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Isaiah 28

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Woe to Drunken Ephraim (Samaria) 1–6

1
Woe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley of them that are overcome with wine! ​
2
Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one; as a tempest of hail, a destroying storm, as a tempest of mighty waters overflowing, will he cast down to the earth with the hand. ​
3
The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot:
4
and the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as the first-ripe fig before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.
5
In that day will Jehovah of hosts become a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people; ​
6
and a spirit of justice to him that sitteth in judgment, and strength to them that turn back the battle at the gate. ​

Drunkenness and Mockery in Jerusalem 7–13

7
And even these reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they stagger with strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. ​
8
For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.
9
Whom will he teach knowledge? and whom will he make to understand the message? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts? ​
10
For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little. ​
11
Nay, but bymen of strange lips and with another tongue will he speak to this people; ​
12
to whom he said, This is the rest, give ye rest to him that is weary; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. ​
13
Therefore shall the word of Jehovah be unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. ​

The Cornerstone and the Covenant with Death 14–22

14
Wherefore hear the word of Jehovah, ye scoffers, that rule this people that is in Jerusalem: ​
15
Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: ​
16
therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone of sure foundation: he that believeth shall not be in haste. ​
17
And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plummet; and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place. ​
18
And your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. ​
19
As often as it passeth through, it shall take you; for morning by morning shall it pass through, by day and by night: and it shall be nought but terror to understand the message.
20
For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it; and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it. ​
21
For Jehovah will rise up as in mount Perazim, he will be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon; that he may do his work, his strange work, and bring to pass his act, his strange act. ​
22
Now therefore be ye not scoffers, lest your bonds be made strong; for a decree of destruction have I heard from the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, upon the whole earth. ​

God’s Wisdom in Judgment (The Farmer’s Parable) 23–29

23
Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech. ​
24
Doth he that ploweth to sow plow continually? doth he continually open and harrow his ground?
25
When he hath levelled the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and put in the wheat in rows, and the barley in the appointed place, and the spelt in the border thereof? ​
26
For his God doth instruct him aright, and doth teach him. ​
27
For the fitches are not threshed with a sharp threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod. ​
28
Bread grain is ground; for he will not be always threshing it: and though the wheel of his cart and his horses scatter it, he doth not grind it. ​
29
This also cometh forth from Jehovah of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Isaiah 28

Verse 1

the crown of pride — Ephraim is the northern kingdom, and Samaria was built on 'the hill Samaria', bought for the purpose (1 Kgs 16:24). 'Crown' (atarah) runs through vv.1, 3 and 5. The 'fading flower' (tsits) is the picture of Isa 40:7, 'the flower fadeth'. Its fall came when the king of Assyria 'took Samaria' (2 Kgs 17:6).

Verse 2

a flood of mighty waters overflowing — The 'mighty and strong one' is the LORD's instrument, and 'overflowing' (shataph) is the verb that returns in vv.15, 17 and 18. Isa 8:7 names the same flood: 'the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory'.

Verse 5

a crown of glory — The words of v.1 are taken back: 'glorious beauty' there and 'glory… beauty' here are the same two words (tsebi, tiphereth). The 'crown' (atarah) is no longer Ephraim's pride but 'the LORD of hosts' himself, to 'the residue' (sheerith), the remnant of Isa 10:22 and of Rom 11:5.

Verse 6

a spirit of judgment — 'Judgment' is mishpat, the same word as in v.17 and, rendered 'discretion', in v.26. The LORD himself is the spirit of right decision for the one who sits in judgment, and strength for those who 'turn the battle to the gate', driving the enemy back at the city gate.

Verse 7

erred through wine — The priest was forbidden wine and strong drink when entering the tabernacle, that he might 'put difference between holy and unholy' and 'teach the children of Israel' (Lev 10:9–11). 'Erred' (shagah) is used three times, and the two failures named are in 'vision' and 'judgment'. 'Judgment' here (pelilyah) is found only here.

Verse 9

weaned from the milk — Gamal, weaned, as in Ps 131:2, 'as a child that is weaned of his mother'. 'Doctrine' is shemuah, something heard, the word translated 'report' in Isa 53:1, 'Who hath believed our report?' The verse asks who is fit to receive the message, and pictures the hearers as children just taken from the breast.

Verse 10

precept upon precept — Tsav is a command and qav a measuring line, the 'line' of v.17. The words are given in small repeated pieces, 'here a little, and there a little' (ze'ir). The teaching is set out as for a child beginning to learn; v.13 returns to these words with a different outcome.

Verse 11

stammering lips and another tongue — Paul cites this in the law, 'With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me' (1 Cor 14:21). The foreign speech is the nation sent against them, 'a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand' (Isa 33:19), as foretold in Deut 28:49.

Verse 12

This is the rest — Menuchah, rest, and 'refreshing' (margea), a word found only here. The offer is to the 'weary': 'In returning and rest shall ye be saved' (Isa 30:15), and 'ye shall find rest for your souls' (Jer 6:16). Christ speaks the same invitation, 'Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest' (Matt 11:28).

Verse 13

that they might go, and fall backward — The same words as v.10, 'precept upon precept… here a little', now come as judgment: five verbs, 'go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken'. The hearing that does not understand is that of Isa 6:9–10, which Christ applies in Matt 13:14. 'Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken' (Matt 21:44).

Verse 14

ye scornful men — Latson, scorners, from the same family as 'mockers' (luts) in v.22. The address moves from Ephraim to those 'that rule this people which is in Jerusalem'. The call 'hear the word of the LORD' is the same as to 'ye rulers of Sodom' in Isa 1:10.

Verse 15

a covenant with death — 'Hell' is sheol, the grave. The 'overflowing scourge' (shot shotef) is the flood of v.2, and the leaders say it will not 'come unto us'. 'Lies' (kazab) are their refuge and 'falsehood' (sheqer) their cover; v.17 answers that hail will sweep away 'the refuge of lies', and waters overflow 'the hiding place'.

Verse 16

a tried stone — 'I lay' (yasad) and 'sure foundation' (musad) share one root. Peter quotes the verse, 'Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded' (1 Pet 2:6); Paul joins it to Isa 8:14 in Rom 9:33. 'Shall not make haste' (chush) is 'confounded' in Peter and 'ashamed' in Rom 9:33. Cf. Ps 118:22; Eph 2:20.

Verse 17

the line… the plummet — The builder's measures, qav (the 'line' of v.10) and mishqeleth, are used here to test, and the same two words are set against Jerusalem in 2 Kgs 21:13. Amos sees the LORD standing 'upon a wall made by a plumbline' (Amos 7:7). The hail of v.2 returns to 'sweep away the refuge of lies'.

Verse 18

shall be disannulled — Kaphar is to cover over or cancel; it is the verb usually rendered 'atonement' and 'forgive', and here the covenant is wiped away. 'Shall not stand' is the formula of Isa 7:7 and 8:10 for a plan that comes to nothing. Those who trusted in the covenant are 'trodden down' by the scourge, as the crown of Ephraim was 'trodden under feet' (v.3).

Verse 20

the bed is shorter — 'Shorter' is qatsar, the verb of 'Is the LORD'S hand waxed short?' (Num 11:23), of 'Is my hand shortened at all?' (Isa 50:2) and of 'the LORD'S hand is not shortened' (Isa 59:1). It is the shelter built on lies that falls short; 'narrower' (tsarar) is of the same kind: the covering will not wrap around the man.

Verse 21

his strange work — Perazim is the place David called Baalperazim, where 'the LORD hath broken forth upon mine enemies' (2 Sam 5:20). At Gibeon 'the LORD cast down great stones from heaven' on the Amorites (Josh 10:11). The same LORD now acts against his own people; that is why his work is 'strange' (zur, foreign) and his act 'strange' (nokri, alien).

Verse 22

be ye not mockers — Luts, to scorn, as in the 'scornful men' of v.14. The 'bands' (moser) are bonds that grow tighter. The 'consumption, even determined' is worded as in Isa 10:23, and Paul cites the same prophecy in Rom 9:27–28. The prophet has 'heard' it from the Lord GOD of hosts, and does not invent it.

Verse 23

Give ye ear — Four commands to listen, 'give ear… hear… hearken… hear', open the parable of the ploughman (vv.23–29). The call is that of Isa 1:2, 'Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth'. Christ's own parable of the sower begins the same way: 'Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow' (Mark 4:3).

Verse 25

fitches… cummin — The sower makes 'plain the face' of the field, then puts each seed 'in their place' (gebulah, its own boundary): fitches, cummin, wheat, barley, rie. Wheat, barley and the 'rie' (kussemeth) are named together in Ezek 4:9, where the KJV renders that grain 'fitches'. The phrases 'principal wheat' and 'appointed barley' are found only here.

Verse 26

his God doth instruct him to discretion — 'Discretion' is mishpat, the word of vv.6 and 17 (judgment), and 'teach' (yarah) the verb of v.9. The farmer's right method comes from God; the craftsman is taught likewise: 'I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship' (Ex 31:3).

Verse 27

not threshed with a threshing instrument — The 'threshing instrument' (charuts) is the sharp-toothed implement of Isa 41:15, with which the LORD says 'thou shalt thresh the mountains'. The fitches are not put under it; they are 'beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod'. Each crop has its own tool, fitted to the grain.

Verse 28

Bread corn is bruised — The wheat is crushed, but 'he will not ever be threshing it'; the cart wheel and the horsemen stop short of breaking the grain. The threshing has an end and a purpose. The prophet's prayer asks the same measure: 'O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger' (Jer 10:24).

Verse 29

wonderful in counsel — The farmer's skill is from the LORD, and the lesson reaches to him. 'Working' (tushiyyah) is the word translated 'sound wisdom' in Prov 2:7 and 8:14; 'wonderful' (pala) is marvellous. Paul ends on the same note: 'O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!' (Rom 11:33).