Isaiah 57:12

“I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works, &c.] For, notwithstanding all the idolatry, superstition, irreligion, and cruelty of the church of Rome, she makes large pretences to righteousness, by which she expects to be justified, and to merit eternal life, and even pretends to works of supererogation; but God will in due time make it clearly appear, both by the ministry of his faithful servants, which he has done in part already; and by his judgments that he will execute, that she has no righteousness; that what she calls so is no righteousness, but wickedness; and that her works she calls good works are bad ones, superstitious, idolatrous, and tyrannical: for they shall not profit…”

“declare--I will expose publicly thy (hypocritical) righteousness. I will show openly how vain thy works, in having recourse to idols, or foreign alliances, shall prove (Isa 57:3).”

“I will declare thy righteousness - This is evidently spoken ironically. The sense is, ‘you have devoted yourselves to idols, and you have sought the aid of foreigners. I will now announce to you the true nature of the deliverance which they can bring to you.’ This is done in the following verse. return to 'Top of Page'”

“57:12 The Lord did not consider the people’s so-called good deeds (literally righteousness; see 59:16) to be truly righteous.”

“Isa 1:11-15, Isa 58:2-6, Isa 59:6-8, Isa 64:5, Isa 66:3, Isa 66:4; Jer 7:4-11; Mic 3:2-4; Mat 23:5, Mat 23:14; Rom 3:10-20, Rom 10:2, Rom 10:3 Isaiah 57:13”

“But this silence would not last for ever. "I will proclaim thy righteousness; and thy works, they will not profit thee. When thou criest, let thy heaps of idols save thee: but a wind carries them all away; a breath takes them off; and whoever putteth trust in me will inherit the land, and take possession of my holy mountain." According to the context, צדקתך cannot be a synonym of ישׁוּעה f here. It is neither salvation nor the way of salvation that is intended; nor is this even included, as Stier supposes. But the simple reference is to what Israel in its blindness regarded as righteousness; whereas, if it had known itself, it would have seen that it was the most glaring opposite. This…”