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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 28:23–29. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
This parable, which (like many of our Saviour's parables) is borrowed from the husbandman's calling, is ushered in with a solemn preface demanding attention, He that has ears to hear, let him hear, hear and understand, Isa 28:23.
I.The parable here is plain enough, that the husbandman applies himself to the business of his calling with a great deal of pains and prudence, secundum artem - according to rule, and, as his judgment directs him, observes a method and order in his work.
1.In his ploughing and sowing: Does the ploughman plough all day to sow? Yes, he does, and he ploughs in hope and sows in hope, Co1 9:10. Does he open and break the clods? Yes, he does, that the land may be fit to receive the seed. And when he has thus made plain the face thereof does he not sow his seed, seed suitable to the soil? For the husbandman knows what grain is fit for clayey ground and what for sandy ground, and, accordingly, he sows each in its place - wheat in the principal place (so the margin reads it), for it is the principal grain, and was a staple commodity of Canaan (Eze 27:17), and barley in the appointed place. The wisdom and goodness of the God of nature are to be observed in this, that, to oblige his creatures with a grateful variety of productions, he has suited to them an agreeable variety of earths.
2.In his threshing, Isa 28:27, Isa 28:28. This also he proportions to the grain that is to be threshed out. The fitches and the cummin, being easily got out of their husk or ear, are only threshed with a staff and a rod; but the bread-corn requires more force, and therefore that must be bruised with a threshing instrument, a sledge shod with iron, that was drawn to and fro over it, to beat out the corn; and yet he will not be ever threshing it, nor any longer than is necessary to loosen the corn from the chaff; he will not break it, or crush it, into the ground with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it to pieces with his horsemen; the grinding of it is reserved for another operation. Observe, by the way, what pains are to be taken, not only for the earning, but for the preparing of our necessary food; and yet, after all, it is meat that perishes. Shall we then grudge to labour much more for the meat which endures to everlasting life? Bread-corn is bruised. Christ was so; it pleased the Lord to bruise him, that he might be the bread of life to us.
II.The interpretation of the parable is not so plain.
Most interpreters make it a further answer to those who set the judgments of God at defiance: "Let them know that as the husbandman will not be always ploughing, but will at length sow his seed, so God will not be always threatening, but will at length execute his threatenings and bring upon sinners the judgments they have deserved; but in wisdom, and in proportion to their strength, not that they may be ruined, but that they may be reformed and brought to repentance by them." But I think we may give this parable a greater latitude in the exposition of it.
1.In general, that God who gives the husbandman this wisdom is, doubtless, himself infinitely wise. It is God that instructs the husbandman to discretion, as his God, Isa 28:26. Husbandmen have need of discretion wherewith to order their affairs, and ought not undertake that business unless they do in some measure understand it; and they should by observation and experience endeavour to improve themselves in the knowledge of it. Since the king himself is served of the field, the advancing of the art of husbandry is a common service to mankind more than the cultivating of most other arts. The skill of the husbandman is from God, as every good and perfect gift is. This takes off somewhat of the weight and terror of the sentence passed on man for sin, that when God, in execution of it, sent man to till the ground, he taught him how to do it most to his advantage, otherwise, in the greatness of his folly, he might have been for ever tilling the sand of the sea, labouring to no purpose. It is he that gives men capacity for this business, an inclination to it, and a delight in it; and if some were not by Providence cut out for it, and mad to rejoice (as Issachar, that tribe of husbandmen) in their tents, notwithstanding the toil and fatigue of this business, we should soon want the supports of life. If some are more discreet and judicious in managing these or any other affairs than others are, God must be acknowledged in it; and to him husbandmen must seek for direction in their business, for they, above other men, have an immediate dependence upon the divine Providence. As to the other instance of the husbandman's conduct in threshing his corn, it is said, This also comes forth from the Lord of hosts, Isa 28:29. Even the plainest dictate of sense and reason must be acknowledged to come forth from the Lord of hosts. And, if it is from him that men do things wisely and discreetly, we must needs acknowledge him to be wise in counsel and excellent in working. God's working is according to his will; he never acts against his own mind, as men often do, and there is a counsel in his whole will: he is therefore excellent in working, because he is wonderful in counsel.
2.God's church is his husbandry, 1 Co. 3. 9 If Christ is the true vine, his Father is the husbandman (Joh 15:1), and he is continually by his word and ordinances cultivating it. Does the ploughman plough all day, and break the clods of his ground, that it may receive the seed, and does not God by his ministers break up the fallow ground? Does not the ploughman, when the ground is fitted for the seed, cast in the seed in its proper soil? He does so, and so the great God sows his word by the hand of his ministers (Mat 13:19), who are to divide the word of truth and give every one his portion. Whatever the soil of the heart is, there is some seed or other in the word proper for it. And, as the word of God, so the rod of God is thus wisely made use of. Afflictions are God's threshing-instruments, designed to loosen us from the world, to separate between us and our chaff, and to prepare us for use. And, as to these, God will make use of them as there is occasion; but he will proportion them to our strength; they shall be no heavier than there is need. If the rod and the staff will answer the end, he will not make use of his cart-wheel and his horsemen. And where these are necessary, as for the bruising of the bread-corn (which will not otherwise be got clean from the straw), yet he will not be ever threshing it, will not always chide, but his anger shall endure but for a moment; nor will he crush under his feet the prisoners of the earth. And herein we must acknowledge him wonderful in counsel and excellent in working.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
(Vers. 23 seqq.) Pay attention and listen to my voice: listen and hear my speech. Does the plowman plow all day to sow, break up the soil, and harrow it? When he has leveled its surface, does he not sow dill, scatter cumin, plant wheat in rows, barley, millet, and rye in their proper place? For his God instructs him and teaches him the right way. For dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, nor is a cartwheel rolled over cumin; but dill is beaten out with a stick and cumin with a rod, and the wheat for bread is crushed. But he will not crush him forever, nor will the wheel of his cart bruise him, nor will he grind him with his hoofs. This also comes forth from the LORD of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working. Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear my words. Does the plowman keep plowing all day to sow? Does he keep turning the soil and breaking the clods? When he has leveled its surface, does he not sow the black cumin and scatter the cumin seed? He plants wheat in rows, barley in its designated place, and spelt along its borders, for he instructs him with judgment, and teaches him knowledge. For it is not when gith is cleansed by hardness, nor when the wheel of a cart goes over the cumin; but the gith is shaken off, and the cumin is eaten with bread. For I will not be angry with you forever, nor will the voice of my bitterness trample you, and these wonders have come from the Lord. Come, consult, exalt empty consolation. Now he even speaks to the same ones to whom he said before: Hear the word of God, you scoffers, who rule over my people who are in Jerusalem: and he commands them to hear his voice, and to carefully attend to his discourse. He says, 'Does the farmer always plow so that he may scatter the seed? Will he not first break up the soil and turn over the furrows with a plow, and break up the clods with a rake and a hoe, so that when he has leveled the surface of the earth and softened the previously hard fields, then he may spread spelt or cumin and sow wheat, barley, millet, and spelt in his fields, according to the variation of the soil and the seasons; for not all things are sown at the same time.' Some understand by farre what the Greeks call ζέαν. And God, by His natural judgment, teaches the farmer, that is, the sower, and instructs him to know what cultivation he should apply to each seed. Finally, when the time for harvesting comes, barley and cumin, which are weaker seeds, are not crushed by the wheels of carts, which are turned and pulled like sawmills over the harvested crops; but they are beaten out with a stick and a staff, which are commonly called flails. But bread, that is, wheat from which bread is made, is ground with iron wheels, and all its chaff is crushed into straw. However, it is not always ground and crushed by the nails of the wheels; for this reason, it is said in Hebrew with their horses: so that because he had mentioned the nails of the wheels, he would maintain the metaphor in the rest. Some want it to be shown from the fact that he mentioned nails and horses, the herds of mares, which are usually sent into the threshing floors for grinding wheat: but the Scripture could not say that the province of Judea did not have them. However, this, that is, that the branches of gith and cumin are shaken off with a stick: the grain of barley and far, perhaps also millet, is crushed with iron wheels, is not a perpetual judgment of God, who in all things shows his wonderful counsel, and shows the greatness of his justice in all things. We have said these things paraphrastically, so that we may more easily understand the meaning for which these things are said. God dispenses the human race in various ways, now punishing, now having mercy: now rebuking, now defending; that is, now he plows, now he sows, now he harvests the ripe fruits, and threshes them in the barns, and governs his own world as he pleases. He who knew the will of his Lord, and did not do it, will be beaten with many stripes (Luke 12:47); and in another place it is written: The mighty shall suffer mighty tortures (Wisdom 6:7). But they will not be tormented forever. For it is one thing to be impious, another thing to be a sinner. What we have interpreted concerning the nations and the Jews, others explain as referring to the people and the priests, so that the ignorant multitude will be chastised like a reed and cumin with a rod; but the priests who have the key of knowledge will be tormented with great punishments. And may this be done by the judgment of the Lord, who reveals his wonderful counsel and the truth of justice in all things, so that those who have received more will be required to give more. As for what we have translated: 'On a rod the gith will be shaken, and cumin on a staff.' I do not know why the LXX translators chose to translate it this way, but cumin is actually eaten with bread. And indeed, even the ancient Greek translators, discussing the Hebrew text, remained silent about this passage, perhaps because they did not know what to say. But what we have placed according to the Hebrew is: 'He will not continually thresh him, nor will a wagon wheel drive over him, nor will his hooves crush him.' The LXX translators interpreted it not according to the exact words, but according to the meaning: 'For I will not be angry with you forever, nor will the voice of my bitterness trample you.' They were showing future blessings to sinners after torment, and that these things were like wonders and miracles that have come from the Lord. Where it is commanded to sinners who are about to be punished, that they should seek counsel and raise up their consolation, not in any way vain, as it is added by the Seventy, but absolutely consolation. For God would never command them to raise up their vain consolation, which would not be profitable for them.
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Summary
Isaiah 28:27 employs a profound agricultural analogy to illuminate God's perfect wisdom and meticulous precision in His dealings with humanity, particularly concerning His divine discipline and judgment. Just as a discerning farmer wisely selects appropriate tools and methods for threshing diverse crops—applying gentler techniques for delicate seeds like fitches and cummin, and heavier implements for more robust grains—so too does the Lord administer His sovereign purposes with unparalleled discernment, never employing a uniform approach but always acting with tailored wisdom to achieve His intended outcome of refinement and purification rather than destruction.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is intricately woven into a significant prophetic section of Isaiah (chapters 28-33), often characterized by a series of "Woes" pronounced against Israel and Judah. Isaiah 28 opens with a severe rebuke directed at Ephraim (the Northern Kingdom) for its spiritual arrogance and moral decay, followed by a stern warning to Jerusalem (the Southern Kingdom) for its misguided reliance on human alliances and its rejection of God's incremental, patient teaching, described as "precept upon precept, line upon line" in Isaiah 28:10. Amidst these pronouncements of impending judgment, verses 23-29 introduce a remarkable parable of the farmer, which subtly shifts the tone from condemnation to a profound exposition of God's inherent wisdom and sovereign control. This agricultural analogy serves to explain the rationale behind God's actions—His judgments and disciplines are not arbitrary acts of wrath but are administered with the same careful, purposeful skill a farmer employs to cultivate his land and harvest his crops effectively. The preceding verse, Isaiah 28:26, explicitly states that the farmer's knowledge and discernment come directly from God, thus setting the theological framework for the specific examples of threshing methods detailed in verse 27.
Historical & Cultural Context
Ancient Israel was fundamentally an agrarian society, where agricultural practices formed the bedrock of daily life and communal understanding. Threshing represented a critical stage of the harvest cycle, essential for separating the valuable grain from the less desirable chaff and straw. The specific methods employed for threshing varied significantly depending on the crop's characteristics, such as its size, delicacy, and the toughness of its husk. Robust grains like wheat and barley necessitated heavy threshing sledges (often equipped with sharp teeth) or large cart wheels pulled by oxen, designed to break apart their sturdy stalks and husks. Conversely, lighter tools, such as staffs or rods, were exclusively used for smaller, more delicate seeds like fitches (black cumin) and cummin, which would be easily crushed or rendered useless by heavier implements. This common, practical agricultural knowledge provided Isaiah's audience with a readily comprehensible and deeply resonant metaphor, illustrating God's precise and appropriate application of discipline, perfectly tailored to the specific "crop" (whether an individual, a nation, or a particular situation) and its unique needs. The imagery would have resonated deeply with their lived experience and agricultural heritage.
Key Themes
Isaiah 28:27 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the book of Isaiah and broader biblical theology. Foremost among these is the theme of Divine Wisdom and Sovereignty, which underscores that God's actions are never random, excessive, or capricious, but are perfectly calibrated, reflecting His infinite knowledge and absolute control over all creation and human affairs. This verse also profoundly highlights the theme of Tailored Discipline and Judgment, revealing that God's punitive or refining actions are not designed for annihilation but are purposed to achieve a specific, often redemptive, outcome. Just as a skilled farmer seeks to preserve the valuable grain, God's discipline ultimately aims to purify, restore, and preserve His people. This contrasts sharply with the earlier pronouncements of woe and judgment, demonstrating that even God's most severe actions are administered with a wise and purposeful hand, as affirmed by the concluding statement of this analogy in Isaiah 28:29, which declares God's "wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working." The passage also subtly touches upon the theme of Human Accountability, implying that while God's methods are perfectly wise, the necessity for such divine discipline often arises from human sin, rebellion, and a persistent refusal to heed His "precept upon precept" instruction.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
A primitive root, this word signifies the act of trampling or threshing, specifically the process of separating grain from its stalk and husk. In the context of Isaiah 28:27, its use in the negative ("are not threshed with a threshing instrument") emphasizes the inappropriateness of employing heavy-handed, crushing methods for delicate crops. It implies a forceful, often destructive action typically reserved for tougher, more resilient grains.
This term refers to a specific agricultural implement, often a sledge or wagon fitted with sharp teeth or heavy wheels, used for intensive, heavy-duty threshing. Its description as "incisive" or "pointed" underscores its capacity for severe, thorough separation. The explicit contrast with gentler tools highlights the principle that God does not indiscriminately apply the harshest forms of judgment or discipline to all situations, but rather with discerning purpose.
Derived from a root meaning "to extend," this word denotes a branch, rod, or staff. In this agricultural context, it refers to a lighter, hand-held tool used for beating out more delicate seeds. Its selection here, alongside "rod" (H7626, shêbeṭ'), underscores the precise, gentle, and non-destructive method employed for the fitches, mirroring God's careful and measured discipline that aims to preserve rather than destroy.
Verse Breakdown
"For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument"
This initial clause introduces the first example of the principle of appropriate threshing methods. "Fitches" (Hebrew: qetsach) refers to black cumin, a small, delicate seed. The emphatic assertion that they are not threshed with a heavy "threshing instrument" (Hebrew: chărûwts) immediately establishes the core principle of tailored action. It conveys that a wise and skilled farmer would never use a tool designed for tough, coarse grains on something as fragile as fitches, as such an action would inevitably destroy the valuable seed rather than merely separate it. This illustrates God's profound discernment in not applying overly harsh or destructive discipline where a gentler, more preserving touch is required.
"neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin"
This second negative example powerfully reinforces the established principle. "Cummin" (Hebrew: kammôn) is another small, aromatic seed, comparable in delicacy to fitches. A "cart wheel" (Hebrew: ʻăgâlâh and ʼôwphân) refers to the heavy wheels of a wagon or cart, which were sometimes employed to roll over grains for threshing. To use such a heavy implement on cummin would, like the threshing instrument on fitches, crush the seeds, rendering them useless. This further emphasizes God's absolute precision, ensuring that His actions are never disproportionate or counterproductive to His ultimate, redemptive purpose.
"but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod"
This final clause provides the positive and correct methods for threshing these delicate crops, highlighting the contrast. A "staff" (Hebrew: maṭṭeh) and a "rod" (Hebrew: shêbeṭ) are lighter, hand-held implements. They allow for a gentle, controlled beating action that effectively separates the seeds from their husks without crushing or damaging them. This vivid contrast underscores God's measured approach: His discipline, though sometimes painful or uncomfortable, is always administered with a specific, refining, and ultimately preserving purpose, ensuring that the "precious" (the purified believer or nation) is not destroyed but made ready for its intended use and flourishing.
Literary Devices
The primary literary device at play in Isaiah 28:27, and indeed throughout the broader passage (Isaiah 28:23-29), is an Extended Metaphor or Analogy. God is implicitly and powerfully compared to a skilled, wise farmer, and His people (or humanity in general) are likened to various crops requiring specific cultivation and harvesting techniques. The different threshing instruments and methods symbolize God's diverse, appropriate, and perfectly calibrated ways of dealing with individuals and nations, particularly in moments of judgment and discipline. This analogy takes an abstract theological concept—divine wisdom in judgment—and makes it tangible, relatable, and understandable through a common, everyday agricultural practice. The verse also prominently employs Contrast, setting the inappropriate, destructive methods (the heavy threshing instrument, the crushing cart wheel) against the appropriate, preserving methods (the gentle staff, the delicate rod). This stark contrast powerfully underscores the precision, purposefulness, and non-arbitrary nature of God's actions, ensuring that His discipline is always tailored to achieve purification and refinement rather than annihilation.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Isaiah 28:27 profoundly reveals God's character as a sovereign, infinitely wise, and purposeful Lord who administers His discipline with perfect calibration and discernment. It meticulously refutes any notion of a capricious, arbitrary, or overly harsh deity, instead portraying Him as a master craftsman who knows precisely how to refine His creation without destroying it. This agricultural metaphor extends beyond mere discipline, touching upon God's overarching providential care and His intentionality in all His dealings, whether in judgment or blessing. He is the one who "instructs" the farmer (and by extension, all of creation) in the appropriate methods, demonstrating that His profound wisdom undergirds the very fabric of the natural world and human experience, ensuring all things work according to His perfect plan.
Reflection and Application
Isaiah 28:27 offers immense comfort and profound practical guidance for the believer navigating life's inevitable challenges and seasons of difficulty. It calls us to cultivate a deep trust in God's perfect wisdom, even when His methods of discipline or refinement feel uncomfortable, painful, or prolonged. Just as the farmer's ultimate goal is to preserve and prepare the grain for its intended, valuable use, God's purpose in our trials is always redemptive, aiming to separate what is precious and eternal from what is worthless and temporal within us. His desire is to purify us, to sanctify us, and to make us more useful for His glorious kingdom. We are not to fear that God's hand is too heavy, His judgment arbitrary, or His discipline excessive; rather, we can rest securely in the assurance that He intimately knows our delicate nature and applies His discipline with the precise, loving care of a compassionate Father. This verse encourages us to humbly submit to His refining process, knowing with certainty that every "beating out" with a staff or rod is meticulously designed for our ultimate spiritual good, preparing us for a greater purpose and deeper communion with Him.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the main message of Isaiah 28:27 in the context of God's character?
The main message of Isaiah 28:27 is that God is infinitely wise, perfectly precise, and profoundly purposeful in all His dealings with humanity, especially concerning His divine discipline and judgment. He does not employ a uniform, one-size-fits-all approach but rather applies His actions with meticulous discernment, tailoring His methods to the specific needs, nature, and condition of the individual or nation. His ultimate objective is always a purposeful outcome of refinement, purification, and preservation, rather than indiscriminate destruction. This verse powerfully highlights His sovereign control, meticulous care, and unwavering commitment to His redemptive purposes, ensuring His discipline is always appropriate and supremely effective.
How does this verse relate to God's judgment on Israel?
This verse serves as a crucial explanation and profound justification for God's impending judgments on Israel (both the Northern Kingdom of Ephraim and the Southern Kingdom of Judah) that are described earlier in Isaiah 28. It provides a divine assurance to the audience that even though severe judgment is coming, it is neither arbitrary nor excessively harsh. Instead, like a wise and discerning farmer, God applies the exact measure of discipline needed—heavy and forceful for the stubborn and rebellious, but gentle and precise for those who are delicate or require a different kind of refining process. His ultimate goal is always to separate the "grain" (the righteous remnant or the purified people) from the "chaff" (sin, rebellion, and spiritual impurity), not to utterly annihilate His covenant people.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Isaiah 28:27, with its vivid imagery of God's perfectly calibrated discipline and refining work, finds its most profound and ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. While the Old Testament frequently portrays God's discipline as a necessary, refining process for His people, the New Testament reveals that the ultimate "threshing instrument" for sin and the full weight of divine judgment were borne by Christ Himself. He, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, became the object of God's righteous wrath, enduring the full, crushing force of the "cart wheel" of divine justice so that all who believe in Him might be eternally spared from that condemnation. Through His finished work on the cross, believers are no longer subjected to the crushing judgment for sin, but rather experience the sanctifying and refining work of the Holy Spirit, a discipline administered with the gentle "staff" and "rod" of the Good Shepherd, as beautifully depicted in Psalm 23:4. Jesus, as the very embodiment of divine wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:24), perfectly understands the unique nature of each "crop" (individual believer) and applies His transforming grace with the precise wisdom necessary for our sanctification, ensuring that we are purified and made fit for His eternal kingdom, never crushed by arbitrary force (Romans 8:28). He is the ultimate Farmer, cultivating His people with perfect wisdom, unwavering love, and sovereign purpose, always with a view to their eternal good and His supreme glory.