaiah 57:21">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Study Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Crossref </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Hebrew </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/isaiah/57.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/isaiah/57.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/isaiah/57.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />“But those who still reject me are like the restless sea, which is never still but continually churns up mud and dirt.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/isaiah/57.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/isaiah/57.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea, for it cannot be still, and its waves churn up mire and muck.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/isaiah/57.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />But the wicked <i>are</i> like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/isaiah/57.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />But the wicked <i>are</i> like the troubled sea, When it cannot rest, Whose waters cast up mire and dirt.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/isaiah/57.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />But the wicked are like the tossing sea, For it cannot be quiet, And its waters toss up refuse and mud.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/isaiah/57.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />But the wicked are like the tossing sea, For it cannot be quiet, And its waters toss up refuse and mud.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/isaiah/57.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />But the wicked are like the tossing sea, For it cannot be quiet, And its waters toss up refuse and mud.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/isaiah/57.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />But the wicked are like the tossing sea, For it cannot be quiet, And its waters toss up refuse and mud.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/isaiah/57.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />But the wicked are like the tossing sea, For it cannot be quiet, And its waters toss up mire and mud.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/isaiah/57.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea, for it cannot be still, and its water churns up mire and muck.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/isaiah/57.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea, for it cannot be still, and its waters churn up mire and muck. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/isaiah/57.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it cannot rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/isaiah/57.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />The wicked are a restless sea tossing up mud. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/isaiah/57.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it cannot rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/isaiah/57.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />But the wicked are like the churning sea. It isn't quiet, and its water throws up mud and slime.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/isaiah/57.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />But evil people are like the restless sea, whose waves never stop rolling in, bringing filth and muck. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/isaiah/57.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />But the wicked are tossed like the sea; for it is not able to keep still, and its waters toss up mire and mud.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/isaiah/57.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea, for it cannot be still, and its waves churn up mire and muck.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/isaiah/57.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />But the wicked are like a surging sea that is unable to be quiet; its waves toss up mud and sand. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/isaiah/57.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it can't rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/isaiah/57.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/isaiah/57.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it can’t rest and its waters cast up mire and mud. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/isaiah/57.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />And the wicked [are] as the driven out sea, "" For it is not able to rest, "" And its waters cast out filth and mire.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/isaiah/57.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> And the wicked are as the driven out sea, For to rest it is not able, And its waters cast out filth and mire.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/isaiah/57.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />And the unjust as the tossed sea when it shall not be able to rest, and its waters will toss up mud and mire;<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/isaiah/57.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />But the wicked are like the raging sea, which cannot rest, and the waves thereof cast up dirt and mire. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/isaiah/57.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />But the impious are like the raging sea, which is not able to be quieted, and its waves stir up dirt and mud.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/isaiah/57.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />But the wicked are like the tossing sea which cannot be still, Its waters cast up mire and mud. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/isaiah/57.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />But the wicked are like the tossing sea that cannot keep still; its waters toss up mire and mud.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/isaiah/57.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />But the wicked are like the troubled sea, for it cannot rest, its waters cast up creeping things and mire.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/isaiah/57.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />And the wicked are agitated like the sea, because they cannot rest, and its waters are turning up creeping things and mire<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/isaiah/57.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />But the wicked are like the troubled sea; For it cannot rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/isaiah/57.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />But the unrighteous shall be tossed as troubled waves, and shall not be able to rest.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/isaiah/57-20.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xv9bHT-nr9s?start=12787" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/isaiah/57.htm">Healing for the Repentant</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">19</span>bringing praise to their lips. Peace, peace to those far and near,” says the LORD, “and I will heal them.” <span class="reftext">20</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/7563.htm" title="7563: wə·hā·rə·šā·‘îm (Conj-w, Art:: Adj-mp) -- Wicked, criminal. From rasha'; morally wrong; concretely, an bad person.">But the wicked</a> <a href="/hebrew/1644.htm" title="1644: niḡ·rāš (V-Nifal-Prtcpl-ms) -- To drive out, cast out. A primitive root; to drive out from a possession; especially to expatriate or divorce.">are like the storm-tossed</a> <a href="/hebrew/3220.htm" title="3220: kay·yām (Prep-k, Art:: N-ms) -- A sea or large body of water; specifically, the Mediterranean Sea; sometimes a large river.">sea,</a> <a href="/hebrew/3588.htm" title="3588: kî (Conj) -- That, for, when. ">for</a> <a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: lō (Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">it cannot</a> <a href="/hebrew/8252.htm" title="8252: haš·qêṭ (V-Hifil-InfAbs) -- To be quiet or undisturbed. A primitive root; to repose.">be still,</a> <a href="/hebrew/3201.htm" title="3201: yū·ḵāl (V-Qal-Imperf-3ms) -- To be able, have power. Or yakowl; a primitive root; to be able, literally or morally."></a> <a href="/hebrew/4325.htm" title="4325: mê·māw (N-mpc:: 3ms) -- Waters, water. Dual of a primitive noun; water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen.">and its waves</a> <a href="/hebrew/1644.htm" title="1644: way·yiḡ·rə·šū (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp) -- To drive out, cast out. A primitive root; to drive out from a possession; especially to expatriate or divorce.">churn up</a> <a href="/hebrew/7516.htm" title="7516: re·p̄eš (N-ms) -- Mire. From raphas; mud.">mire</a> <a href="/hebrew/2916.htm" title="2916: wā·ṭîṭ (Conj-w:: N-ms) -- Mud, mire, clay. From an unused root meaning apparently to be sticky; mud or clay; figuratively, calamity.">and muck.</a> </span><span class="reftext">21</span>“There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/james/1-6.htm">James 1:6</a></span><br />But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jude/1-13.htm">Jude 1:13</a></span><br />They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/107-29.htm">Psalm 107:29</a></span><br />He calmed the storm to a whisper, and the waves of the sea were hushed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/49-23.htm">Jeremiah 49:23</a></span><br />Concerning Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad are put to shame, for they have heard a bad report; they are agitated like the sea; their anxiety cannot be calmed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/8-24.htm">Matthew 8:24-26</a></span><br />Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was engulfed by the waves. But Jesus was sleeping. / The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” / “You of little faith,” Jesus replied, “why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was perfectly calm.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/mark/4-37.htm">Mark 4:37-39</a></span><br />Soon a violent windstorm came up, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was being swamped. / But Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him and said, “Teacher, don’t You care that we are perishing?” / Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/8-23.htm">Luke 8:23-24</a></span><br />As they sailed, He fell asleep, and a windstorm came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. / The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters, and they subsided, and all was calm.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/89-9.htm">Psalm 89:9</a></span><br />You rule the raging sea; when its waves mount up, You still them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/17-12.htm">Isaiah 17:12-13</a></span><br />Alas, the tumult of many peoples; they rage like the roaring seas and clamoring nations; they rumble like the crashing of mighty waters. / The nations rage like the rush of many waters. He rebukes them, and they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills, like tumbleweeds before a gale.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/18-11.htm">Job 18:11</a></span><br />Terrors frighten him on every side and harass his every step.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/proverbs/4-16.htm">Proverbs 4:16</a></span><br />For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/7-19.htm">Ezekiel 7:19</a></span><br />They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will seem unclean. Their silver and gold cannot save them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their appetites or fill their stomachs with wealth, for it became the stumbling block that brought their iniquity.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/revelation/21-8.htm">Revelation 21:8</a></span><br />But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/46-3.htm">Psalm 46:3</a></span><br />though their waters roar and foam and the mountains quake in the surge. Selah<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/8-7.htm">Isaiah 8:7-8</a></span><br />the Lord will surely bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates—the king of Assyria and all his pomp. It will overflow its channels and overrun its banks. / It will pour into Judah, swirling and sweeping over it, reaching up to the neck; its spreading streams will cover your entire land, O Immanuel!</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.</p><p class="hdg">like</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/3-11.htm">Isaiah 3:11</a></b></br> Woe unto the wicked! <i>it shall be</i> ill <i>with him</i>: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/15-20.htm">Job 15:20-24</a></b></br> The wicked man travaileth with pain all <i>his</i> days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/18-5.htm">Job 18:5-14</a></b></br> Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine… </p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/isaiah/56-10.htm">Able</a> <a href="/isaiah/57-14.htm">Cast</a> <a href="/psalms/18-42.htm">Dirt</a> <a href="/isaiah/49-21.htm">Driven</a> <a href="/isaiah/55-10.htm">Earth</a> <a href="/isaiah/53-9.htm">Evil-Doers</a> <a href="/isaiah/36-12.htm">Filth</a> <a href="/isaiah/14-23.htm">Mire</a> <a href="/psalms/40-2.htm">Mud</a> <a href="/isaiah/57-11.htm">Quiet</a> <a href="/isaiah/30-9.htm">Refuse</a> <a href="/isaiah/57-18.htm">Rest</a> <a href="/isaiah/51-15.htm">Sea</a> <a href="/isaiah/22-18.htm">Toss</a> <a href="/job/7-4.htm">Tossing</a> <a href="/isaiah/57-1.htm">Troubled</a> <a href="/isaiah/54-3.htm">Waste</a> <a href="/isaiah/55-10.htm">Waters</a> <a href="/isaiah/51-15.htm">Waves</a> <a href="/isaiah/55-7.htm">Wicked</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/isaiah/59-14.htm">Able</a> <a href="/isaiah/58-7.htm">Cast</a> <a href="/zechariah/9-3.htm">Dirt</a> <a href="/isaiah/59-14.htm">Driven</a> <a href="/isaiah/58-14.htm">Earth</a> <a href="/isaiah/57-21.htm">Evil-Doers</a> <a href="/ezekiel/4-12.htm">Filth</a> <a href="/jeremiah/38-6.htm">Mire</a> <a href="/jeremiah/38-6.htm">Mud</a> <a href="/isaiah/58-1.htm">Quiet</a> <a href="/jeremiah/3-3.htm">Refuse</a> <a href="/isaiah/58-12.htm">Rest</a> <a href="/isaiah/60-5.htm">Sea</a> <a href="/jeremiah/5-22.htm">Toss</a> <a href="/luke/21-25.htm">Tossing</a> <a href="/isaiah/58-10.htm">Troubled</a> <a href="/isaiah/58-12.htm">Waste</a> <a href="/isaiah/58-11.htm">Waters</a> <a href="/jeremiah/5-22.htm">Waves</a> <a href="/isaiah/57-21.htm">Wicked</a><div class="vheading2">Isaiah 57</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/isaiah/57-1.htm">The blessed death of the righteous</a></span><br><span class="reftext">3. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/isaiah/57-3.htm">God reproves the People for their idolatry</a></span><br><span class="reftext">13. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/isaiah/57-13.htm">He gives promises of mercy to the penitent</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading"><a href="/study/isaiah/57.htm">Berean Study Bible</a></div><b>But the wicked</b><br />The term "wicked" in Hebrew is "רְשָׁעִים" (resha'im), which refers to those who are morally wrong, guilty, or hostile towards God. In the biblical context, the wicked are often contrasted with the righteous, highlighting a life lived in opposition to God's laws and principles. This phrase sets the stage for a vivid metaphor, emphasizing the inherent unrest and turmoil in the lives of those who reject divine guidance.<p><b>are like the storm-tossed sea</b><br />The imagery of the "storm-tossed sea" evokes a sense of chaos and instability. In ancient Near Eastern culture, the sea was often seen as a symbol of chaos and disorder, a place where human control was impossible. The Hebrew word for sea, "יָם" (yam), is used here to illustrate the inner turmoil and lack of peace experienced by the wicked. Just as the sea is restless and unpredictable, so too are the lives of those who live in rebellion against God.<p><b>which cannot rest</b><br />The phrase "which cannot rest" underscores the perpetual state of unrest experienced by the wicked. The Hebrew root "נוח" (nuach) means to rest or settle down, and its negation here highlights the absence of peace. This lack of rest is not merely physical but spiritual and emotional, reflecting a life devoid of the tranquility that comes from a relationship with God. It serves as a stark contrast to the peace promised to the righteous.<p><b>whose waves cast up mire and muck</b><br />The "waves" symbolize the actions and consequences of the wicked, constantly churning and producing "mire and muck." The Hebrew words "רֶפֶשׁ" (refesh) and "טִיט" (tit) refer to mud and dirt, representing the moral filth and corruption that result from a life of sin. This imagery suggests that the wicked not only experience internal chaos but also spread impurity and disorder in their surroundings. The relentless casting up of mire and muck signifies the inevitable outcome of a life lived apart from God's righteousness.<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/isaiah/57.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(20) <span class= "bld">The wicked are like the troubled sea . . .</span>--The promise of healing is, however, not unconditional. The acceptance of peace requires calmness; but for the wicked, whose thoughts are restlessly seething with evil ripening into act, this true peace is, in the nature of the case, impossible. We note the recurrence of the watchword of <a href="/isaiah/48-22.htm" title="There is no peace, said the LORD, to the wicked.">Isaiah 48:22</a>, as indicating the close of another section of the prophecy. The MSS. and versions present a curious variation in <a href="/isaiah/57-21.htm" title="There is no peace, said my God, to the wicked.">Isaiah 57:21</a> : some "saith Jehovah," some "God," some "the Lord God." It would almost seem as if transcribers and translators had shrunk from the prophet's boldness in claiming God as in some special sense his God. It has a parallel, however, in <a href="/isaiah/7-13.htm" title="And he said, Hear you now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also?">Isaiah 7:13</a>, and may be noted, accordingly, as one of the characteristic touches common to the two parts of Isaiah. The "Sea" of which Isaiah speaks may possibly have been the Dead Sea, casting up its salt bituminous deposits.<span class= "bld"><p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/isaiah/57.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 20.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">The wicked are like the troubled sea</span>. A striking metaphor, but one which occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament, and once only in the New (<a href="/jude/1-13.htm">Jude 1:13</a>). The sea's restless action well expresses the unquiet of the wicked; and the mud and mire that it casts up resembles their evil thoughts and evil deeds. "There is no peace" for such persons, either bodily or spiritual, either in this world or the world to come. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/isaiah/57-20.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">But the wicked</span><br /><span class="heb">וְהָרְשָׁעִ֖ים</span> <span class="translit">(wə·hā·rə·šā·‘îm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw, Article | Adjective - masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7563.htm">Strong's 7563: </a> </span><span class="str2">Wrong, an, bad person</span><br /><br /><span class="word">are like the storm-tossed</span><br /><span class="heb">נִגְרָ֑שׁ</span> <span class="translit">(niḡ·rāš)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1644.htm">Strong's 1644: </a> </span><span class="str2">To drive out from a, possession, to expatriate, divorce</span><br /><br /><span class="word">sea,</span><br /><span class="heb">כַּיָּ֣ם</span> <span class="translit">(kay·yām)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3220.htm">Strong's 3220: </a> </span><span class="str2">A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basin</span><br /><br /><span class="word">for</span><br /><span class="heb">כִּ֤י</span> <span class="translit">(kî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunction<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3588.htm">Strong's 3588: </a> </span><span class="str2">A relative conjunction</span><br /><br /><span class="word">it cannot</span><br /><span class="heb">לֹ֣א</span> <span class="translit">(lō)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb - Negative particle<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> </span><span class="str2">Not, no</span><br /><br /><span class="word">be still,</span><br /><span class="heb">הַשְׁקֵט֙</span> <span class="translit">(haš·qêṭ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_8252.htm">Strong's 8252: </a> </span><span class="str2">To be quiet or undisturbed</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and its waves</span><br /><span class="heb">מֵימָ֖יו</span> <span class="translit">(mê·māw)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4325.htm">Strong's 4325: </a> </span><span class="str2">Water, juice, urine, semen</span><br /><br /><span class="word">churn up</span><br /><span class="heb">וַיִּגְרְשׁ֥וּ</span> <span class="translit">(way·yiḡ·rə·šū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1644.htm">Strong's 1644: </a> </span><span class="str2">To drive out from a, possession, to expatriate, divorce</span><br /><br /><span class="word">mire</span><br /><span class="heb">רֶ֥פֶשׁ</span> <span class="translit">(re·p̄eš)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7516.htm">Strong's 7516: </a> </span><span class="str2">Mire</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and muck.</span><br /><span class="heb">וָטִֽיט׃</span> <span class="translit">(wā·ṭîṭ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2916.htm">Strong's 2916: </a> </span><span class="str2">Mud, clay, calamity</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/isaiah/57-20.htm">Isaiah 57:20 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/isaiah/57-20.htm">Isaiah 57:20 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/isaiah/57-20.htm">Isaiah 57:20 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/isaiah/57-20.htm">Isaiah 57:20 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/isaiah/57-20.htm">Isaiah 57:20 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/isaiah/57-20.htm">Isaiah 57:20 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/isaiah/57-20.htm">Isaiah 57:20 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/isaiah/57-20.htm">Isaiah 57:20 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/isaiah/57-20.htm">Isaiah 57:20 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/isaiah/57-20.htm">Isaiah 57:20 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/isaiah/57-20.htm">OT Prophets: Isaiah 57:20 But the wicked are like the troubled (Isa Isi Is)</a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/isaiah/57-19.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Isaiah 57:19"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Isaiah 57:19" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/isaiah/57-21.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Isaiah 57:21"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Isaiah 57:21" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>