Isaiah 28:25

When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place?

When he hath made plain {H7737} the face {H6440} thereof, doth he not cast abroad {H6327} the fitches {H7100}, and scatter {H2236} the cummin {H3646}, and cast {H7760} in the principal {H7795} wheat {H2406} and the appointed {H5567} barley {H8184} and the rie {H3698} in their place {H1367}?

No - when he finishes levelling it, he scatters his dill-seed, sows his cumin, puts wheat in rows, barley where it belongs, and plants buckwheat around the edges;

When he has leveled its surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin? He plants wheat in rows and barley in plots, and rye within its border.

When he hath levelled the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and put in the wheat in rows, and the barley in the appointed place, and the spelt in the border thereof?

Commentary

Isaiah 28:25 is part of an extended agricultural parable used by God through the prophet Isaiah to illustrate His profound wisdom, order, and methodical approach, contrasting it with the shortsightedness and arrogance of the leaders of Judah and Ephraim. This verse specifically details the farmer's discerning methods of sowing different crops, reflecting God's own precise dealings.

Context

This verse follows a stern rebuke against the "scoffers" and "drunkards of Ephraim" (Samaria), who boasted in their own wisdom and scoffed at God's warnings (Isaiah 28:14). To counter their foolishness, God presents Himself as the ultimate wise Farmer, whose actions are deliberate, purposeful, and perfectly suited to the desired outcome. The preceding verses (Isaiah 28:23-24) set the stage by asking rhetorical questions about a farmer's common sense in plowing and preparing the ground before sowing.

Key Themes

  • God's Methodical Wisdom: The verse highlights that just as a skilled farmer knows the right way to plant each specific crop—some broadcast, others carefully placed—so too does God act with supreme wisdom and precision in all His dealings. He doesn't act impulsively but with a well-thought-out plan.
  • Divine Order and Purpose: Every action God takes, whether in creation, judgment, or redemption, is executed with perfect order and for a specific purpose. There is a "place" for each seed, implying a divine design for everything He does. This echoes God's orderly creation, as seen in Genesis 1:1 and following.
  • Discernment in Discipline: In the broader context of Isaiah 28, this agricultural wisdom also speaks to God's discipline. He doesn't use the same "threshing" method for all "crops" (people/nations). Some require lighter discipline (like fitches and cummin), while others require more intensive processes (like wheat and barley), all designed for purification and growth, not destruction.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV terms for the crops reveal different agricultural practices:

  • Fitches (Hebrew: qetsach): Often identified as black cumin or dill, a spice. These small seeds were typically "cast abroad" or broadcast sown.
  • Cummin (Hebrew: kammon): Another spice, also usually scattered.
  • Principal wheat (Hebrew: chittah): The main staple grain.
  • Appointed barley (Hebrew: se'orah): Another crucial grain.
  • Rie (Hebrew: kussemeth): Likely spelt, a type of wheat.
The distinction between scattering the spices and carefully placing the grains ("cast in... in their place") emphasizes the farmer's, and by extension God's, careful adaptation of method to the nature of the crop.

Practical Application

This verse offers profound comfort and instruction for believers today.

  • Trust in God's Plan: We can trust that God, like the wise farmer, knows exactly how to cultivate our lives. He uses different methods for different individuals and situations, always with our ultimate good and His glory in mind. What seems haphazard to us is perfectly ordered in His divine plan.
  • Patience in Process: Just as a farmer waits for the right season and applies the right techniques, God works patiently in our lives. We may experience different forms of "sowing" or "pruning" (John 15:2), but each is designed to bring forth fruit.
  • Recognizing God's Wisdom: Instead of questioning God's ways, we are called to acknowledge His superior wisdom and understanding, which far surpass our own (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Ezekiel 4:9 (4 votes)

    ¶ Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof, [according] to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof.

  • Matthew 23:23 (3 votes)

    Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier [matters] of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

  • Exodus 9:31 (2 votes)

    And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley [was] in the ear, and the flax [was] bolled.

  • Exodus 9:32 (2 votes)

    But the wheat and the rie were not smitten: for they [were] not grown up.