But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

ISAIAH 57:20KJV
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Isaiah 57:20 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 57:20 mean?

Isaiah 57:20 uses the image of a restless, stormy sea to describe people who do evil, saying their lives are in constant turmoil and disturbance, always churning up trouble and impurity. The verse paints a picture of inner unrest and the inability to find peace, much like waves that keep tossing up mud and debris.

In this part of Isaiah, the prophet is speaking to the people of Israel, contrasting the peace promised to those who trust in God with the ongoing turmoil experienced by the wicked. The verse uses vivid natural imagery to help listeners understand the deep, unsettled state of those who reject what is right, showing that their lack of peace is both visible and unavoidable.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 57:20

  • "wicked" (רָשָׁע, rashaʿ): This word refers to those who act unjustly or are morally wrong. The focus is on a pattern of life, not just a single act.
  • "troubled" (גָּרַשׁ, garash): This word means to be driven or tossed about, giving the sense of being forcefully disturbed, not just gently stirred.
  • "rest" (שָׁקַט, shaqat): This word means to be quiet or at peace. The verse highlights that the sea—and by comparison, the wicked—cannot settle down or find calm.
  • "mire" (רֵפֶשׁ, rephesh) and "dirt" (טִיט, tit): These words refer to mud and filth stirred up from the bottom, emphasizing the pollution and chaos that come from the wicked, not just surface-level disturbance.

Why Isaiah 57:20 matters

  • The verse clarifies that the unrest of the wicked is not just an outside problem but comes from within, like the sea’s own waters churning up mud.
  • Isaiah 57:20 sets up a strong contrast with the next verse, which promises peace to the faithful, making the difference between the two groups even clearer.
  • The imagery helps readers understand that the lack of peace is a natural result of wickedness, not just a punishment from outside forces.

Where else these words appear

“dirt” Hebrew H2916 · used in 12 verses

  • 2 Samuel 22:43 Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad.
  • Psalms 40:2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
  • Micah 7:10 Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the LORD thy God? mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.

“rest” Hebrew H8252 · used in 41 verses

  • Joshua 11:23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.
  • 2 Chronicles 14:6 And he built fenced cities in Judah: for the land had rest, and he had no war in those years; because the LORD had given him rest.
  • Isaiah 18:4 For so the LORD said unto me, I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.

“troubled” Hebrew H1644 · used in 45 verses

  • Genesis 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
  • Leviticus 21:7 They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.
  • 1 Kings 2:27 So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.