Isaiah 57:9
“And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Israel has pursued foreign alliances and idolatries with increasing desperation, going so far as to debase itself beyond measure.
Context
The 'king' may refer to a foreign ruler or to the Moloch cult; the 'ointment' and 'perfumes' suggest the aromatic offerings and preparation for ritual union with foreign gods or nations.
What Does Isaiah 57:9 Mean?
The language shifts to diplomatic treachery. Israel 'went to the king' with gifts (ointment, perfumes), trying to curry favor, to purchase protection or blessing from foreign powers or foreign gods. Each time, the stakes escalated. More perfumes, more gifts, messengers sent farther and farther afield. And with each venture, Israel descended. The word translated 'debase' (shaphal) means to make low, to abase. 'Even unto hell' suggests a descent so complete that Israel reached the very bottom, the realm of the dead. This is what chasing false security looks like: an endless spiral of desperation, each compromise requiring another, each treaty requiring another, until you have compromised your entire self and have nothing left to trade.
We recognize this pattern in our own lives: the secret we keep leads to another secret, the small debt to a larger one, the first compromise to another. We find ourselves lying awake at night, anxious about what we have promised, whom we have promised it to, how we will pay. And still we think, 'One more deal, one more favor, one more arrangement, and it will all be worth it.' We debase ourselves 'even unto hell,' not realizing we are already in a prison of our own making. Only repentance, a complete reversal, can break the cycle.
Application
When we find ourselves in cycles of compromise, sending out 'messengers' to secure deals that should not be made, we are descending. The time to turn back is always now, before we debase ourselves beyond recognition.