The Meaning of Isaiah 57:11 Explained

Isaiah 57:11

KJV: And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?

YLT: And of whom hast thou been afraid, and fearest, That thou liest, and Me hast not remembered? Thou hast not laid it to thy heart, Am not I silent, even from of old? And Me thou fearest not?

Darby: And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor taken it to heart? Have not I even of long time held my peace, and thou fearest me not?

ASV: And of whom hast thou been afraid and in fear, that thou liest, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of long time, and thou fearest me not?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And of whom hast thou been afraid  or feared,  that thou hast lied,  and hast not remembered  me, nor laid  [it] to thy heart?  have not I held my peace  even of old,  and thou fearest  me not? 

What does Isaiah 57:11 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Yahweh asked the Israelites a question. Who had terrified them that they betrayed the truth (cf. Proverbs 30:6), their covenant partner, and their concern for Him (cf. Isaiah 57:1)? Obviously it was not a great threat that had made them unfaithful, but neglect of Him. Perhaps if He had been more active in judging their sins they would have remembered Him. But, graciously, He had been silent about their sins, and so they had not paid attention to Him.
"Possibly we have here an example of Isaiah"s preaching during the long dark days of Manasseh." [1]

Context Summary

Isaiah 57:1-21 - No Peace To The Wicked
A terrible portrayal is given here of the idolatries and impurities into which the Chosen People had fallen. These scenes under "the oaks" (r.v.) and in the valleys remind us of the invariable evils associated with idolatry which the great Apostle has recorded in Romans 1:23-28. They refused to retain God in their knowledge, and He gave them over to a reprobate mind; that is, He ceased to restrain them.
But amid the degenerate nation, there was a handful of elect souls; God is always careful against rooting up the tares, lest one stalk of wheat perish. Amid the destruction that must overtake the guilty land they that trusted in Him, would not be overlooked. See Isaiah 57:13-14.
With what comfort the chapter closes! Isaiah 57:15, etc. We may have been covetous and froward, and have deserved wrath and chastisement, but God will not always chide. Only return to Him! He will revive your heart, and "restore comfort" to you. He will heal where He has wounded, and will bring you near, through the blood of the Cross. See Ephesians 2:16-17. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 57

1  The blessed death of the righteous
3  God reproves the People for their idolatry
13  He gives promises of mercy to the penitent

What do the individual words in Isaiah 57:11 mean?

And [of] whom have you been afraid or feared that you have lied and Me not remembered nor taken [it] to your heart is it not [because] I have held My peace and from of old that Me you do fear
וְאֶת־ מִ֞י דָּאַ֤גְתְּ וַתִּֽירְאִי֙ כִּ֣י תְכַזֵּ֔בִי וְאוֹתִי֙ לֹ֣א זָכַ֔רְתְּ לֹא־ שַׂ֖מְתְּ עַל־ ؟ לִבֵּ֑ךְ הֲלֹ֨א אֲנִ֤י מַחְשֶׁה֙ וּמֵ֣עֹלָ֔ם וְאוֹתִ֖י ؟ תִירָֽאִי

מִ֞י  [of]  whom 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
דָּאַ֤גְתְּ  have  you  been  afraid 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: דָּאַג  
Sense: to fear, be anxious, be concerned, be afraid, be careful.
וַתִּֽירְאִי֙  or  feared 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.
כִּ֣י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
תְכַזֵּ֔בִי  you  have  lied 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: כָּזַב  
Sense: to lie, tell a lie, be a liar, be found a liar, be in vain, fail.
וְאוֹתִי֙  and  Me 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Direct object marker, first person common singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
זָכַ֔רְתְּ  remembered 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: זָכַר 
Sense: to remember, recall, call to mind.
לֹא־  nor 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
שַׂ֖מְתְּ  taken  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
؟ לִבֵּ֑ךְ  your  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
הֲלֹ֨א  is  it  not 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
אֲנִ֤י  [because]  I 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
מַחְשֶׁה֙  have  held  My  peace 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: חָשָׁה  
Sense: to be silent, quiet, still, inactive.
וּמֵ֣עֹלָ֔ם  and  from  of  old 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.
וְאוֹתִ֖י  that  Me 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Direct object marker, first person common singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
؟ תִירָֽאִי  you  do  fear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.