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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 28:29 climactically concludes an agricultural parable by asserting that the profound wisdom, meticulous planning, and flawless execution evident in the natural world, and by extension in all of God's dealings with humanity, originate exclusively from the LORD of hosts. This verse serves as a powerful affirmation of God's unparalleled intellectual capacity to conceive perfect plans and His absolute power and precision in bringing them to fruition, contrasting divine perfection with human folly and underscoring His sovereign control over creation, judgment, and redemption.
Context
Literary Context
Isaiah 28 is a complex prophetic oracle, primarily delivering a message of judgment against the northern kingdom of Israel (Ephraim) and Judah for their spiritual arrogance, moral corruption, and reliance on human alliances rather than divine counsel. The chapter opens with a scathing indictment of Ephraim's "crown of pride" and "drunkards" (Isaiah 28:1-8). It then shifts to Judah's leaders, who are similarly rebuked for their scoffing and inability to discern God's clear instruction, likened to children needing "line upon line, precept upon precept" (Isaiah 28:9-13). Amidst these pronouncements of impending judgment and the people's rejection of God's ways, verses 23-28 introduce an intricate agricultural parable. This parable meticulously details the farmer's divinely-imparted wisdom in knowing the precise methods for plowing, sowing various seeds (dill, cummin, wheat, barley, rye), and threshing them without destroying the grain. The careful, methodical, and purposeful nature of the farmer's work serves as a profound analogy for God's own dealings with His people. Just as the farmer's actions are not random but calculated for a specific, productive outcome, so too are God's judgments and redemptive acts. Verse 29 then explicitly reveals the source of this wisdom, linking the farmer's practical skill directly to the LORD, thereby elevating the parable from a mere observation of agricultural practice to a profound theological statement about divine sovereignty and wisdom, providing a crucial interpretive key for the entire chapter.
Historical & Cultural Context
The historical setting for Isaiah's prophecies is the turbulent late 8th century BCE, a period of immense geopolitical upheaval for both Israel and Judah. The northern kingdom (Ephraim) was on the verge of total collapse, soon to be conquered and exiled by the Assyrian Empire (722 BCE), largely due to their persistent idolatry and misplaced trust in foreign political alliances rather than in their covenant God. Judah, though not yet fallen, faced significant Assyrian pressure and was tempted to form alliances with powerful nations like Egypt, a strategy Isaiah vehemently condemned. In this predominantly agrarian society, the farmer's wisdom was not merely a skill but the bedrock of survival and prosperity. Knowing precisely when and how to plant, cultivate, and harvest was a matter of life and death, reflecting a deep, practical understanding of natural cycles and appropriate techniques. The agricultural analogy would have resonated deeply with Isaiah's audience, who intimately understood the meticulous care required in farming. By attributing this common, yet vital, wisdom to God, Isaiah challenges the notion that human leaders possess inherent wisdom or that political maneuvering can secure their future. Instead, true wisdom, whether for agriculture or national policy, originates solely from the divine. The title "LORD of hosts" (YHWH Sabaoth) was particularly potent in a context of incessant warfare and political instability, emphasizing God's supreme authority over all earthly and heavenly powers, including the mightiest armies and empires.
Key Themes
The verse Isaiah 28:29 powerfully encapsulates several core themes prevalent throughout the book of Isaiah and the broader prophetic literature. Foremost is the theme of Divine Sovereignty and Wisdom, asserting that God is the ultimate source of all knowledge, strategic planning, and effective action. His plans are not only perfectly conceived ("wonderful in counsel") but also flawlessly executed ("excellent in working"), standing in stark contrast to the foolish and self-destructive counsel of the leaders described earlier in Isaiah 28. This leads directly to the theme of Purposeful Discipline and Redemption. Just as the farmer's threshing is not for destruction but for separating the valuable grain from the chaff, God's judgments and disciplinary actions, though severe and painful, are always purposeful, aimed at refining His people and bringing forth spiritual fruit, rather than utterly annihilating them. This provides a glimmer of hope amidst the pronouncements of judgment, implying that even in divine wrath, there is a redemptive design. Finally, the verse highlights the Contrast Between Divine Perfection and Human Folly, a recurring motif in Isaiah. While human leaders err, scoff, and rely on flawed strategies, God's wisdom is unsearchable and His ways are perfect, providing the only reliable foundation for true security and flourishing, urging the people to turn from their self-reliance to God's unfailing wisdom.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This compound title combines H3068 (Yᵉhôvâh), referring to the self-Existent, Eternal God, the covenant God of Israel, emphasizing His unchanging, personal nature, with H6635 (tsâbâʼ), which literally means "a mass of persons," often organized for war, like an army or host. Combined, "LORD of hosts" signifies God's supreme power, authority, and control over all creation, including heavenly armies, cosmic forces, and earthly powers. It underscores His omnipotence and His ability to command and execute His will without hindrance, whether in judgment or salvation, making Him the ultimate sovereign.
H6381 (pâlâ') is a primitive root meaning "to separate," "distinguish," or "to be (causatively, make) great, difficult, wonderful." It conveys the idea of something extraordinary, marvelous, astonishing, or beyond human comprehension. When applied to God's counsel, it means His plans and purposes are uniquely profound, astonishingly wise, and transcend human understanding or expectation. They are not merely good, but divinely exceptional and awe-inspiring, often implying a miraculous or inexplicable quality.
This phrase combines H1431 (gâdal), meaning "to be large," "great," or "excellent," and H8454 (tûwshîyâh), which denotes "support," "ability," "sound wisdom," or "effective execution" (literally, "substance" or "enterprise"). Together, they describe God's actions as not only well-conceived but also perfectly and effectively carried out. His "working" or "enterprise" is of the highest quality, leading to precisely the desired outcomes. It emphasizes God's practical competence and the flawless efficacy with which He brings His "wonderful counsel" to fruition, demonstrating His supreme wisdom in action.
Verse Breakdown
"This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts"
This opening clause directly attributes the wisdom and skill described in the preceding agricultural parable (verses 23-28) to God Himself. The phrase "cometh forth" (H3318, yâtsâʼ) indicates divine origination and emanation, asserting that the practical, common-sense wisdom of the farmer, which ensures sustenance and order, is not merely human ingenuity but is ultimately a gift and revelation from the sovereign God, the "LORD of hosts," who controls all things. This firmly establishes God as the ultimate source of all true wisdom and effective action.
"which is wonderful in counsel"
This clause elaborates on the nature of the LORD's character, specifically His intellectual capacity. His "counsel" (H6098, ʻêtsâh), referring to His advice, plan, or purpose, is described as "wonderful" (H6381, pâlâ'). This means God's plans are extraordinary, marvelous, and beyond human comprehension in their depth, wisdom, and perfection. He devises strategies that are unfathomable yet supremely wise, always leading to His intended, righteous ends, demonstrating an unparalleled foresight and strategic genius.
"and excellent in working"
Following the "wonderful counsel," this clause affirms God's flawless ability to execute His plans. His "working" (H8454, tûwshîyâh), which encompasses His actions, enterprise, or effective execution, is "excellent" (H1431, gâdal). This signifies that God not only conceives perfect plans but also brings them to pass with absolute precision, power, and success. There is no flaw or failure in His implementation; His actions are always effective and achieve their intended, great purpose, demonstrating His perfect competence and omnipotence in bringing His will to pass.
Literary Devices
Isaiah 28:29 primarily employs Analogy and Divine Epithet. The entire preceding passage (verses 23-28) functions as an extended Analogy, comparing the skilled farmer's purposeful and varied methods of cultivation and threshing to God's own dealings with His people. Just as the farmer applies different techniques (plowing, sowing, threshing with different instruments) to different crops for their optimal yield, God uses diverse methods, including judgment and discipline, to refine and restore His people, ensuring a fruitful outcome. Verse 29 then explicitly reveals the source of this wisdom, reinforcing the analogy by stating that the farmer's wisdom is a direct reflection and gift of God's own. The powerful use of the Divine Epithet "LORD of hosts" (YHWH Sabaoth) is also highly significant, emphasizing God's supreme authority, omnipotence, and control over all creation, including the cosmic and earthly armies. This title underscores His inherent capacity to execute His "wonderful counsel" with "excellent working," asserting His unchallengeable sovereignty in all matters, from the mundane agricultural practices to the grand sweep of national judgment and redemption.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Isaiah 28:29 serves as a profound theological anchor, assuring us of God's absolute wisdom and competence in all His dealings. It teaches that even when God's ways seem harsh, inscrutable, or contrary to human expectations, they are always rooted in perfect counsel and executed with flawless precision, much like a master craftsman or a wise farmer. This truth provides immense comfort and stability, reminding believers that God is never arbitrary, unskilled, or reactive; rather, He is always working out His perfect plan, even through difficult circumstances and seemingly chaotic events. It calls us to trust His sovereign hand, knowing that His ultimate purposes are good and His methods, though sometimes challenging or painful, are meticulously designed for our refinement, His glory, and the ultimate establishment of His kingdom. This divine wisdom and effective working apply not only to His judgments but also, and preeminently, to His redemptive purposes for humanity.
Reflection and Application
Isaiah 28:29 offers a powerful antidote to anxiety and a profound call to trust in a world often characterized by chaos, uncertainty, and human folly. This verse firmly declares that there is an ultimate, all-wise, and perfectly capable hand guiding all things. When we face personal trials, national crises, or global turmoil, it's easy to question God's presence, His goodness, or the wisdom of His plan. However, this passage reminds us that God's "counsel" is "wonderful" – beyond our full comprehension yet perfectly conceived – and His "working" is "excellent" – flawlessly executed to achieve His righteous purposes. This should lead us to a posture of humble submission and confident reliance on His sovereignty. Instead of relying on our own limited understanding or human strategies, which are often prone to error and short-sightedness, we are called to lean into the divine wisdom that orchestrates even the most intricate details of creation and redemption. Trusting in God's wonderful counsel and excellent working allows us to find peace amidst the storm, knowing that He is meticulously cultivating His harvest, both in our individual lives and in the broader sweep of history, always moving towards His good and perfect end.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of the title "LORD of hosts" in this verse?
The title "LORD of hosts" (Hebrew: YHWH Sabaoth) is profoundly significant, emphasizing God's supreme power, authority, and control over all creation. "Hosts" refers to armies or masses, encompassing both heavenly armies (angels) and earthly forces. In the context of Isaiah, where nations are warring and human leaders are making foolish alliances, this title underscores that the true power and ultimate authority belong to God alone. It reminds the reader that the wisdom and effective action described in Isaiah 28:29 do not come from human ingenuity or military might, but from the sovereign God who commands all things. It reinforces His omnipotence and His ability to enforce His will, whether in judgment or salvation, making Him the only trustworthy source of counsel and effective working in a chaotic world.
How does the agricultural parable in Isaiah 28:23-28 relate to God's judgment and wisdom?
The agricultural parable serves as a powerful analogy for God's dealings with His people, particularly His judgments and redemptive purposes. Just as a wise farmer knows the precise methods for plowing, sowing different seeds, and threshing various grains without destroying them, so too does God apply His wisdom in His interactions with humanity. The farmer's actions are not random or destructive but are purposeful, aimed at producing a harvest. Similarly, God's judgments, though often severe, are not arbitrary acts of destruction but are carefully designed to refine, correct, and ultimately bring forth spiritual fruit from His people. The parable illustrates that God's methods are perfectly suited to His purposes, demonstrating His "wonderful counsel" and "excellent working" even in discipline. It contrasts the farmer's divinely-imparted wisdom with the folly of the nation's leaders, implying that God's methods of discipline and restoration are also perfectly designed and executed, even if seemingly harsh or incomprehensible to human understanding, as seen throughout Isaiah 28.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Isaiah 28:29, with its declaration of God's being "wonderful in counsel" and "excellent in working," finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The New Testament reveals Jesus as the very embodiment of God's wisdom and the perfect executor of His divine plan. Colossians 2:3 explicitly states that "in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," directly linking the "wonderful counsel" of God to the Son. He is the "wisdom of God" and the "power of God" (as seen in 1 Corinthians 1:24), through whom all things were created and by whom all things are sustained (Colossians 1:16-17). Furthermore, Christ's life, atoning death, and glorious resurrection represent the pinnacle of God's "excellent in working." The eternal plan of salvation, conceived in divine counsel, was perfectly executed through Christ's sacrifice on the cross, demonstrating God's flawless ability to bring His redemptive purposes to fruition (Hebrews 9:26). Just as the farmer skillfully works the soil for a harvest, Christ perfectly accomplished the Father's will, bringing forth a spiritual harvest of redeemed souls. His resurrection is the ultimate proof of God's "excellent working," conquering sin and death and securing eternal life for all who believe (Romans 6:9-11). Thus, in Christ, we see the divine counsel made manifest and perfectly achieved, offering not just an intellectual concept but a living reality of God's unparalleled wisdom and effective power, culminating in the reconciliation of all things to Himself.