TRV
See on the biblical-era map
Study This Verse
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
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
(Verse 5 and following) On that day, the Lord of hosts will be a crown of glory and a diadem of rejoicing to the remnant of his people, and a spirit of judgment to the one who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. But these also reel because of wine and stagger because of strong drink: priest and prophet reel because of strong drink, they are swallowed up by wine, they stagger because of strong drink; they reel while having visions, they totter when rendering judgment. For all the tables were filled with vomit and filth, so that there was no longer any place. LXX: On that day the Lord of hosts will be a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty to the remnant of his people. They shall put away in the spirit of judgment all wickedness and forbid every deed of violence. For they are deceived by wine, they stagger because of strong drink; priest and prophet reel with strong drink, they are confused with wine, they stagger because of strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in giving judgment. All tables are covered with filthy vomit. No place is clean. After the entire land of Samaria, that is, the ten tribes, was destroyed by the flooding Assyrians and trampled underfoot, the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and devoured like a temporary fig tree, then the remaining people of Israel, that is, the two tribes, Judah and Benjamin, will be the crown of victory; and the spirit of judgment will be upon the king who sits in judgment, undoubtedly King Hezekiah of Judah; and their strength, who have avenged all the populated regions and returned from battle, will be their protection within the city. The prophet speaks about what we are going to read in the same passage (below chapter 37), when 185,000 armed soldiers from the Assyrian army were destroyed by an angel striking them. But these people too, that is, Judah and Benjamin, were intoxicated with the wine of idolatry, and having despised the religion of the temple, they worshipped the idols of demons and did not recognize the Lord who sees everything. For all their tables and their whole religion were filled with vomit and filth, so that not only in the temple, but on the top of mountains and in wooded places, they filled everything with the filth of idolatry, and the Lord did not have a place of dwelling in them. Let this be said according to the letter. Furthermore, according to tropology, let us follow the previous understanding and not leave aside the untouched Seventy Interpreters. For the heretics, devoured by the mouth of the devil, who have climbed the mountain of pride, the Lord will be the crown of glory; but for those who dwell in the Church, and compared to the multitude of many wanderers, they are few in number. However, there will be a spirit of judgment over judgment: for the Lord will cleanse the filth of the sons and daughters of Zion with the spirit of judgment. But if anyone has blood, he will be cleansed not by the breath of judgment, but by the fire of purification, and he will be a strength to the people and will prevent them from being killed by those who are intoxicated with the wine of dragons and have gone astray because of their drunkenness. We have often said that wine is made from grapes. But drunkenness refers to any drink that can intoxicate and disturb the mind, which Aquila properly translated as ebriety, whether it is made from wheat, barley, millet, the juice of fruits, the fruit of palm trees, or any other kind. Therefore, the priests and prophets of the heretics lost their minds because of wine, and they were consumed because of alcohol, like Prisca and Maximilla, and their leader Montanus; and they did not know what to say. They are intoxicated by wine when they wrongly understand and distort the holy Scriptures. They are consumed by alcohol when they misuse worldly wisdom and the snares of dialecticians, which should be called not so much chains as phantasms, that is, certain shadows and images that quickly perish and dissolve. Those who believe that profit is piety and do everything out of greed will be cursed. The Apostle spoke about this phantasm, saying: 'Giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy' (I Tim. IV, 1, 2). The third explanation is that after the Lord destroyed the Scribes and the Pharisees and their companion Judas, who was a thief from the beginning, he personally carried the money of the poor in a small wallet (John XII and XIII): then there is hope and a crown of glory for those who believe in the Lord from among the Jews, undoubtedly signifying the apostles, whom he has reserved for the preaching of the Gospel and has not immediately allowed to shed their blood for Christ. For all the scribes and Pharisees, as we have said above, were drunk with wine and cider, both the priests and the false prophets. But their schemes and traps were in vain, for even Judas himself, who betrayed [Jesus], did it for the sake of money, and the priests who corrupted the betrayer with money did it out of fear of their own lowly status. For he himself, making a whip out of cords, cast out of the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep, and overturned the tables of the money changers, saying to them: It is written, 'My Father's house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a den of thieves (Matthew 21:13). According to that Hebrew interpretation, in which we have said: For all their tables are filled with vomit and filth, so that there is no more room for heretics, scribes, and Pharisees, it can be understood that we say all their doctrine and all their mysteries are filled with vomit and filth, since they do not digest the food of the holy Scriptures, nor do they make it vital for the whole body; but they bring forth unripe and fetid things, so that God finds no place in them. But I wonder what Theodotion meant when he rendered the Hebrew word, Cisoa, which Aquila interpreted as 'vomit of filth,' and Symmachus only as 'vomit.' He said, 'vomit of dysalia,' which word I cannot find in Greek literature, unless he has invented a new term for a new thing. For it is also compounded in the Hebrew language, because vomit is called CI and Soa is filthy (also rendered as filth). Therefore, whatever causes nausea and vomiting can be called δυσαλία.
Continue studying Isaiah 28:9 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
Summary
Isaiah 28:9 presents a piercing rhetorical question, exposing the spiritual immaturity and obstinate resistance of Judah's leadership by inquiring who is truly prepared to receive divine knowledge and comprehend God's profound doctrine. The verse employs sharp irony, suggesting that only those who have progressed beyond spiritual infancy—metaphorically "weaned from the milk" and "drawn from the breasts"—are capable of grasping the deeper truths of God's revelation, standing in stark contrast to the arrogant and spiritually dull recipients of Isaiah's challenging message.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is intricately woven into a severe prophetic oracle in Isaiah 28, primarily directed at the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Ephraim) and, by extension, the complacent leaders of Judah. Isaiah vividly condemns their spiritual drunkenness, moral decay, and their dismissive, scoffing attitude toward God's authoritative word. The preceding verses paint a picture of these leaders as arrogant and self-satisfied, openly ridiculing Isaiah's straightforward, repetitive teaching, which they derisively label as childish babbling—"precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little" (Isaiah 28:10). In verse 9, Isaiah masterfully turns their own mockery back on them. By posing the rhetorical question, he implicitly asks who, among such immature and rebellious people, is truly fit to receive profound divine instruction, thereby highlighting their profound spiritual ineptitude and unreadiness. The subsequent verses then detail God's impending judgment and the eventual, true method of divine teaching, which will be delivered with a foreign tongue and a different standard.
Historical & Cultural Context
The historical backdrop for this prophecy is the turbulent 8th century BCE, a period characterized by pervasive political instability and profound spiritual decline across both Israel and Judah. The Northern Kingdom was teetering on the brink of Assyrian conquest (which occurred in 722 BCE), and Judah faced similar existential threats, often opting for unreliable alliances with foreign powers rather than placing their trust in the sovereign God of Israel. Culturally, the imagery of "weaning from the milk" and "drawn from the breasts" was a universally understood metaphor rooted in the natural developmental stages of a child. It describes the crucial transition from total dependence on a mother's milk to the consumption of solid food, marking a significant step from infancy to early childhood and increased independence. Isaiah brilliantly leverages this familiar cultural milestone to underscore the profound spiritual immaturity of the nation's leaders. Despite their chronological age and positions of authority, they remained spiritually infantile, demonstrating an inability to digest anything beyond the most basic spiritual nourishment, if even that.
Key Themes
A paramount theme permeating this verse is Spiritual Maturity and Readiness. The verse emphatically underscores that truly grasping divine truths necessitates a progression beyond spiritual infancy, demanding a readiness for "solid food"—deeper, more complex doctrines—as opposed to mere "milk" (1 Corinthians 3:2). This critical theme finds a strong echo in the New Testament, where believers are consistently urged to move beyond elementary principles toward spiritual maturity (Hebrews 5:12). Another pivotal theme is Humility in Learning. The leaders' entrenched arrogance and scoffing attitude stand in stark opposition to the humble, teachable spirit that is an absolute prerequisite for receiving God's profound wisdom. True understanding is not merely contingent upon intellectual prowess but upon a receptive heart, free from intellectual pride or self-sufficiency. Finally, the verse touches upon The Nature of Divine Instruction. God's teaching, while commencing with foundational principles, is ultimately profound, multifaceted, and demands a prepared mind and spirit to process deeper wisdom—a capacity conspicuously absent in those Isaiah so sharply addresses.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
A primitive root meaning "to flow as water (i.e. to rain); transitively, to lay or throw (especially an arrow, i.e. to shoot); figuratively, to point out (as if by aiming the finger), to teach." This word highlights God's active and deliberate role as an instructor, guiding and directing His people in the way of truth, much like an archer aims an arrow or a guide points the way. It implies a purposeful imparting of knowledge and direction.
A feminine noun meaning "knowledge." This refers to understanding, discernment, and insight, particularly within a spiritual or divine context. It is not merely intellectual information but a deep, experiential acquaintance with truth, often implying wisdom and moral discernment. The rhetorical question probes who possesses the capacity to receive this profound, divinely imparted understanding.
A primitive root meaning "to treat a person (well or ill), i.e. benefit or requite; by implication (of toil), to ripen, i.e. (specifically) to wean." This word precisely captures the developmental stage of a child transitioning from total dependence on milk to consuming solid food. In a spiritual sense, it signifies a crucial maturation process, a necessary movement beyond basic, foundational truths to a readiness for deeper, more substantial spiritual nourishment.
Verse Breakdown
"Whom shall he teach knowledge?"
This opening rhetorical question immediately establishes the verse's ironic and challenging tone, implying that the current audience, the scoffing leaders, are utterly unfit for divine instruction. It underscores God's desire to impart profound understanding, but simultaneously highlights the essential prerequisite spiritual state of the recipient—a state these leaders clearly lack.
"and whom shall he make to understand doctrine?"
This parallel question powerfully reinforces the first, emphasizing not just the passive reception of information ("knowledge") but the active internalization, comprehension, and practical application of divine truth and instruction ("doctrine"). It points to the critical necessity of spiritual discernment to truly grasp God's revealed will, principles, and moral precepts.
"[them that are] weaned from the milk, [and] drawn from the breasts."
This biting phrase delivers the ironic and unexpected answer to Isaiah's questions. Rather than the mature, discerning leaders who should be capable of understanding, Isaiah sarcastically suggests that only those who are spiritually "weaned"—like infants who have matured beyond needing only milk—are truly ready. The vivid imagery points to a spiritual readiness and capacity for deeper truth that the proud and rebellious leaders conspicuously lacked, implying they were still stuck in a state of spiritual infancy, unable to digest anything substantial. The phrase "drawn from the breasts" (from H6267 and H7699) further emphasizes this developmental transition from total infantile dependence.
Literary Devices
Isaiah 28:9 masterfully employs several literary devices to convey its powerful and convicting message. The primary device is a Rhetorical Question, which is not posed to elicit a direct answer but to make a forceful point emphatically. By asking "Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine?", Isaiah highlights the profound unteachability and spiritual dullness of his audience. This is immediately followed by biting Irony, as the implied answer, "them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts," cleverly turns the leaders' own mockery back on them. They had accused Isaiah of speaking to them as if they were infants (Isaiah 28:10), but Isaiah's sharp retort suggests that their spiritual immaturity indeed renders them like infants, incapable of receiving anything but the most basic instruction. The entire verse functions as a powerful Metaphor or Analogy, using the physical process of weaning as a vivid representation of spiritual maturation. The transition from "milk" to "solid food" symbolizes the progression from elementary spiritual truths to deeper, more complex theological understanding, emphasizing that true spiritual growth requires moving beyond basic principles.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Isaiah 28:9 profoundly speaks to the necessity of spiritual readiness and humility in receiving divine revelation. It underscores that God's truth, while eternally accessible, demands a particular posture of heart and mind from those who would truly comprehend it. The Lord ardently desires to impart deep knowledge and understanding, but this requires His people to move beyond spiritual infancy, actively shedding pride, complacency, and self-sufficiency. The passage highlights a recurring biblical theme: God consistently reveals Himself and His truth to the humble, the teachable, and those who hunger for righteousness, while the arrogant, self-sufficient, and scornful remain spiritually blind and incapable of true discernment. This readiness is not merely about intellectual capacity or academic achievement but about a transformed heart that genuinely hungers for God's wisdom and is willing to submit wholeheartedly to His instruction.
Reflection and Application
Isaiah 28:9 serves as a timeless and challenging mirror for profound self-examination, urging us to honestly assess our spiritual posture and the depth of our hunger for God's transformative Word. Are we genuinely "weaned from the milk," eagerly desiring to move beyond foundational truths to embrace the deeper, more challenging, and often uncomfortable doctrines of Scripture? Or do we, like the recalcitrant leaders of Judah, remain content with spiritual infancy, perhaps even scoffing at the call to greater depth and maturity, preferring comfortable platitudes over profound truth? This verse powerfully calls us to cultivate a truly teachable spirit, one marked by profound humility, intellectual curiosity, and a fervent desire to know God more intimately through His revealed truth. It reminds us that true spiritual growth is not a destination but a lifelong, dynamic journey, requiring consistent, prayerful engagement with the Word, a willingness to wrestle with difficult truths, and a readiness to be transformed by the Holy Spirit. Our capacity to receive, internalize, and apply divine knowledge is directly proportional to our readiness to shed spiritual complacency and embrace the "solid food" of God's profound wisdom.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts" mean spiritually?
Spiritually, this phrase is a powerful metaphor signifying a state of maturity beyond mere spiritual infancy. Just as a child who is weaned is no longer solely dependent on milk but is ready for solid food, a believer "weaned from the milk" is ready to move beyond the basic, elementary truths of faith to engage with deeper, more complex, and often challenging doctrines. It implies a readiness for robust spiritual growth, discernment, and a developed capacity to understand God's wisdom more profoundly, rather than remaining stuck in a superficial or rudimentary understanding of faith. The Apostle Paul uses similar imagery in 1 Corinthians 3:2 and the author of Hebrews in Hebrews 5:12-14, both urging believers to progress from spiritual "milk" to "solid food."
Who are "they" in this verse that Isaiah refers to as "weaned from the milk"?
The "them" in this verse is highly ironic and rhetorical, not a literal reference to infants or toddlers. Instead, Isaiah is sarcastically turning the mockery of the adult leaders of Judah back on themselves. These leaders had scorned Isaiah's simple, repetitive teaching, derisively comparing it to babbling to infants ("precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little" as found in Isaiah 28:10). Isaiah's sharp response in verse 9 implies that they are the ones who are spiritually immature, so much so that only those who have just been weaned—the very people they mocked—are truly capable of receiving and understanding God's profound knowledge and doctrine. It's a biting indictment of their spiritual dullness, arrogance, and unteachability, suggesting that their spiritual state is akin to that of a spiritual infant, unable to digest anything substantial or truly grasp divine truth.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
While Isaiah 28:9 powerfully highlights the unteachability of a rebellious people and the critical need for spiritual maturity, it finds its ultimate fulfillment and the divine solution to this human predicament in Christ Jesus. The profound rhetorical question, "Whom shall he teach knowledge?", is answered definitively and perfectly in Jesus, who is the very embodiment of divine knowledge and the ultimate, authoritative Teacher. He is the eternal Word made flesh (John 1:1), through whom God has fully and finally revealed Himself to humanity (John 1:18). Unlike the spiritually immature and obstinate leaders of Isaiah's day, those who come to Christ are supernaturally given the capacity to understand divine doctrine, not by their own inherent merit or intellectual prowess, but by the transformative work of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised would teach all things and bring to remembrance all that He taught (John 14:26). Jesus Himself offers the "solid food" of eternal life and true spiritual sustenance, declaring, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst" (John 6:35). Through the New Covenant, which was established in His atoning blood, God promises to put His law within His people and write it on their hearts, enabling a deep, internal, and experiential understanding of His will that transcends mere external instruction (Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10). Thus, in Christ, the spiritually "weaned" are not just those who have matured through effort, but those who have been given a new heart and mind, capable of truly knowing and understanding God through the indwelling power of His Spirit.