ישעיהו, פרק נ״ז, פסוק ג׳

Following the passing of the righteous, a harsh rebuke is directed at the wicked generation left behind. They are summoned to stand trial and face the consequences of their actions. The prophet demands that the people step forward to hear their verdict and accept the disaster they deserve [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת דוד, שד״ל, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

He addresses them using severe insults that expose their corrupt roots, labeling them as the children of sorcerers and fortune-tellers [רש״י, מצודת ציון, אבן עזרא]. This accusation is framed in the feminine form because these practices of magic were primarily carried out by women [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. Other perspectives suggest a connection to astrology, noting a practice where the fates of children born from illicit encounters were calculated using the stars [מלבי״ם]. Alternatively, the term points to a deep unreliability, comparing their unstable nature to the shifting seasons [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The prophet goes on to call them the offspring of adulterers and prostitutes. The primary approach among commentators is that these terms serve as a metaphor for idolatry and the ultimate betrayal of God [מלבי״ם, שד״ל, אברבנאל]. However, there are different views on exactly who is being accused. Most commentators explain that the prophet is describing a wicked generation born to equally wicked parents, an adulterous father and a prostitute mother, making their own moral failure entirely expected [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Others argue that the accusation does not necessarily condemn the previous generation, but rather describes the current reality where both the men and women of the era are actively engaged in these sins [רש״י, אברבנאל]. A third view suggests the message is aimed directly at the people's inherited nature: because they come from corrupt origins, they have naturally followed suit, each one betraying God by chasing after false idols [אברבנאל, שד״ל].