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?

ISAIAH 57:11KJV
Know the Bible

Isaiah 57:11 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 57:11 mean?

Isaiah 57:11 describes God questioning why His people have been afraid of others and have lied, forgetting Him and not taking His presence seriously, even though He has been patient and silent for a long time. The verse highlights how God's restraint and silence have led the people to stop fearing or respecting Him.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Isaiah to the people of Israel, who have turned to other powers and idols instead of trusting Him. The setting is one of confrontation, as God points out their misplaced fear and lack of remembrance. The verse emphasizes that God's long-standing patience ("held my peace even of old") has not led to reverence, but instead to neglect and dishonesty.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 57:11

  • "afraid" (גּוּר, gur): This word often means to be terrified or unsettled by someone or something. Here, it points to the people's fear of others rather than of God Himself.
  • "feared" and "fearest" (יָרֵא, yare): This word means to have reverence or awe, not just terror. The verse uses it to highlight that the people have lost their proper respect for God.
  • "lied" (כָּזַב, kazav): This word means to deceive or act falsely. God accuses the people of dishonesty, likely in their worship and trust.
  • "remembered" (זָכַר, zakar): This means to call to mind or be mindful of. The people have failed to keep God in their thoughts.
  • "laid" (שִׂים, sim): This word means to set or place, often used for taking something to heart. The people have not truly considered God in their inner lives.
  • "heart" (לֵב, lev): In Hebrew thought, the heart is the center of thought and will, not just emotion. The people have not made God central in their decisions.
  • "peace" (חָשָׁה, chashah): This word means to be silent or still. God’s silence is not approval, but patience.
  • "old" (עוֹלָם, olam): This means a long duration or from ancient times. God’s patience has lasted for generations.

Why Isaiah 57:11 matters

  • Isaiah 57:11 clears up the idea that God's silence means He is absent or unconcerned; instead, it is a sign of His patience, not His approval.
  • The verse reveals that misplaced fear—fearing people or circumstances more than God—can lead to dishonesty and spiritual forgetfulness.
  • This verse connects to the wider passage by showing that Israel's idolatry and unfaithfulness are rooted in a failure to remember and honor God, despite His long history of patience and mercy toward them.

Where else these words appear

“afraid” Hebrew H1672 · used in 7 verses

  • 1 Samuel 9:5 And when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come, and let us return; lest my father leave caring for the asses, and take thought for us.
  • Psalms 38:18 For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.
  • Jeremiah 38:19 And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.

“lied” Hebrew H3576 · used in 16 verses

  • Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
  • Job 41:9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?
  • Proverbs 30:6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

“peace” Hebrew H2814 · used in 16 verses

  • Judges 18:9 And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land.
  • Nehemiah 8:11 So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.
  • Isaiah 42:14 I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.