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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Isaiah 28:9–13. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
The prophet here complains of the wretched stupidity of this people, that they were unteachable and made no improvement of the means of grace which they possessed; they still continued as they were, their mistakes not rectified, their hearts not renewed, nor their lives reformed. Observe,
I.What it was that their prophets and ministers designed and aimed at.
It was to teach them knowledge, the knowledge of God and his will, and to make them understand doctrine, Isa 28:9. This is God's way of dealing with men, to enlighten men's minds first with the knowledge of his truth, and thus to gain their affections, and bring their wills into a compliance with his laws; thus he enters in by the door, whereas the thief and the robber climb up another way.
II.What method they took, in pursuance of this design.
They left no means untried to do them good, but taught them as children are taught, little children that are beginning to learn, that are taken from the breast to the book (Isa 28:9), for among the Jews it was common for mothers to nurse their children till they were three years old, and almost ready to go to school. And it is good to begin betimes with children, to teach them, as they are capable, the good knowledge of the Lord, and to instruct them even when they are but newly weaned from the milk. The prophets taught them as children are taught; for,
1.They were constant and industrious in teaching them. They took great pains with them, and with great prudence, teaching them as they needed it and were able to bear it (Isa 28:10): Precept upon precept. It must be so, or (as some read) it has been so. They have been taught, as children are taught to read, by precept upon precept, and taught to write by line upon line, a little here and a little there, a little of one thing and a little of another, that the variety of instructions might be pleasing and inviting, - a little at one time and a little at another, that they might not have their memories overcharged, - a little from one prophet and a little from another, that every one might be pleased with his friend and him whom he admired. Note, For our instruction in the things of God it is requisite that we have precept upon precept and line upon line, that one precept and line should be followed, and so enforced by another; the precept of justice must be upon the precept of piety, and the precept of charity upon that of justice. Nay, it is necessary that the same precept and the same line should be often repeated and inculcated upon us, that we may the better understand them and the more easily recollect them when we have occasion for them. Teachers should accommodate themselves to the capacity of the learners, give them what they most need and can best bear, and a little at a time, Deu 6:6, Deu 6:7.
2.They courted and persuaded them to learn, Isa 28:12. God, by his prophets, said to them, "This way that we are directing you to, and directing you in, is the rest, the only rest, wherewith you may cause the weary to rest; and this will be the refreshing of your own souls, and will bring rest to your country from the wars and other calamities with which it has been long harassed." Note, God by his word calls us to nothing but what is really for our advantage; for the service of God is the only true rest for those that are weary of the service of sin and there is no refreshing but under the easy yoke of the Lord Jesus.
III.What little effect all this had upon the people.
They were as unapt to learn as young children newly weaned from the milk, and it was as impossible to fasten any thing upon them (Isa 28:9): nay, one would choose rather to teach a child of two years old than undertake to teach them; for they have not only (like such a child) no capacity to receive what is taught them, but they are prejudiced against it. As children, they have need of milk, and cannot bear strong meat, Heb 5:12.
1.They would not hear (Isa 28:12), no, not that which would be rest and refreshing to them. They had no mind to hear it. The word of God commanded their serious attention, but could not gain it; they were where it was preached, but they turned a deaf ear to it, or as it came in at one ear it went out at the other.
2.They would not heed. It was unto them precept upon precept, and line upon line (Isa 28:13); they went on in a road of external performances; they kept up the old custom of attending upon the prophet's preaching and it was continually sounding in their ears, but that was all; it made no impression upon them; they had the letter of the precept, but no experience of the power and spirit of it; it was continually beating upon them, but it beat nothing into them. Nay,
3.It should seem, they ridiculed the prophet's preaching, and bantered it. The word of the Lord was unto them Tsau latsau, kau lakau; in the original it is in rhyme; they made a song of the prophet's words, and sang it when they were merry over their wine. David was the song of the drunkards. It is great impiety, and a high affront to God, thus to make a jest of sacred things, to speak of that vainly which should make us serious.
IV.How severely God would reckon with them for this.
1.He would deprive them of the privilege of plain preaching, and speak to them with stammering lips and another tongue, Isa 28:11. Those that will not understand what is plain and level to their capacity, but despise it as mean and trifling, are justly amused with that which is above them. Or God will send foreign armies among them, whose language they understand not, to lay their country waste. Those that will not hear the comfortable voice of God's word shall be made to hear the dreadful voice of his rod. Or these words may be taken as denoting God's gracious condescension to their capacity in his dealing with them; he lisped to them in their own language, as nurses do to their children, with stammering lips, to humor them; he changed his voice, tried first one way and then another; the apostle quotes it as a favour (Co1 14:21), applying it to the gift of tongues, and complaining that yet for all this they would not hear.
2.He would bring utter ruin upon them. By their profane contempt of God and his word they are but hastening on their own ruin, and ripening themselves for it; it is that they may go and fall backward, may grow worse and worse, may depart further and further from God, and proceed from one sin to another, till they be quite broken, and snared, and taken, and ruined, Isa 28:13. They have here a little and there a little of the word of God; they think it too much, and say to the seers, See not; but it proves too little to convert them, and will prove enough to condemn them. If it be not a savour of life unto life, it will be a savour of death unto death.
Historical interpretation
Four Centuries of Reception
6 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying. Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine? And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me. Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified. I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men. In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. [Isaiah 28:11-12] Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
These gifts were first bestowed on us the apostles when we were about to preach the Gospel to every creature, and afterwards were of necessity afforded to those who had by our means believed; not for the advantage of those who perform them, but for the conviction of the unbelievers, that those whom the word did not persuade, the power of signs might put to shame: for signs are not for us who believe, but for the unbelievers, both for the Jews and Gentiles. For neither is it any profit to us to cast out demons, but to those who are so cleansed by the power of the Lord; as the Lord Himself somewhere instructs us, and shows, saying: "Rejoice not because the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice, because your names are written in heaven." [Luke 10:20] Since the former is done by His power, but this by our good disposition and diligence, yet (it is manifest) by His assistance. It is not therefore necessary that every one of the faithful should cast out demons, or raise the dead, or speak with tongues; but such a one only who is vouchsafed this gift, for some cause which may be advantage to the salvation of the unbelievers, who are often put to shame, not with the demonstration of the world, but by the power of the signs; that is, such as are worthy of salvation: for all the ungodly are not affected by wonders; and hereof God Himself is a witness, as when He says in the law: "With other tongues will I speak to this people, and with other lips, and yet will they by no means believe." [Isaiah 28:11; 1 Corinthians 14:21] For neither did the Egyptians believe in God, when Moses had done so many signs and wonders; nor did the multitude of the Jews believe in Christ, as they believed Moses, who yet had healed every sickness and every disease among them.
They spoke with strange tongues and not those of their native land; and the wonder was great, a language spoken by those who had not learned it. And the sign is to them that do not believe, not to them that believe, that it may be an accusation of the unbelievers, as it is written, “With other tongues and other lips will I speak to this people, and not even so will they listen to me, says the Lord.” But they heard. Here stop a little and raise a question. How are you to divide the words? For the expression has an ambiguity, which is to be determined by the punctuation. Did they each hear in their own dialect so that if I may so say, one sound was uttered but many were heard; the air being thus beaten and, so to speak, sounds being produced more clear than the original sound? Or are we to put the stop after “they heard” and then to add “them speaking in their own languages” to what follows, so that it would be speaking in the hearers’ own languages, which would be foreign to the speakers? I prefer to put it this latter way; for on the other plan the miracle would be rather of the hearers than of the speakers; whereas in this it would be on the speakers’ side. And it was they who were reproached for drunkenness, evidently because they by the Spirit wrought a miracle in the matter of the tongues.
Someone might well ask how the apostles drew to themselves all these people. How did men who spoke only the language of the Jews win over the Scythian, the Indian, the Sarmatian and the Thracian? Because they received the gift of tongues through the Holy Spirit. Not only did the apostles say this but also the prophets when they made both these facts clear, namely, that the apostles received the gift of tongues and that they failed to win over the Jews. Hear how the prophet showed this when he said, “ ‘In foreign tongues and with other lips I shall speak to this people, and in this way they shall not hear me,’ says the Lord.”
(Vers. 10 seqq.) Who will teach knowledge, and who will make understanding? Weaned from milk, pulled from the breasts: command, re-command; command, re-command; wait, re-wait; wait, re-wait; a little here, a little there. For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, to whom He said, 'This is the rest, give rest to the weary,' and 'This is the refreshing,' but they would not hear. And the word of the Lord will be to them, command, re-command; command, re-command; wait, re-wait; wait, re-wait; a little here, a little there, that they may go and fall backward, and be broken, snared, and caught. LXX: To whom shall we announce evil, and to whom shall we announce good news? Those who have been weaned from milk, those who have been taken away from the breast. Expect tribulation upon tribulation; wait for hope upon hope; still little, still little: because of the mockery of lips, because of the other tongue with which they will speak to this people, saying to them: This is the rest for the hungry, and this is the crushing, and they did not want to hear. The word of the Lord will come upon them: Tribulation upon tribulation: wait, wait; hope upon hope: still little, still little; so that they may go and fall backward, and be crushed, and be endangered, and be captured. Who, he says, is worthy of the teaching of the Lord, to whom are the words of the Savior saying: 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear' (Matthew 12:15), so that what he has heard with his ears, he may understand with his heart? The following verse shows who they are: 'Weaned from milk, drawn from the breast, who are not nourished with milk in infancy, but are fed with solid food; who were drawn from the breast with Isaac: for the joy of this, Abraham made a great feast' (Genesis 22); they deserve to hear the mysteries of the Lord, and to understand what the priest and prophet do not know, intoxicated and absorbed by wine, who wandered and did not know the one who sees, because all their tables are filled with vomit and filth, who, when the prophets announce the future and threaten torments unless they did what was commanded, used to say scoffing: 'Command, re-command; command, re-command,' that is, 'order, order, command what we should do.' And when they abused the patience of God, who delays his anger in order to show mercy; who used to say even this in jest through the mouths of the prophets: Wait a little longer, wait a little while, the things that we have prophesied will come. But all of these things they spoke to the people, because they did not believe the words of God; and immediately the prophet brings this in: By no means will God speak to you with these words, in order to give you a commandment of what you should do, and to wait for the things that are to come, but he will speak to you in present fury, who had previously said to the people: This is my rest, revive the weary, I have labored for a long time, I have found no rest in anything. Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head (Matthew 8; Luke 9). And this is my refreshment, that I may find rest in you at times. Those who did not want to listen and despised my warnings; therefore, they say to the prophets what they used to say when they were playing: Command, re-command; command, re-command; wait, re-wait; wait, re-wait; a little here, a little there, and they mock my patience, thinking that I am threatening things that I will never do: let them experience the fulfillment of their desires, so that they may go to destruction and fall back incurably; and may they never make progress and be unable to say with the Apostle: Forgetting the past, we stretch out to what is ahead (Philippians 3:13); but may they be broken and ensnared, and captured by either the Babylonian or the Roman army. For that which we have said: Command, re-command; command, re-command; expect, re-expect; expect, re-expect; a little here, a little there, in Hebrew it is written thus: Sau Lasau, Sau Lasau; Cau Lacau, Cau Lacau: Zer Sam, Zer Sam; and with these words the most impure heresy is accustomed to deceive and terrify the simple ones, in order to make them fear the novelty of the words, so that whoever knows these words and remembers them during their intercourse, without any doubt, will pass on to the kingdom of heaven. We read in the Apostle: 'In other tongues and with other lips I will speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me,' says the Lord (1 Corinthians 14:21). This seems to me to be taken from the present chapter according to the Hebrew, and we observed this in the Old Testament (except for a few testimonies, which only Luke abuses by having more knowledge of the Greek language). Wherever something is said from the Old Testament, we do not follow the Septuagint, but the Hebrew, not following any interpretation, but translating the Hebrew sense into our own language. Symmachus, Theodotion, and the Septuagint had different opinions on this passage, and since it is long to speak about all of them, let us briefly pass over the Septuagint interpreters who are read in the Churches. I reject the Jewish people, the Priests and the Prophets, who have become drunk with wine, and have strayed and their plan, which they entered into because of greed, has been consumed by a curse. Will we announce future tribulations for the sake of Christ to them? To whom will evil be prepared as the crown of virtues? Surely it signifies the apostles, those who have been weaned from milk, those who have been torn away from the breast: Expect tribulation upon tribulation. But it speaks to the choir of the apostles and of all believers, that they should prepare themselves not for one, but for many tribulations, so that when they are troubled and oppressed, they may hope again, and have hope upon hope. And if the things that are promised are delayed a little, let them not be unbelieving: for indeed, it is a small and little delay, and the things that are promised will come. Indeed, tribulation works patience; patience, probation: probation, hope; and hope does not disappoint. (Rom. V, 3, 4, 5). And this same tribulation will be multiplied by the detraction of lips and the blasphemies of persecutors, with which they rage against the people of God with a rabid mouth. Moreover, the apostles and apostolic men will speak to the Jewish people, saying: This is the rest for the hungry for justice, and this is the contrition and anguish that leads to life. When these things were preached, the wicked refused to listen. Therefore, what was said to the people of God: Endure tribulation, endure tribulation; wait for hope, wait for hope: a little longer, a little longer, will be turned into punishment for those who refused to hear the word of the Lord, so that they may fall and go backwards, and fall into the danger of siege and death, and be captured without any end to their misery. But the Hebrew word Dea, which everyone translates as 'knowledge', was only interpreted poorly by the Seventy, a clear error. For the first letter is distinguished either as Daleth or Res with a small apex. Therefore, if it is read as Dea (), it means 'knowledge'; if Rea (), it means 'malice'; not from evil, which is contrary to good, but from constraint.
Thus at times all the sayings of the ancient covenant of the sacred Scriptures are designated together by the name of law. For the apostle cites the testimony from the prophet Isaiah, where he says, “In other tongues and with other lips I will speak to this people,” and yet he had prefaced this by saying, “In the law it is written.”
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Summary
Isaiah 28:11 is a profound prophetic declaration from God through the prophet Isaiah, announcing a severe shift in divine communication. Because the leaders and people of Israel, particularly those in Ephraim and Jerusalem, had scornfully rejected God's clear, simple instructions delivered by His prophets, He would now speak to them through the harsh, unintelligible language of foreign invaders. This "stammering lips and another tongue" graphically symbolizes the impending divine judgment in the form of conquest and exile by the formidable Assyrian empire, serving as a terrifying consequence of their spiritual deafness and persistent rebellion against God's plain truth.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is deeply embedded within a series of "woe" oracles in Isaiah 28, specifically targeting the spiritual drunkenness, arrogance, and moral decay of the leaders in both the northern kingdom of Ephraim (Israel) and the southern kingdom of Judah. The immediate preceding verses, Isaiah 28:9-10, vividly depict these leaders mocking Isaiah's prophetic messages, dismissing them as childish babble—"precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little." Their contempt for God's clear, understandable revelation through His prophets sets the stage for God's direct and potent response in verse 11. Since they refused to comprehend His simple, comprehensible Hebrew, God declares He will communicate with them in a manner they cannot understand, through the alien tongues of their conquerors. This serves as a divine counter-mockery and a stark declaration of impending judgment, powerfully emphasizing the principle that persistent rejection of divine truth inevitably leads to incomprehensible divine judgment.
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah prophesied during a profoundly turbulent period in the 8th century BCE, witnessing the decline and eventual catastrophic fall of the northern kingdom of Israel (Ephraim) to the Assyrian empire in 722 BCE, and the ongoing, existential threat to the southern kingdom of Judah. The political and spiritual landscape of both kingdoms was characterized by widespread spiritual apathy, rampant idolatry, and a misguided reliance on precarious political alliances with foreign powers rather than on the covenant faithfulness of God. Culturally, the people were accustomed to the prophetic voice speaking in their native Hebrew, delivering God's covenant warnings, promises, and instructions. The looming threat of foreign invasion, particularly from the formidable Assyrian empire, renowned for its brutal conquests, systematic deportations, and imposition of foreign rule, was a terrifying prospect. For God to declare that He would "speak" through "another tongue" would immediately evoke the terrifying, alien sounds of Assyrian soldiers, whose language, customs, and military might were utterly foreign and hostile. This declaration profoundly signified the imminent loss of national sovereignty, divine protection, and the very fabric of their cultural identity, a direct consequence of their failure to uphold the Mosaic Covenant.
Key Themes
Isaiah 28:11 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes pervasive throughout the book of Isaiah. Firstly, it highlights the theme of Divine Judgment and Sovereignty. God is not merely reacting to Israel's profound sin; He is actively and sovereignly orchestrating their judgment, using foreign nations as instruments of His righteous wrath, thereby demonstrating His absolute control over human history and all nations. Secondly, it underscores the severe Consequences of Rejecting God's Word. The verse vividly illustrates that persistent spiritual rebellion and scoffing at divine revelation inevitably lead to severe, often incomprehensible, and terrifying consequences. Because they scorned the clear, simple voice of the prophets, they would be forced to hear the terrifying, unintelligible voice of their oppressors. This theme is echoed throughout the prophetic literature, such as in Jeremiah's impassioned warnings to Judah regarding their covenant infidelity. Thirdly, it touches upon the Nature of Prophetic Communication. While God profoundly desires to speak clearly and simply, as demonstrated by the "precept upon precept" style, He is also perfectly capable of speaking through circumstances and judgment when His direct, verbal words are willfully ignored. This foreshadows how God might communicate in ways that are a sign of judgment for unbelief, a concept later referenced in the New Testament regarding the gift of tongues.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word, derived from the root לָעַג (laʻag), meaning "to mock" or "to stammer," signifies speech that is not only unintelligible or foreign but also carries an element of ridicule, contempt, or even hostility. In this context, it describes a communication that is disorienting and alien, directly contrasting the clear, simple instructions God had previously offered. It implies a communication that is a direct reflection of the contempt the Israelites had shown towards God's straightforward message.
This term simply means "other," "different," or "next." When combined with "tongue," it strongly emphasizes the foreignness and alien nature of the language. It is not merely a different dialect of Hebrew but a completely distinct linguistic system, signifying a profound cultural, national, and hostile divide. This "otherness" underscores the severity of the impending judgment, as it represents an external, hostile force that will utterly overwhelm and dominate them.
This fundamental Hebrew verb means "to speak," "to declare," "to command," or "to arrange." Its use here is profoundly ironic and powerful. God, who has consistently "spoken" to His people through His prophets in their own clear language, will now "speak" to them through the terrifying medium of a foreign tongue. This highlights God's active and sovereign role in bringing about the judgment, transforming the very act of divine communication from one of instruction and warning into one of punishment, conquest, and destruction.
Verse Breakdown
"For with stammering lips and another tongue"
This initial phrase precisely describes the manner and medium of God's future communication. The Hebrew "לַעֲגֵי שָׂפָה" (laʻagê sâphâh), translated "stammering lips," refers to speech that is unclear, foreign, or even mocking, while "וְלָשׁוֹן אַחֶרֶת" (wəlâšôwn ʼaḥeret), "and another tongue," explicitly identifies it as a foreign language. This is a powerful metonymy, where the foreign language itself stands for the foreign people who speak it, specifically the invading Assyrians. The very sound of their language, unintelligible and inherently threatening, would become God's "voice" of judgment to a people who had defiantly refused to listen to His clear, understandable voice. It signifies a complete breakdown in communication, not because God is unclear, but because the people have become spiritually deaf and unresponsive.
"will he speak to this people"
This concluding clause identifies the agent and the recipient of this terrifying communication. The pronoun "he" unequivocally refers to God, indicating His divine initiative, sovereignty, and active role in bringing this judgment to pass. "This people" refers to the Israelites, particularly the scoffing leaders and the inhabitants of Judah and Ephraim, who had consistently and stubbornly rejected God's prophetic warnings and instructions. The passive voice of "will he speak" (יְדַבֵּר, yədaḇḇêr) implies that this is a divinely ordained and executed action, a direct and inevitable consequence of their profound rebellion. God's speaking, once a source of life, guidance, and covenant blessing, now transforms into a terrifying pronouncement of their impending doom, delivered not through comforting words but through the harsh, brutal realities of invasion, military defeat, and subsequent exile.
Literary Devices
Isaiah 28:11 employs several potent literary devices to convey its stark message of divine judgment and the consequences of spiritual rebellion. Metonymy is prominently featured, as "stammering lips and another tongue" serves as a powerful stand-in for the foreign invaders themselves, specifically the Assyrians. The unintelligible language is a terrifying substitution for the brutal reality of their conquest and occupation. There is also profound Irony at play: because the people mocked God's clear, simple instructions as "babbling" fit only for infants (as seen in Isaiah 28:9-10), God declares that He will indeed speak to them in a "babbling" foreign tongue—a terrifying reversal where their scorn becomes the very instrument of their judgment. This serves as a divine counter-mockery, highlighting the inescapable nature of God's justice. Furthermore, the verse makes powerful use of Symbolism, where the foreign tongue symbolizes not just an alien language, but the profound loss of divine favor, the breakdown of the sacred covenant relationship, and the impending national catastrophe of invasion, defeat, and exile. The very sound of the foreign language becomes a tangible and audible sign of God's righteous wrath and the devastating consequences of spiritual rebellion.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Isaiah 28:11 stands as a profound theological statement on the nature of divine communication, the certainty of divine judgment, and the dire consequences of human rebellion against God's revealed truth. It powerfully underscores God's unwavering commitment to His covenant, even when that commitment necessitates bringing severe disciplinary judgment upon His unfaithful people. The principle articulated here is clear and timeless: when God's clear, simple, and gracious word is persistently rejected, He may resort to more severe, even incomprehensible, forms of communication to capture His people's attention, often through the instrument of suffering, foreign powers, or natural consequences. This passage highlights God's absolute sovereignty over history and nations, demonstrating His ability to use even pagan empires as instruments to accomplish His righteous purposes. It also implicitly teaches the critical importance of humility and immediate responsiveness to divine revelation, as spiritual deafness ultimately leads to a terrifying reality where God's voice is heard not in comforting instruction but in the roar of an enemy.
Reflection and Application
Isaiah 28:11 stands as a solemn and enduring warning to all generations about the profound perils of spiritual arrogance and the stubborn refusal to heed God's clear and gracious voice. It challenges us to deeply examine our own hearts: are we truly listening to God's Word with humility and obedience, or are we dismissing it as irrelevant, simplistic, or inconvenient in our modern lives? When we become spiritually deaf to the plain truths of Scripture and the gentle, persistent promptings of the Holy Spirit, we risk inviting a harsher, less desirable form of divine communication—one that may manifest through difficult circumstances, painful consequences, or even the "foreign tongues" of life's trials and tribulations. This verse urgently calls us to cultivate a posture of profound humility and eager receptivity, recognizing that God's Word, though sometimes challenging and convicting, is always for our ultimate good and spiritual flourishing. It powerfully reminds us that consistent, willful rejection of divine light inevitably leads to greater spiritual darkness, and that true wisdom lies in wholeheartedly embracing God's revealed truth with an open heart and an obedient spirit, thereby ensuring that His voice remains a perpetual source of life, guidance, and blessing, rather than a perplexing and terrifying sign of judgment.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "stammering lips and another tongue" literally refer to in Isaiah's time?
In the immediate historical context of Isaiah 28:11, "stammering lips and another tongue" literally refers to the foreign language spoken by the invading Assyrian army. Because the people of Israel and Judah had mocked and rejected God's clear, understandable messages delivered by His Hebrew-speaking prophets, God declared that He would speak to them through the unintelligible, harsh, and terrifying sounds of their conquerors. This was a direct and severe sign of divine judgment and the impending reality of invasion, military defeat, and exile, as prophesied throughout Isaiah (e.g., Isaiah 10:5-6).
How does the Apostle Paul use Isaiah 28:11 in 1 Corinthians 14:21?
The Apostle Paul quotes Isaiah 28:11 in 1 Corinthians 14:21 within his comprehensive discussion on the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues. Paul uses the Old Testament passage to illustrate that tongues, particularly when uninterpreted, can serve as a sign of judgment for unbelievers. Just as God spoke through foreign tongues (the Assyrians) as a sign of judgment to disobedient Israel, so too can the uninterpreted phenomenon of tongues be a sign to those who do not believe, indicating God's dealings with them and their spiritual state. Paul emphasizes that while tongues are a sign, prophecy (speaking in an understandable language) is more beneficial for the church's edification because it leads to understanding, conviction, and spiritual growth.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
While Isaiah 28:11 primarily speaks to God's impending judgment upon rebellious Israel through the instrument of foreign invaders, its deeper Christ-centered fulfillment reveals profound and multifaceted truths about God's ultimate communication and humanity's response to His definitive Word. Jesus Christ is the very Logos, the eternal Word of God made flesh, through whom God has spoken most clearly, completely, and definitively to humanity (e.g., John 1:14 and Hebrews 1:1-2). Yet, just as ancient Israel stubbornly rejected the clear voice of the prophets, so too did many in Israel reject the plain, powerful, and life-giving words of Jesus, the Son of God, dismissing Him and His message (e.g., John 1:11). Their spiritual deafness to the Messiah's voice ultimately led to a form of "stammering lips and another tongue" as judgment, culminating in the horrific destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD, a foreign power whose language, customs, and military might were utterly alien, much like the Assyrians of Isaiah's day. However, in a beautiful and redemptive paradox, the concept of "other tongues" also finds a positive and transformative fulfillment in the New Covenant. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit empowered believers to miraculously speak in "other tongues" (actual human languages) that were immediately understood by the diverse crowd present, powerfully reversing the curse of Babel and signifying the universal, global reach of the Gospel (e.g., Acts 2:4-11). This miraculous outpouring of the Spirit on all nations, breaking down linguistic and cultural barriers, is God's ultimate clear communication of salvation to "this people" (all humanity) through the finished work of Christ. Yet, as Paul highlights in 1 Corinthians 14:21-22, even these Spirit-empowered "other tongues" can paradoxically serve as a sign of judgment for unbelievers who stubbornly refuse to listen, much like the foreign tongues of invaders. Ultimately, Isaiah 28:11 foreshadows that persistent rejection of God's clear revelation in Christ will inevitably lead to a terrifying encounter with divine judgment, but for those who humbly embrace Him, His "tongue" is one of boundless grace, profound salvation, and eternal life, understood by all who believe.