The Meaning of Isaiah 57:8 Explained

Isaiah 57:8

KJV: Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it.

YLT: And behind the door, and the post, Thou hast set up thy memorial, For from Me thou hast removed, and goest up, Thou hast enlarged thy couch, And dost covenant for thyself among them, Thou hast loved their couch, the station thou sawest,

Darby: Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for apart from me, thou hast uncovered thyself, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and hast made agreement with them; thou lovedst their bed, thou sawest their nakedness.

ASV: And behind the doors and the posts hast thou set up thy memorial: for thou hast uncovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them: thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Behind  the doors  also and the posts  hast thou set up  thy remembrance:  for thou hast discovered  [thyself to another] than me, and art gone up;  thou hast enlarged  thy bed,  and made  thee [a covenant] with them; thou lovedst  their bed  where  thou sawest  [it]. 

What does Isaiah 57:8 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The unfaithful Israelites were evidently setting up memorial objects to the idols in their homes as well. The Scripture portions that they were to place on their doorframes ( Deuteronomy 6:9; Deuteronomy 11:20) were to remind them of the Lord, but they had installed rival reminders inside their homes. The holder of these Scripture portions is called a mezuzah, and many observant Jews still install them on their doorframes, even today. The Lord"s "wife" had turned her back on Him and had gone to bed with other lovers. She had been unfaithful to her covenant with Yahweh and had covenanted to worship idols, since she loved the physical aspects of their worship.

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 57:8 mean?

And behind the doors and their posts You have set up your remembrance for than Me you have uncovered yourself [to those other] and have gone up to them You have enlarged your bed and made [a covenant] with them You have loved their bed where you saw [their] nudity
וְאַחַ֤ר הַדֶּ֙לֶת֙ וְהַמְּזוּזָ֔ה שַׂ֖מְתְּ זִכְרוֹנֵ֑ךְ כִּ֣י מֵאִתִּ֞י גִּלִּ֣ית וַֽתַּעֲלִ֗י הִרְחַ֤בְתְּ מִשְׁכָּבֵךְ֙ וַתִּכְרָת־ לָ֣ךְ מֵהֶ֔ם אָהַ֥בְתְּ מִשְׁכָּבָ֖ם יָ֥ד חָזִֽית

וְאַחַ֤ר  And  behind 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
הַדֶּ֙לֶת֙  the  doors 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: דַּל 
Sense: door, gate.
וְהַמְּזוּזָ֔ה  and  their  posts 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְזוּזָה  
Sense: doorpost, gatepost.
שַׂ֖מְתְּ  You  have  set  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
זִכְרוֹנֵ֑ךְ  your  remembrance 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: זִכָּרֹון  
Sense: memorial, reminder, remembrance.
מֵאִתִּ֞י  than  Me 
Parse: Preposition-m, 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.
גִּלִּ֣ית  you  have  uncovered  yourself  [to  those  other] 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: גָּלָה  
Sense: to uncover, remove.
וַֽתַּעֲלִ֗י  and  have  gone  up  to  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
הִרְחַ֤בְתְּ  You  have  enlarged 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: רָחַב  
Sense: to be or grow wide, be or grow large.
מִשְׁכָּבֵךְ֙  your  bed 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: מִשְׁכָּב  
Sense: a lying down, couch, bier, act of lying.
וַתִּכְרָת־  and  made  [a  covenant] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
אָהַ֥בְתְּ  You  have  loved 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: אָהַב  
Sense: to love.
מִשְׁכָּבָ֖ם  their  bed 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מִשְׁכָּב  
Sense: a lying down, couch, bier, act of lying.
יָ֥ד  where 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
חָזִֽית  you  saw  [their]  nudity 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: חָזָה  
Sense: to see, perceive, look, behold, prophesy, provide.