Isaiah 57:4Against whom do you sport yourselves? Against whom do you make a wide mouth, and stick out your tongue? Aren't you children of disobedience, a seed of falsehood,
The setting
Jerusalem, ~700 BC. God describes the mocking gestures Israelites make at faithful believers — tongue-wagging, mouth-gaping ridicule in the streets, modern-day Israel/Palestine...
The emotion here: indignant at seeing faithful ones mocked and ridiculed
The original word
la'ag (לָעַג) — to mock with facial expressions and gestures, physical ridicule
Why it matters
Sticking out the tongue was an ancient Near Eastern gesture of contempt and cursing
Read with care
What most readers miss in Isaiah 57:4
The 'wide mouth' isn't just talking — it's an exaggerated facial expression of mockery
Common misconceptionPeople think God is angry at the mockers, but He's actually defending the faithful who are being ridiculed — this is God taking the side of the bullied.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Isaiah 57:4
Bible Genome reading
Isaiah 57:4 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Isaiah 57:4 comes from the book of Isaiah, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to God. The dominant emotion in this verse is angry, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include mockery of God, rebellious attitude. Notable phrases: make a wide mouth; stick out your tongue. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same angry
“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'”
— Joel 3:10
“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!”
— Matthew 23:24
“Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husba…”
— Amos 4:1
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can't stand your solemn assemblies.”
— Amos 5:21
“Your eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
— Deuteronomy 19:21
Your reflection
What does Isaiah 57:4 mean to you, today?
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