Isaiah 57:3
“But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Isaiah turns from the righteous to address Israel's corrupted people, calling them to hear the word of judgment.
Context
The prophet shifts his audience from the dying righteous to the living idolaters. 'Sorceress,' 'adulterer,' and 'whore' are metaphorical descriptions of Israel's covenant betrayal and idolatrous practices.
What Does Isaiah 57:3 Mean?
The harsh language is not cruelty; it is clarity. A nation that has made covenants with God is guilty of adultery when it turns to other gods. Sorcery was not merely superstition but a refusal of trust, an attempt to control the divine through manipulation rather than submission. The metaphor of illegitimate birth ('seed of') emphasizes that Israel's spiritual children are not God's children but the offspring of idolatry. Isaiah calls them near not to condemn them without hearing, but to lay the charge before them clearly. They cannot claim ignorance.
We live in times when calling things by their true names is counted as judgment. But clarity is a prerequisite for repentance. A person who does not know they are lost cannot return home. Isaiah draws near and calls the people near: come, listen, hear what you have done. This is not the final word, but it is the necessary one. Before grace can surprise us, we must understand what we have broken.
Application
If we are honest with ourselves, we all traffic in false gods, shortcuts, and manipulations. The first step toward healing is to hear ourselves named clearly and to draw near to hear what we have done.